Normandy Bunkers, Casemates and Tobruk's

Discussion in 'WW2 Battlefields Today' started by Jonathan Ball, Mar 28, 2011.

  1. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    Here is a selection of the many defensive works I came across last week. Any comments are very much welcome..

    This casemate is overlooking Sword beach, the third picture shows the field of fire from this position.

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    Hillman. I found the distance and aiming 'mural' in the Tobruk fascinating.

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    Moving on to the Pointe Du Hoc. The view from the Fire Control Bunker was fantastic.

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    Shell Craters courtesy of the USS Texas..

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    The Fire Control Bunker...

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    And the cliffs the Rangers had to scale...

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    And a couple of General views including a very near miss on a Tobruk!

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    I will be posting some more soon taken at Omaha, Utah, and Longues-Sur-Mer. I hope you have found these interesting?
     
    RosyRedd, James S and Owen like this.
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Can you get down onto the beach at Point Du Hoc and look up?
     
  3. TomTAS

    TomTAS Very Senior Member

    HI Jonathan,

    Sure did going there myself again next year, and had the same weather last time looks nice...

    Cheers
    Tom
     
  4. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    Omaha Beach. Unfortunately the tide was in. The most interesting part of the visit was to climb up to the 75mm gun position that afforded a field of fire right along the beach...

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    The 88mm Gun is caged in now and sticking your camera through the grill is as close to it as I could get. A real shame..

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    Drew5233 likes this.
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Lovely photos in lovley sunshine.
    These defences are the 20th Century's version of such places as Hadrian's Wall I suppose.
     
  6. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Good photos Jonathan , we have "tramped the same ground".

    Quite a few of the German fortifications are of the same design - a gun emplacement - "this is what we are building", "Hillman" reminds of a few I have seen in Normandy.

    Never been in Normandy in Spring looks good , I hope top go over again this year but will have to "play that one by ear", seeing your photos certainly would make me want to go.

    When I was last at Pointe Du Hoc the observation bunker was "closed to the public" , glad to see you can now go down into it again it affords quite a view.
     
  7. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    This is Utah Beach, again showing the view the gunners would have had along the length of the beach, I've tried to show some of the damage done by incoming fire....

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  8. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Here is a selection of the many defensive works I came across last week. Any comments are very much welcome..

    This casemate is overlooking Sword beach, the third picture shows the field of fire from this position.

    Moving on to the Pointe Du Hoc. The view from the Fire Control Bunker was fantastic, unfortunately the abilities of the photographer were less so!

    Shell Crater courtesy of the USS Texas..

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    I still find the aerial shot of the craters which I posted in another thread mind blowing.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13883&d=1234910196
     
  9. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    And finally the Battery at Longues-Sur-Mer...

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    Rob Dickers likes this.
  10. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Jonathan it is two years since I have been to L sur Mer - the landscaping aropund the observation bunker is new as are the identification signs on the surrounding bunkers.
    Your 6th photo - the close up of the gun - that is a great photo (IMO).

    Below some which didn't quite get finished.
    My Belgian friend Peter showed me these , he told me the construction method was "imported from Russia" , something the Germans picked up there.

    Concrete was to be poured between the two brick built walls to complete the structure but the Allies arrived first.


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    I can't quite recall where these are - over looking one of the British beaches , today they are surrounded by agriculture and private housing.
     
  11. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    My Belgian friend Peter showed me these , he told me the construction method was "imported from Russia" , something the Germans picked up there.

    Concrete was to be poured between the two brick built walls to complete the structure but the Allies arrived first.

    Thanks for sharing James, that is exactly what I was told.
     
    Buteman likes this.
  12. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    A great set of photos thanks for sharing

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  13. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

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    On the approach down to Omaha....... covered from the heights and a view from the heights.

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    And the last one looking across the length of the beach.
     
  14. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I can't quite recall where these are - over looking one of the British beaches , today they are surrounded by agriculture and private housing.

    Is it Mont Fleury behind Gold? That had some unfinished casemates.

    All good photos, by the way.
     
  15. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    I think I may have put these up before but in a search could not find them.
    Batterire Azville.

    Just found them.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/ww2-battlefields-today/26284-normandy-trip-2010-including-then-now-photos-3.html
    The gent with the electronic guide is Peter (De laet) a mine of information on things optical and on bunkers and their construction.

    German Gun Batteries in Normandy - standwheretheyfoughts jimdo page!

    idler
    Is it Mont Fleury behind Gold? That had some unfinished casemates.


    I think you could well be correct in this, they are well over to the left on the British / Canadian Beaches.

    Added to this the layout of Azeville from Heimdal's "Atlantikwall" (1995).
     

    Attached Files:

  16. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    After taking "Hillman" We used it as a base from which we sallied forth into action. We never went inside, we stayed in the open between the concrete block houses...

    .Looking at it now makes me think. Good Lord! there is the passage where we bunked down at night.

    Some Germans were buried on top of Hillman, but the earth was not deep enough, so their boot toes stuck up out the ground. And I slept amongst them.... Ye Gods!

    Did I ever? Yes I bloody did, and I recall all of it....
    sapper
     
    James S likes this.
  17. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    Fascinating set of photo's, thanks for sharing.
    I know what a Bunker is and also a casemate, but never heard the term Tobruk unless used in Libya/Desert war context, so, what is a Tobruk?
     
  18. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    RemeDesertRat
    Fascinating set of photo's, thanks for sharing.
    I know what a Bunker is and also a casemate, but never heard the term Tobruk unless used in Libya/Desert war context, so, what is a Tobruk?


    Some diagrams from "Fortress Europe- Hitler's Atl;antic Wall" ( G.Forty. Published by Ian Allen 20002).
    These should give a good insight into the structures of the "Tobruk". :)

    From Heimdal's "Album Memorial" - "Atlantikwall - Le Mur De L'Antique En France 1940-1944" (1995).
    Lounges Sur Mer - the observation bunker and an example of how severe the shelling around them was, not for the faint hearted.

    And from the same source , some info on "what was where".

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  19. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Excellent photographs and information.

    I wonder if anyone has ever totalled up the tonnage of concrete poured during WW2:D

    Regards
    Tom
     
  20. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    I wonder if anyone has ever totalled up the tonnage of concrete poured during WW2:D

    Regards
    Tom

    Yes, apparently it's .....er, LOTS 'N' LOTS :D
     

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