Dunkirk part 2

[Gil Boyd]

Geoff,
On the same theme. Here are a couple of casements on the Maginot line. What is amazing is the accuracy of the rounds on the side of the casements shown and the velocity it must have taken at short range ro try to break them up.
Probably an 88mm at close range but nevertheless fascinating targetry, and not a place to be inside when these came raining in. Such excellent engineering when you consider the concrete to sand ration to achieve this resilience

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[bigduke6]

No ........ a Kawasaki ZZR 600, I bought it from an auction, (strange set up as it was for sale on various sites etc but still had to register and place a bid although they accepted my offer) very scruffy and neglected but low miles, needs the brakes and some TLC and its good to go, managed to get the pistons out of the callipers so just a clean up & paint and fit new seals.

I'll have to post a pic of a before and after, as my mate thought I was joking that I was even thinking of stripping them.

Funny you mention a German Bike as I was looking at a BMW not long ago, but the ZZR ticked the boxes as plenty of spares around as they made millions, it was made for around 15-17 years without much change. Talking of BMW just bought my first one (car) used some of my PPI claim.

[mrclark303]

Yep, fantastic bunker complexes in the channel Islands, as Geoff said, the heaviest defended part of the coastal network.

The irony of this is with the channel Islands, like Norway, bypassed by the invasion, most of these, with the exception of the AAA batteries, rarely fired a shot in anger.

Its just as well, had an invasion been attempted, the casualties and damage to the island would have been horrendous.

[mrclark303]

Talking about Norway ... Its amazing the sharp contrast in experience that different German troops had in the last 6 months of the war.

I recently worked with a very interesting chap who's half German. His two uncles both survived the War, both AAA gunners, one in the Kreigsmarine and one in the Luftwaffe.

The Uncle in the Navy was stationed in the channel Islands, followd by Norway.

The Uncle in the Airforce was on the Russian front, followed by Poland.

Airforce Uncles war was hell on earth, ending with a 200 mile, every man for himself, dash to the American advance.

The Navy Uncle, in contrast had a very quiet war, bored out of his head in Norway for the last year, waiting for the Paras to march in without a shot being fired!

[Gil Boyd]

John,
Absolutely right there mate. Alderney never saw a plane as the RAF were all instructed to avoid the mass of AA on the islands and find an alternative course.

My great grandfather died a couple of years ago, and both my uncles are still alive..........all ex German soldiers from both wars. Sadly Grandfather died from internal gassing issues, always remember him coughing up blood for every day of his life. My mother is now dead at 93 died two years ago, made German Uniforms in Luneburg until the RAF landed on the heath to sign the end of the war treaty, and my Dad saw her giving out tea to the pilots.
Didn't take him long to marry a beautiful blue eyed blond and bring her home!!

Strange when you start analysing both sides. People like Richenbacker US pilot fighting people like Baron Von Richtofen on the German side, and thousands of Germans in both the US and English Forces, including the Royal family of course and all those issues!!!..........how ironic the way things have turned out, and of course not wishing to go off thread, the Millions of prisoners who mixed and laid the cement that will remain there forever!!

[mrclark303]

the Millions of prisoners who mixed and laid the cement that will remain there forever!!

Very true Gil, there's a very dark shadow cast by some of these constructions, untold numbers of slave labourers, Soviet POW's etc that paid the ultimate price in being forced to build the Nazi's infrastructure and defences.

While a lot of the fortifications in the Channel islands might never have fired a shot in anger, they still claimed the lives of many of their builders....

[bigduke6]

I,ve told the story before , but when I visited U534, I met a German Welshman, we were standing in the submarine when the guide asked if anyone had been on a sub before, I stuck my hand up and said "I used to build them in the Shipyard " then the guide said "and you Sir" to the guy behind me, " I used to sail on one one of these"

He was on his second trip when they surrendered, only 17-18 at the time he was taken Prisoner, stayed in a POW camp in Wales, he had nothing to go back to in Germany so settled in Wales.

[mrclark303]

I went onboard U534 a couple of times Geoff.

A fascinating experience, not many can claim to have toured through a WW2 U Boat.

An amazingly complete Type 9, she was sadly (I would say criminally) "sectioned" and moved off site some years ago.

[bigduke6]

I went onboard U534 a couple of times Geoff.

A fascinating experience, not many can claim to have toured through a WW2 U Boat.

An amazingly complete Type 9, she was sadly (I would say criminally) "sectioned" and moved off site some years ago.

It was criminal John, after all the hard work of the salvage etc, then to have it cut up, but at least its still there, and will probably be preserved better than the volunteers who had it, lack of funding was one and the prime building land it was on....... its a shame as it would of made an excellent museum if it got funding, the amount of Money spent on Liverpool for the capital of culture......... took nearly six years to finish edge lane and it never really got finished, I won't go into politics but you only have to look now, the Lord Mayor has his hands in a lot of pockets and his son is on the town planning.........

Forgot to say John, when you were on board did they mention the cylinder/ rocker lube oil tanks ? they were nearly full when they raised it and they assumed the oil had emulsified, but they later found out it was a synthetic oil they were trying.... also one of the batteries they sent off to what is the original maker or the new owners of the original makers, they cleaned it up replenished the electrolyte and give it a charge, worked fine.

[mrclark303]

Yea, fascinating stuff Geoff. I think the oil companies took a special interest in the the surviving oil and lubricants..

It was a very special boat to visit and Liverpool, being at the very heart of the Battle of the Atlantic, was the place she should have been preserved long term.

I also remember the Oberon class boat and the Country class Destroyer ( don't remember their names) preserved there too!

Cutting up one of the final Type 9 boats was a blatant act of vandalism.... An insult to all who died in the utterly Savage Atlantic war, on both sides.