The Guns of Longues Sur Mer

[bigduke6]

I mentioned the above place in another post, but was lucky to be over in Normandy last week, although some of my transport let me down the Citroen Berlingo carried on, so managed to get to a few places of interest to me.

Before I left, two books I ordered arrived, D-Day Fortifications in Normandy OspreyPublishing and a very thick book The Atlantic wall (History and guide) by Pen and sword.

(I can assure you, to go into a Library and ask for a book on German Bunkers you wont get much apart from some strange looks... )

I was about 6 miles south form Arrowmanches, (Gold Beech) although every time I tried to visit there was something on, even the last day on Sunday I drove there only to find hundreds of cars going that way.
But I managed to get to some other places, as I was following a map of the WW2 defences in that area, I'll come back to that in another post, but the best site so far was Longues Sur Mer.

Its now a Preserved site, I've many pictures but will go through quickly each casemate and concentrate on No 1 ??






The barrels are marked with a BxB code which is the Skoda Works......
(Aktiengesellschaft vormals Skodawerke, Pilsen, Czechoslovakia)







No1 (which I thought was No4) is probably the best of them all, quite a few photos of this and of the rear, the entrance and looking through to the breech, the actual casemates were only for the Gun and ammo, outside at the rear was an ammo store,.......

I've tried to recreate what it would be like for one of the lads shifting ammo from the rear into the casemate in the last few.







So from the ammo store at the rear,










Walking up to the command post I passed another ammo store, this one is far more accessible than the last, but included a pic of the entrance etc, at the corner were I turned to the command post there was a small gun emplacement and a tobruck, Similar builds had the turret from a French Renault tank sitting on top, I'll find a pic and post that later.







The last was the command firing post,






I can only imagine the view on the 6th June 1944 would of caused occupiers some quick bowel movements....

One thing I noticed and I would say only a matter of time that it becomes closed was the concrete cap supports are looking a bit tired...... didn't stay under here for long, no doubt it will be still be there in another 75 years, but its the Engineer in me.




Had a Fantastic time, I just concentrated in one area, I intend to go back but I'd do it outside of the June celebrations, only for the fact its easier to get to certain places.

I'll post another thread on the map and positions I was trying locate.

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