karltrowitz
Well-known member
Here are a few photos of the Auderville La-Roche gun battery which I took recently.
The history...
The battery, named "Stahl", was built by the Germans to the west of Cherbourg. Construction began in May 1942, with six 15.5cm K416(f) guns in concrete emplacements, with shelters for storing ammunition. Later in 1943, personnel shelters were built for the gun crews. In late 1943, it was decided that the open emplacements were too vulnerable to air attack, so work began to build four H679 concrete gun casemates to house the guns. It was bombed on the 29 June 1944 by American B-26 medium bombers, before it was captured by troops of the 39th US Infantry Regiment on the 1 July 1944.
Today a lot of the site is buried (but still there!) but a few interesting bits still remain.
The H636 command post
Looking into the observation slot (I'm just too big to fit through there!)
One of the remaining gun emplacements
A view from the roof of the command post to one of the H679 gun casemates
The H679 casemates
An H134 ammunition shelter
Inside
A shelter for a diesel generator (The original doors are quite a rare find)
Inside
Finally, in 1944, the battery also had a Seetakt FuMO 2 radar in an emplacement in front of the command post
The radar emplacement today
The history...
The battery, named "Stahl", was built by the Germans to the west of Cherbourg. Construction began in May 1942, with six 15.5cm K416(f) guns in concrete emplacements, with shelters for storing ammunition. Later in 1943, personnel shelters were built for the gun crews. In late 1943, it was decided that the open emplacements were too vulnerable to air attack, so work began to build four H679 concrete gun casemates to house the guns. It was bombed on the 29 June 1944 by American B-26 medium bombers, before it was captured by troops of the 39th US Infantry Regiment on the 1 July 1944.
Today a lot of the site is buried (but still there!) but a few interesting bits still remain.
The H636 command post
Looking into the observation slot (I'm just too big to fit through there!)
One of the remaining gun emplacements
A view from the roof of the command post to one of the H679 gun casemates
The H679 casemates
An H134 ammunition shelter
Inside
A shelter for a diesel generator (The original doors are quite a rare find)
Inside
Finally, in 1944, the battery also had a Seetakt FuMO 2 radar in an emplacement in front of the command post
The radar emplacement today
