Atlantic Wall Museum

[tomahawk6]

Ran across this gem the other day.Normally German bunkers defending the French coast held heavy guns.This one held a range finder.

http://www.musee-grand-bunker.com/englishversion.asp

On 6 June 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division has to land on a vast beach sector: Juno Beach. The 7th Brigade will land in the west, at Graye and Courseulles and the 8th Brigade in the east at Bernières and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. To the east of the Juno sector the 8th Brigade will attack along two axes. The French Canadians of La Chaudière Regiment and the Queen’s Own Rifles will land at Bernières-sur-Mer. In the east, the North Shore Regiment will land at Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer supported by the Fort Garry Horse amphibious tanks. Courseulles is the most heavily fortified German position that the Canadian troops of the 3rd Division must attack on 6 June 1944. The bunkers sheltered a dozen or so anti-tank guns, mortars and machine gun nests. They are held by infantrymen and gunners of the 736th Regiment of General Richter's 716th Infantry Division. 7th Brigade casualties, on 6 June, at Courseulles: casualties in the Regina Rifles: 108 including 42 killed, casualties in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles: 128 including 55 killed, 6th Armoured Regiment: 43 including 20 killed, 1st Canadian Scottish Regiment 87 including 21 killed, field artillery: 34 including 11 killed, 6th Company Canadian Engineers: 26 including 11 killed, other Canadian units: 29 including 9 killed.

 

[Haletown]

It is quite a good museum.

Bunkers located on the coast were almost all observation stations, as per  your picture.  The guns were inland, sometimes only a few hundred meters, sometimes much further.

Excellent example at Arromanche/Gold Beach. . . . The Longues Battery.

The observation bunkers are often portrayed in movies as firing positions, which they were not. The opening scenes  of SPR makes this error.  The observation slits were covered in thick splinter proof glass, just like a ship would have on a bridge.

Also an excellent museum at Arromanches that explains the Mulberry Harbour technologies and system. Worth the time if you are in the area.