Northumbrian Gunner

Friday, 22 March 2019

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu

The Battery Saltzweddel Neu built during World War Two has been preserved providing an insight of the defences that made up the Atlantic Wall.

Batterij Saltzwebel Neu/Tirpitz

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
IJ / DM

On 10th May 1940 Germany launched their invasion of Belgium sweeping through the country forcing the Belgian, French and British Armies to withdraw. Eighteen days later Belgium surrendered and four and half years of occupation commenced.

To consolidate their gains, the Kreigsmarine began the construction of a coastal battery in Summer 1941 to protect the port of Ostend. The first armaments installed were captured Belgian 120mm guns which were re-designated 12 cm K 370 (b). The guns fired a 22kg (48 pound) shell up to a range of 17.5 km (11 miles).

12 cm K 370 (b)

The gun emplacements were open platforms.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Captured Belgian 120mm guns 12 cm K 370 (b).

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu

Inspection of Captured Belgian 120mm guns 12 cm K 370 (b).

On the 23rd March 1942 Hitler issued Fuhrer Order 40 to create the Atlantic Wall, a series of coastal defences stretching from Norway to the Spanish Coast to prevent an allied invasion of Europe.

The Battery Saltzweddel Neu was incorporated into the Atlantic Wall, its defences strengthened and it was re-named Battery Tirpitz. As part of the Atlantic Wall, guns were to be housed in casemates for protection.

In 1943, four R671 Casemates were constructed housing 10.5 cm SK C/32U guns which were also used on U-Boats. They fired a 15kg (33 pound) shell 15 kilometres (9 miles).

10.5 cm SK C/32U

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Casemate Type R671 plan

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
10.5 cm SK C/32U

To protect the flanks two R612 Casemate were constructed to house 7.5 cm PAK 40, an anti-tank gun with a range of 1,800 metres. The gun could be removed from the casemate on to an external platform to give a wider field of fire.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Casemate Type R612 plan

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
7.5 cm PAK 40

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Casemate Type R612 designed to allow gun to be removed

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
7.5 cm PAK 40 deployed in open

The Battery was controlled from an Observation / Command Bunker. It was operated by the Marine Artillerie Abteilung 204. Its establishment consisted of a Battery Commander, 20 NCO's and 100 Other Ranks. Gun detachments were 8 men strong.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Observation / Command Bunker

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Command Bunker

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Observation Bunker

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Commanders with Enigma Codong Machine

Other bunkers were constructed to accommodate the Gunners manning the Battery and it's logistic support.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Ammunition Bunker

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Accommodation Bunker

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Rations stores Bunker

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Accommodation / Office Bunker

Connecting the bunkers and gun emplacements are a series of tunnels and trenches that protected personal when moving around the battery.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Connecting Tunnels

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Connecting Tunnels / Trench

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Battery Commanders Accommodation / Office

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Battery Commanders Office

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Range Finder

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Range Finder WW2

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Beaches

As part of the Atlantic Wall defences to protect the beaches from amphibious landings, obstacles of various types were erected.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Atlantic Wall Beach Obstacles

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Renault FT-17 Tank Turret 37 mmgun

In December 1943, Field Marshall Rommel inspected the defences at the Saltzwedel neu / Tirpitz Battery.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Rommel's inspection December 1943

Anti-aircraft guns were added during 1944. Their intent was to disrup Allied aircraft en route to, and returning from, air raids on Germany.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Anti-aircraft emplacement

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Anti-aircraft gun sighting mechanism

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
3.7cm Flak 36

The 3.7cm Flak 36 had a maximum effective range of 4,200 metres (4,600 yards) in an anti-aircraft role. The gun had a 8 round clip feed system with a practical rate of fire of 150 rounds per minute.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
4 cm Flak 28 Bofors

The cm Flak 28 Bofors had a range of 4,2000 metres (4,600 yards) in the anti-aircraft role. The practical rate of fire was 150 rounds per minute. The weapon was produced by the Swedish Armaments Company Bofors. The company was 1/3 owned by the German Arms manufacturer Krupp. The Bofors was sold to both sides during World War Two and was the main armament of Light Ant-Aircraft units of the Royal Artillery.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
Wurzburg Reise Eisenbahan-Ausfuhrung Fu65E Radar

Following the Allied Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, it was recognised that the Pas de Calais was unlikely to be the scene of any landings . Attention was turned inland and PAK 36 37mm Anti-Tank guns with a range of 5,500 metres (6,000 yards) were added for protection.

Raversyde - Battery Saltzweddel Neu
PAK 36 37mm Anti-Tank gun

The Battery was abandoned and the guns destroyed in September 19544 in the face of the Allied advance along the Channel Coast.

Raversyde - Aachen Battery

Battery Aachen Battery

In August 1914 the German Army swept through Belgium occupying most of the country. To consolidate their gains, they began to construct coastal defences. The Battery Aachen was built to protect the port of Ostend, it was one of a number of batteries on the Belgian Coast. It was manned by the 2^nd Matrosen-Artillerie-Regiment.

Principal Batteries Belgian Coast

Construction of observation bunkers, four artillery emplacements, ammunition magazines and barracks commenced in January 1915.

Aachen Battery
Construction 1915 installation of Gun

The Battery would consist of four 15 cm SK L/40 Naval Gun which had a range of 13.7 km (8.5 miles)

15 cm SK L/40 Naval Gun

SK L/40 Naval Gus

The mounting of guns on rotating turrets gave the battery the capability of 6,400 mills shooting. As a consequence the guns could engage targets out to sea and shoot inland, to shell the front along the River Yser.

Aachen Battery
Inland Arc of Fire

The Battery was supplied by ammunition by a narrow gauge double rail track that ran to the rear of the guns.

Aachen Battery
image: Visual Dimension bvba

Aachen Battery
Artillery Barracks

Aachen Battery

Aachen Battery
Gun Emplacement

Aachen Battery

Aachen Battery
Spring 1915

Aachen Battery
Spring1915

Aachen Battery
Gun reconstruction March 2019

Raversyde - Atlantic Wall Museum

The Raversyde - Atlantic Wall Museum is situated 5km (3 miles) south west of Ostend.

Raversyde Museum Ostend

https://www.raversyde.be/en

The museum preserves fortifications from both World Wars, built by the Germans during their occupations of Belgium.

The museum consists of over 60 bunkers and two miles of tunnel which were built on land belonging to Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, who wished to keep the fortifications intact as a national monument. He lived in a cottage on the land until his death in 1983.

Raversyde
Prince Charles of Flanders Cottage

Raversyde
Battery Saltzweddel abd Neu Aachen Battery

Aachen Battery

The Battery Aachen was built in 1915 to defend the port of Ostend and was one of a series of German coastal batteries on the Flanders Coast.

Raversyde
View of Aachen Battery towards Ostend

Battery Saltzweddel Neu

The Battery Saltzweddel Neu was inaugurated in September 1941 as part of the defence of the German occupied port of Ostend. In 1942 it was incorporated into the Atlantic Wall, a coastal defence system that stretched from Norway to Spain. Anti-aircraft guns were added to engage Allied bombers crossing the Flanders Coast when travelling to and from bombing raids.