Fate of E-Battr 722

[Manuferey]

There is also a film made in 1944 from a British observation aircraft belonging to AOP Squadron 658. The description indicates a “solitary German 240 mm railway gun” at Vire railway station after the Liberation of the town. This film is available at the Imperial War Museum in London but not on line.

“Filming from a 658 AOP Squadron Taylorcraft Auster which makes several passes over Vire, the cameraman observes US military traffic filing through its streets. The one-time capital of lower Normandy and the 'Bocage' district is situated on a ridge overlooking the valley of the Virene. Its main church, Notre Dame, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, appears to be intact. To the north of the town is the railway station through which the Paris-Argentan-Granville railway line runs. In the marshalling yards, long lines of undamaged rolling stock and a solitary German 240mm railway gun await disposal by the Americans.”
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/ ... 1060023927

Emmanuel

[Manuferey]

I think I have found another picture of the 24 cm gun at Vire railway station. If you look at the press photo below dated August 14, 1944, we can distinguish a railway gun in the background. The caption reads “Vire, France – Rolling stock and tracks in the Vire Railyard lie in shattered ruins after Allied Bombings which preceded the occupation of the city on August 7. Credit: British Official Photo via Signal Corps Radiotelephoto from ACME.”
Source: MarcArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. The Allison Collection of World War II Photographs. Photo N°77.09.4401a (Gallery No. 143)
http://www.arkmilitaryheritage.com/imag ... .4401a.jpg



Here are some elements of comparison with a 24 cm Th.B.K.(E):



Now one difficulty is to reconcile the various pictures and dates: crowded tracks with destroyed stock above, lone gun mentioned by the British aerial observer and seen on previous pictures and the possible two guns visible on another pictures.

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

Hello Emmanuel

Great research , I think the first question is answered

Regards Jos

[jopaerya]

A photo from the original site of the E-Battr 722 at Cherbourg with the four emplacements on a Allied aerial picture .

Regards Jos

[jopaerya]

Could this be Cherbourg ( Stade Maritime ) ?? photo is from Ebay .

Regards Jos

[moonraker]

no is not stade maritime.

[moonraker]

hello
I think find the place of the E-battery in 1942.

for me is E-battery from "barneville-carteret"

[jopaerya]

Thanks Etienne for your reply ,

[Manuferey]

Jos,

The gun is a 20,3 cm K(E) thus, pointing to E.685 in the Cotentin based on the landscape.

Here is a today view of a hill north of Carteret train station as a reference. The hill on the ebay picture is on the west of the station (but I could not find a nice picture of it on the Net). The pictures shows that the gun was firing towards the northwest based on the direction of the railroad tracks (see Google Map/Street View for reference).

http://9.visuels.poliris.com/bigs/9/7/d ... f-5425.jpg

Besides the hill in the background of the ebay picture, typical of the surroundings of Barneville-Carteret, the vegetation can help confirm the location as the amount of leaves in the trees are typical of late spring-summer. We know that E.685 arrived at Carteret train station in May 1942 and left at the end of 1942 for Cherbourg by rail and then Auderville by road. E.685 did not stay very long in Cherbourg since we know that the position at Auderville-Laye was ready and thus, the battery would not have remained in Cherbourg in the Spring/Summer of 1943.

Emmanuel

[schwarzermai]

from my research:

operational locations
- bis 22.12.1943 - Stellung in Cherbourg - dann auf Befehl des Stoart A.O.K.7 Stellungswechsel nach Torigni
- 24.12.1943 - neue Stellung auf Bahnhof in Torigni und der Strecke nach Guilberville
- Ende April 1944 - neue Stellung in Bayeux wird ausgebaut und 3km südwestlich Bayeux in Bussy bezogen
- seit 24.12.1943 – Artillerie-Kommandeur 118 direkt unterstellt
- 6.6.1944 - Invasionsbeginn - Stellungswechsel nach Monts - 20km südwestlich Caen - hier ständige Fliegerangriffe
- die Strecke und die Loks werden zerstört - Batterie ist unbeweglich
- 16.6.1944 - Unterstellung direkt unter Harko 309 (Kommandeur Generalmajor Großmann, Ia Major Finger)
- Sommer 1944 - Bewaffnung - 4x 24 cm Theodor Bruno-Kanonen (in ortsfester Stellung bei Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie-Abteilung II./1262) und Zusatzbewaffnung - 4x 2 cm Flak 38
- 17.6.1944 - Befehl Harko 309 - Batterie wird aufgelöst - Geschütze werden bei Gefahr gesprengt - Sprengkommando mit 1 Offizier (Leutnant Riegel) und 6 Mann zurückgelassen
- 18.6.1944 - Personalbatterie nach Le Mans in Marsch gesetzt zu Ob.West - Ankunft 27.6.1944
- 3.7.1944 - Oberst Stocker befielt Inmarschsetzung von Eisenbahnpionieren und Loks zur Bergung der Eisenbahn-Batterie 1./725 und falls noch Zeit ist auch der E-Batterie 722
- 20.7.1944 - Eisenbahnpioniere treffen ein
- 29.7.1944 - Beginn der Bergung der Geschütze - Lok entgleist - Geschütze stehen vor dem Bahnhof in Guilberville
- 30.7.1944 - Gleis repariert - 3 Geschütze nach Vire gezogen - 1 Geschütz verbleibt im Bahnhof in Guilberville
- 31.7.1944 - 1 Geschütz in Guilberville gesprengt
- 1./2.8.1944 - das Geschütz der Eisenbahn-Batterie 1./725 wird in St.Germain geborgen und über Mortain nach Domfort gebracht
- 5.8.1944 - aufgrund fehlender Zugmöglichkeit werden die restlichen 3 Geschütze der Eisenbahn-Batterie 722 auf Bahnhof Vire gesprengt

Uwe

[moonraker]

hello manu,

any doubt the picture is taken at carteret. see enlargement.the house right was reconstructed,but that of center no.

today stree wiew

[Manuferey]

Danke Uwe.

Bien vu, Etienne.

Emmanuel

[moonraker]

hello,
please picture in war serve a GSGS map
source: NA
Morin-e belfra

[jopaerya]

Please check also page 2, Regards Jos

[Manuferey]

Jos,

That would correspond indeed to the two arrows on the left of the map you posted on page 2.

La Roche.s.Y. = La Roche-sur-Yon. Located NE of Les Sables d'Olonne.

Emmanuel