French Batteries around Bray Dunes

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dirk Peeters
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French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#1

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 11:28

I m trying to locate the exact spots where the french bttrs where in the dunes around Bray Dunes
Up to know three
the first
Bray Dunes "Nord"
1A4 Google Bray Dunes Nord.jpg
some pictures of a platform for these guns
00 OB nord (1).jpg
00 OB nord (2).jpg
(one is mirorred , we gonna find out which...)

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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#2

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 11:41

The second and the third bttr
Here "Bttr Bray Dunes Sud" and Bttr Semaphore
1A4 Google Bray Dunes Sud.jpg
We know the position of the Devonia in 1940
05 Devonia (4).jpg
and the Crested Eagle
01 Crested Eagle (7).jpg
They are easily recognisable
here a map from the book Dunkerque Six Bttr pour defendre un port (plein des photos de ces bttr
with this info it should be feaseble to locate wich is wich with pictures
So who has pictures of these three bttr ?
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00 localisatie.jpg
00 localisatie.jpg (123.45 KiB) Viewed 710 times


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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#3

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 14:19

on airial pictures of 1938 is nothing to see ....

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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#4

Post by jopaerya » 14 Feb 2016, 14:32

Ebay
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french gun bray dune 16,4.jpg
french gun bray dune 16,4.jpg (60.45 KiB) Viewed 680 times
french16.4 cm gun.jpg
french16.4 cm gun.jpg (86.87 KiB) Viewed 680 times

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myt1prod
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#5

Post by myt1prod » 14 Feb 2016, 15:33

Textextract and photo from http://www.ville-dunkerque.fr

"En 1915, l’artillerie achève la construction de deux affûts spéciaux avec plateforme pour canons de 75 mm contre avions. Ces plans sont conçus par un Dunkerquois, le capitaine Ziegler, directeur des Chantiers de construction de l’Ile Jeanty.
L’appareil "Ziegler" permet de transformer rapidement le 75 mm de campagne en un excellent canon contre-avion. Ce dispositif est employé aussitôt par le Ministère de la Guerre. En septembre 1917, la défense aérienne de la région de Dunkerque comprend six batteries françaises de 75 mm installées à Bray-dunes, Leffrinckoucke et au Fort-Vallières.
Des batteries anglaises sont positionnées à Spycker, Bergues, Cappelle-Brouck et Bray-Dunes. Au total, on dispose de vingt canons spéciaux à tir rapide appuyés par 16 mitrailleuses."

DCA battery in Malo-les-bains
malo frans kanon Ziegler-dispositief.gif

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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#6

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 15:48

On the picture of Jos we see clearly an octogonal building
SHM plan 3 Bttr Bray Dunes obs (1).jpg
SHM plan 3 Bttr Bray Dunes obs (1).jpg (58.81 KiB) Viewed 665 times
after a quick search i found in the SHM archive this
SHM plan 3 Bttr Bray Dunes obs.jpg
This means it was still standing in 1945 when they made this survey
in the SHM text we see for bttr de Bray Dunes
SHM text 3 Bttr Bray Dunes (1).jpg
the SHM plan
SHM plan 3 Bttr Bray Dunes.jpg
so here is our problem
on no known map we see this observation post
and more significant
on no aerial picture we found this obs post
Where was this building?
If we can find it we know for sure where some of the guns we have here on photo where exactly

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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#7

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 15:57

in the text we see two OB with a lot of Tobruks around them
00 OB nord (1).jpg
so we can say for sure this is one of the french platforms
here is what i have measured
00 OB nord plan.jpg
so we know that it must be between Bray Dunes and the Panne
thanks to the SHM archive
Dirk

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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#8

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 15:59

For Jean
I never found anything like that in the dunes there
Did you ?
i ll know they date from WW2 but even on the 1920 aerials nothing is been found
as with our guns here
on no 1937 aerial they are seen....


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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#10

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 16:23

Yep these i have found myself
This must be your gun Jos
Look at the wellblech
but it confirms that these guns must be between Bray Dunes and the panne
because we don t see the trucks lind up in the water
If this picture was taken at Zuydcote (Bttr semaphore or the second bttr then we would have seen the truck jettys of Bray dunes
now we see a deserted beach just completely at the back of he beach we see black dots
that must be the third jetty of the Panne
now why we don t find them on any aerial picture
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coastal gun.JPG

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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#11

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 16:31

00 2 guns a.jpg
here a picture with the two guns

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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#12

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 16:37

but ther is a shipwreck
and no shipwreck is known between bray dunes and the panne

If it is the Devonia that would mean that these guns would be at the other side of Bray Dunes (direction Zuydcoite but then why we don t see the jettys ? and why we dont see the first houses of Bray Dunes
I m back were i started
Where are those guns ???????

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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#13

Post by jopaerya » 14 Feb 2016, 16:50

According to this book batt. Bray Dunes 3 x 16.4 cm http://atf40.forumculture.net/t6187-bat ... -juin-1940

Regards Jos

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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#14

Post by jopaerya » 14 Feb 2016, 17:00

From the Denkschift
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Bild031.jpg

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dirk Peeters
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Re: French Batteries around Bray Dunes

#15

Post by dirk Peeters » 14 Feb 2016, 17:33

Thanks Jos
One source says at the left of Bray Dunes one source says to the right .....even the pictures give no clue
Why are at tne north side of Bray Dunes these consrete platforms that the germans did noot use ? Why are they there ? for what reason ? why on aerth we see on the pictures not one house ?
Chazette in his book says another bttr de circonstanca at the semaphore de Zuydcote
a lot of mysteries ....

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