Moselgerät and Donaugerät (W.P.G for Heeresküstenartillerie)

[Manuferey]

In an action report of the naval bombardment of Cherbourg on June 25, 1944 (in the US National Archives), I've found the mention of a special "searchlight" as a possible range finding method and impaired by smoke. It makes think of a Donaugeraet around Cherbourg. It could then be the one at Querqueville mentioned in the report in Jos' post # 44 above.

Special searchlights - Cherbourg 2.jpg

Special searchlights - Cherbourg.jpg

In the same report, there is a map with the three main German naval batteries and the positions of the Allied warships.
Target # 2 is MKB Hamburg
# 308 is MKB Yorck (the closest battery to Querqueville)
# 346 is MKB Landemer

Special searchlights - Cherbourg 3.jpg

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

Hello Emmanuel

in post 28 from Jon JB XLH you can see there was also a Donau Gerät in Cherbourg,
he told me in a private message that it was placed at Fort les Couplets Stp.272 .

Regards Jos

[Manuferey]

Thank you, Jos.

[Manuferey]

On the list of officers of the HKAR 1261 lost between June 6 and June 15, 1944 on the Cherbourg peninsula, we can find the name of the unit that operated the Donaugeraet in the area and that was attached to HKAR 1261, the name of its CO and the size of the unit!

"Gesamter III./ Donau-Messzug (Ltn. Kreisel mit etwa 20 Uffz. U. Mensch)."

This list can be found on page 122 of the book "Les canons de St-Marcouf" by von Keusgen.

Donaumesszug.jpg

Emmanuel

[bunkermaniak]

Hello
from the report "German coast artillery equipment employed in the defence of the west coast of Denmark" in .PDF :