Fate of E-Battr 722

[WAKEN]

'Atlantikwall Mythe ou Realite' says that the 4 x 24cm K 558(f) railway guns of E-Battr 722 moved to the Caen area in June and were captured in Torigni sur Vire in August. On another forum someone posted that they have another source (francois 2006) which says that the battery was destroyed in Cherbourg at the end of June.

Interested to hear the views of people on this forum.


Thanks,

Neil

[Manuferey]

Definitely not present in the Cherbourg area in June 44 (no pictures, no US report, no German report).

At least one gun was captured at Torigny-sur-Vire by American troops in August 1944 (there's a famous Signal Corps picture). Torigny-sur-Vire is south of St-Lô, so in the same french region as Cherbourg i.e. the Cotentin peninsula. This peninsula was often called Cherbourg peninsula by the Americans and the Germans during WW2.

I looked into Guy Francois' 2006 book ("Eisenbahnartillerie"). It is not mentioned that E.722 was destroyed in Cherbourg in 1944. It provides indeed (on page 68) the same information as In "Atlantikwall: Mythe ou Realite" (no surprise here as Alain Chazette provided some information to Guy Francois). Both books mention that one of guns was captured at Torigny-sur-vire, not all four.

According to Guy Francois, E.722 had lost all its guns for sure by September 1st, 1944 based on a Heeresartillerie Ob. West's report.

Emmanuel

[WAKEN]

That's great Emmanuel. So if E.722 wasn't in Cherbourg on D-Day where was it?

Thanks,

Neil

[Manuferey]

According to Alain Chazette in its 2011 book "Mur de l'Atlantique - Les batteries de côte en Normandie" ( = "Atlantikwall - Coastal batteries in Normandy"), E.722 remained in position in Cherbourg until May 1944 and was then sent near Caen. (previously, it was thought that E.722 had been sent near Calais).

Emmanuel

[WAKEN]

Thanks Emmanuel!

[jopaerya]

I never found any original information that the E.Battr 722 was relocated near Caen ,
please note also that the E.Battr 722 used the 24 cm Th.B.K.(E) and not 24 cm K 558(f)

Regards Jos

[WAKEN]

Jos,

You are quite right, thanks for pointing out my error.

Regards,

Neil

[Manuferey]

Jos,

Do you have information pointing to E-722 in the Calais area? There could a typo in the book i.e. "Caen" vs. "Calais".

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

HI Emmanuel

Sorry I can't find any information on the E-722 in the Calais area . The only thing I could find
is that the 1./725 was pre D-Day in Normandie and on 09-06-1944 the order was given to place
the E.Art.Abt 725 in the sector of the 711 I.D. with the E-Battr. 688 and 765 both with 28 cm K 5 (E) .

Regards Jos

[Manuferey]

Thank you Jos.

Guy François has asked me to translate from French to English the following information regarding the fate of E.722.

After Battery 722 left the Cherbourg area, it operated in the south-eastern area of Caen and fired on the city in July and August 1944.
A 24 cm gun from the battery was captured at Torigny-sur-Vire in August 1944.
Another gun (# 919079) was sent to La Rochelle that had been transformed into a "Festung” to be defended to the last man. Travel was difficult and was done at night. During the night of August 18 to 19, 1944, the train derailed while crossing a bridge on a single track section at Chantonnay-Vouvant in Vendée, probably due to technical constraints that were disregarded. The derailed carriage was left on the tracks but the barrel was thrown down the bridge. Today, there are pictures of this gun on a sign near the bridge of this former railroad track.

Guy François does not know what happened to the two remaining guns of the battery but states that this battery was considered officially lost on September 17, 1944 (men and equipment).

After some research on the Internet, I was able to find some details of the derailment (brigde at Frogère) and in particular the pictures that Guy François mentions.
On the following link, you will see pictures of the 24 cm gun carriage on to top the bridge and of the barrel at the bottom:
http://epeb.over-blog.com/10-categorie-10767053.html

At the bottom of the link, you will see a picture of the sign mentioned by Guy François. The text is in French so I’ll translate it in English:

“At this location in the night of August 18 to 19, 1944 at 00:15 hours the French Resistance provoked the derailment of a German military train traveling towards La Rochelle by night in order to avoid Allied air attacks.
This very heavy convoy was composed of two locomotives towing a very big 240 mm naval gun that weighed about 70 tons, of a railcar loaded with shells and two railcars carrying German soldiers.
Two French train engineers and one Polish man enrolled in the Wehrmacht were killed in the accident.
Furious the Germans decided to take hostages among the population of St-Hilaire [Note Manuferey: St-Hilaire du Bois is the nearest town].
Mr. de Gastines, then mayor of St-Hilaire, and Mr. Quechon, city hall secretary, were able to convince the Germans otherwise by telling them that the railtracks had not been designed for such a high load. The tracks were cleared and put back into service one year afterwards but eventually declared obsolete on July 1st, 1953. “

On the following webpage, there is a narrative of the last fateful days of this train (from August 15 to August 19) as recalled by French witnesses. But it’s all in French.
http://histoire.bournezeau.free.fr/nonze/deraille.htm

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

Hi Emmanuel

The puzzle pieces are coming together , thanks for the great info on these guns .

Regards Jos

[Manuferey]

Regarding the position of E.722 prior to D-Day, some pieces of information seem to show that the battery had left the Cherbourg area at the end of December 1943:

- Allied intelligence reported that the position of “4 x 280 railroad guns” west of Cherbourg had been unoccupied since December 1943 and was still unoccupied prior to D-Day. There are no other railroad battery position indicated near Cherbourg by Allied intelligence. I think we need to read “4 x 24 cm” since there was never 4 x 28 cm stationed in Cherbourg (only 4 x 24 cm of E.722 and earlier 2 x 28 cm of E.721) and the same document had originally given 4 x 28 cm guns at MKB Hamburg instead of the 4 x 24 cm.
- The German map of Cherbourg recently posted by “searay” and that we think dates early 1944 also does not show any railway battery around Cherbourg.
- However, a German Gliederung of 84 A.K dated April 1st, 1944 still shows E.722 attached to it so could not have been in the Calais area at that time.

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

Hello

This information is from Alain Chazette , as you can see the E 722 was on 01-04-1944 stil in the region 84 A.K.

Regards Jos

[Manuferey]

The Gliederung also shows that E.722 was directly attached to 84 A.K. and was not under an Arko (e..g Arko 118 in the Cotentin peninsula).

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

Hello Emmanuel

Could the 24 cm gun at Frogère be from the E.Art.Abt 780 and not from the E 722 ??
Document is from early 1944

Regards Jos