5./M.Fla.Abt.811/Hill 154

searay · Post by **searay** » 14 Jul 2017 14:02

On 22-23 August 1944, the US 38th Infantry Regiment attacked a fortified hill (Hill 154) between Landernau and Plougastel in the opening phase of the battle for Brest, winning the Presidential Unit Citation the the process. From PoW interrogations, it was the site of a 10.5cm Flak battery of 5./M/Fla.Abt.811. I've found quite a bit of documentation about it from the US side, but little on the German side.

Did this strong-point have a German designation? I can't seem to find anything in the standard sources (Chazette Atlantikwall books) but maybe I am overlooking something.

Hill 154a.jpg

jopaerya · Post by **jopaerya** » 14 Jul 2017 15:32

Hello Searay

Strange is that in the information that I have from 1944 the 5./811 used the 4 cm Flak bofors .
The 1./811 till 4./811 had all four twin gun 10,5 cm S.K.C/33, from what I could find the site
was called Br 390 and was used by the Kriegsmarine . Maybe some 10.5 cm guns were replaced
during the Battle of Brest ??

Map = Lenco van der Weel + Document = NARA

Regards Jos

searay · Post by **searay** » 15 Jul 2017 20:50

Jos: This is still something of a mystery. I have at least three US Army accounts of the fighting, but they offer very little detail about the German side. One claims that the guns were 105mm, but another says 40mm and 88mm. The only PoW interrogation I have is for someone from 5./M.Fla.Abt.811 who stated he was a forward observer. From what I have been able to piece together, the 1./M.Fla.Abt.811 was at Br408 in Kerdeniel; 2./ at Br384 in Kerjean; 3./ in Br417 Keredern; 4./ in Br333 in Portzic; and 5./ near the bridge at Br 396 in Tregastel. Attached here is a US Army map of the site, though I don't know how readable it will be at this size.

Hill 154b.jpg

jopaerya · Post by **jopaerya** » 16 Jul 2017 08:03

Hello Steve

The map is good to read , from what I can see there are three gun emplacements at Hill 154
that would indicate a light flak battery ?? Maybe someone can help us who his handy with IGN .

Regards Jos

searay · Post by **searay** » 16 Jul 2017 23:54

Here's what Hill 154 looks like today based on Google Earth. It's mostly overgrown, so little sign of the bunkers.

Hill 154 G.jpg

Michael Kenny · Post by **Michael Kenny** » 17 Jul 2017 00:41

This is 1982.
https://remonterletemps.ign.fr/telechar ... ns.3334697

Last dot on top right-hand corner to download a 11000 x 12000 image where 'north' is at the bottom of the frame. I checked and there are no earlier images.

IGNF_PVA_1-0__1984-.jpg

Bo2 · Post by **Bo2** » 17 Jul 2017 05:53

Bonjour

Des réponses là:
http://atlantikwall.superforum.fr/t672- ... derneau-29

JF

jopaerya · Post by **jopaerya** » 17 Jul 2017 16:24

This is what I could find from the German side about Hohe 154 ( Kampf um Brest Oblt. Jenne A II Seeko Bretagne ) 25-10-1944

AvB · Post by **AvB** » 17 Jul 2017 16:48

"kaum verteidigte Höhe 154". Is this downplaying of reality by the SeeKo or did the Americans overestimate Hill 154?

searay · Post by **searay** » 17 Jul 2017 19:39

I think that the attitude of the Seeko is very different than the attitude of the 38th Infantry Regt. Hill 154 was attacked by a single battalion from 38th Infantry (3/38th RCT). The Hill 154 defenses included >400 men according to US accounts, including 25 machine guns, several direct fire artillery. Furthermore, Hill 154 had been stripped of most of its natural cover and so the defenders had clear lines of fire against the attacking infantry. So Hill 154 might be considered weakly defended if attack by an infantry division, but certainly not weakly defended when attacked only by a battalion.

searay · Post by **searay** » 25 Jul 2017 17:53

I pulled some more G-2 reports from the 2nd Infantry Division at NARA yesterday. The troops captured at Hill 154 came mainly from the III./GR.852, with some from M.Fla.Abt.811 and Ost Btn.633. No further details on what specific guns were found. From Floch and La Berre's book "L'Enfer de Brest", the local name for the hill was colline de Kerudu.

jopaerya · Post by **jopaerya** » 26 Jul 2017 12:52

Here some NARA information on both units, as you can see the Ost.Bat. 633 was a part of the 852 I.R.

Regards Jos

Stephanie(gene shadwell) · Post by **Stephanie(gene shadwell)** » 05 Oct 2017 00:23

Hi there

My biological grandfather was S/sgt Eugene (Gene) C Shadwell WW11 3rd Battalion 38th Infantry Regiment and received
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for HILL 154, BREST for outstanding performance of duty in action on 22 August 1944 for the taking of heavily fortified Hill 154

I would be grateful for any information you may have about him

Stephanie

IMG_5627.JPG

jopaerya · Post by **jopaerya** » 05 Oct 2017 08:22

Stephanie

I hope that Steve can help you .

Regards Jos

jopaerya · Post by **jopaerya** » 18 May 2018 19:52

From Marc Romanych

Axis History Forum

5./M.Fla.Abt.811/Hill 154

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