Brancourt-Stellung (1914-1918)

[Bunkerfreak]

I have no idea AvB

Its build in AOK 7 / Gruppe Crépy

The sector was manned by the 211 Jnfanterie Division (JD), notice the 'J' because that's the way the Germans written the letter 'i' back in the day for infanterie (Jnfanterie)

211 JD was divided in R.75, 27 JR and 390 JR

most of the time the bunkers where build by pioniere indeed, some large files can been found on invenio from AOK 4 (flanders), but i dont remember if i saw or downloaded files from AOK 7 about this matter

[Bunkerfreak]

next one, another wellblech, connected to a tunnelsystem (collapsed)

HWB 2D BFA Plan.png

Thisone is measured in detail

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (2).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (3).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (5).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (5b).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (5c).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (16).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (18).jpg

Coords of thisone are: 49°31'45.35"N 3°24'0.56"E

[Bunkerfreak]

nearby lies this solid bunker (unterstand), but its closed completely, maybe its connected to the tunnelsystem as it lies only 34 meters from the wellblech with the tunnelentrance... the tunnel is leading in the direction of the solid bunker. But this is not proven so its speculation.

Unterstand -- 04 12 2022 BFA (1).jpg

Unterstand -- 04 12 2022 BFA (2).jpg

Unterstand -- 04 12 2022 BFA (3).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

Another Wellblech, Thisone saw better days...

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (2).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (4).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (6).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (7).jpg

Wellblech -- 04 12 2022 BFA (11).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

This is one of the Fuchsloch entrances. Most of them where still under construction, i found a written document about the Brancourt-Stellung where a high ranking officer was complaining about the lack on troop-bunkers in the Brancourt-stellung. Therefore a lot of those Fuchslocher (dugouts) has to be dug.

Another document is comming from invenio, from AOK 4 (Flanders area), with the name "Fuchsloch" written on it.

Fuchsloch.jpg

Always be aware that those tunnels can collapse when entering. I take (as usual) a lot of risks, but i would warn others for the dangers, as for me i'm nuts allready

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (25).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (27).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (28).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (29).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (30).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (31).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (32).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (33).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (34).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

Next on the list is "Freiburger Ecke", this is a rocky hill where the Brancourt-Stellung is passing over.

No bunkers here, but very nice dug-out trenches remain in the rocks as well as building pits where stone or wooden shelters where constructed.

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (7).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (12).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (14).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (17).jpg

Freiburger-Ecke -- 27 11 2022 BFA (19).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

Next, the first MG-stand from the Brancourt-Stellung, thisone had a mayor building error in it. On the outside you recognize the dug-out talud in the earth for the scharten on the left side, but inside the scharten are missing... you can recognize shadow-lines in the concrete from the wooden mould where the scharten should have been, but due to a construction error the scharten where poured full with concrete.

The gap in the middle (120cm wide) is the observationroom covered with a deckenplatte, the deckenplatte itself is scrapped after the war.

MG + JB 2D BFA.png

MG + JB 2D BFAb.png

Black is the bunker as it is build, Red is how the bunker must been build (there are others of this type in the Brancourt-Stellung that are build correctly.)

Coords of thisone are: 49°31'21.10"N 3°23'55.58"E

[Bunkerfreak]

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (1).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (3).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (4).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (7).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (8).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (11).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (16).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (20).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (21).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (22).jpg

[Bunkerfreak]

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (27).jpg

Here you recognize the shadowlines in the mould... the building error

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (28).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (30).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (34).jpg

MG mit JB -- 04 12 2022 BFA (37).jpg

[kstdk]

Hello

Yes - interesting to see - keep them coming

As you said - also for me "After 30 - 40 years of Atlanticwall" I have not had much to do with WW I fortifications, so very interesting to see these.

Regards
Kurt
kstdk

[Bunkerfreak]

Ok, a few days off, last sunday we were back on the field in the brancourt-stellung and we found one new bunker (a wellblech) and tons of relatively intact "fuchslöcher" (dug-outs).

One of the biggest fuchsloch we found is one with two entrances and five underground rooms. The structure was strenghtened with wooden beams of which some are still present.

Warning, this is a very unstable tunnel, there is allways a risk of collapse when entering those 100+ years old tunnels.

DSCN6356.jpg

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[Bunkerfreak]

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