
Vill015 Benerville-sur-Mer
Beachfront bunker sites with well-hidden remains

Vill015 site overview

What to see
Nestled below the hillside which contains the extensive Mont Canisy batterie at Benerville-sur-Mer you can find Vill015 and Vill014 bunker strongpoints.
Vill015 is represented by just three remaining structures, each on the beachfront. The largest is a R631 casemate for a Czech-built 4.7cm fortress gun but there is also a Tobruk for a captured French tank turret, the latter now resting on the beach.
Between the two is a now buried R141c. Very few R141c bunkers - a personnel shelter with water supply - were built on the Atlantikwall, although there are six more examples to be found in this part of Normandy, located at Villers-sur-Mer sites Vill022, Vill020, Vill016, Vill014, and Vill010.
The R141c is a substantial sized building, measuring around 12m by 15m with a height of over 5m, which was enough for a large group of soldiers.
Vill014 has more surviving buildings than its interlocking neighbour with a special construction Leitstand or observation bunker the largest of them. This stands partially buried between two very grand-looking houses on the D513 road which runs along the coast.
Two R141c bunkers are also here, one is part of the foundations for a house while the other is buried in a small overgrown headland overlooking the beach. On the beach itself are two destroyed shelter buildings and a machine gun post which can be tricky to access depending on the tides.
Gallery


