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Wn65 Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer Le Ruquet

Original anti-tank gun still in its casemate

Wn65 site overview

What to see

This is perhaps one of the most photographed casemates on the Omaha Beach area, largely due to the original 5cm KwK anti-tank gun still being inside.
This area was one of the main routes off the beach for landing troops and there are lots of black and white photos of men and vehicles making their way uphill. The images were taken from the hill behind the casemate overlooking the nearby beach area.

The casemate is a R667 type - one of the most built on the Atlantikwall in Normandy - and was supported by a field gun positioned higher up the road back to Colleville, and a mortar Tobruk on the hill behind.

The beach area in front of the R667 consisted of an interconnecting series of trenches with field positions for machine guns, plus a small Tobruk and 1694 Ringstand. The site was split by a 800m-plus anti-tank ditch and while the forward gun positions have all disappeared, you can step over the ditch on your way to the sandy beach.

Gallery

Directions to bunker sites in this area...

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