Stp Brunnen is a small strongpoint near to Dannes, halfway between the larger bunker complexes of Stp Dannes Plage in the south and Stp Zollhaus to the north.
Although a 'light' site when compared with its neighbours, it still packs a lot of fire power, mainly from the series of Tobruks hidden within the dunes.
These consisted of two Tobruks for captured French Renault 32 tank turrets, mounted to give 360 degrees of fire, plus two machine gun Tobruks.
To the north of the complex is a Tobruk for a mortar which would be able to reach the beach with its explosive rounds.
On the beach itself you can find the remains of a ringstand for a 5cm KwK anti-tank gun and an observation post. Nestled behind the obs position is a Michelmannstand which provided support for a heavy machine gun set up, likely to be an MG34.
There are three tunnel systems at the site too, two of them leading off the beach to connect with defencive positions, the most intact of these being the tunnel which linked to the now fallen Michelmannstand.
The third tunnel is a short section of covered concrete near to the Wellblech shelter in the dunes and this zig-zig tunnel ends at a Tobruk for a machine gun. This is in really good condition when compared to the beachfront ones.
For the personnel manning the site there was a small Wellblech shelter – only one of the concrete end walls remain – and a larger R502 double group shelter which is heavily overgrown with brambles and no longer accessible.
If you look closely on the roof of the R502 you can see a series of bootprints made in the setting concrete – the builder must have been delighted!
Stp Brunnen Sud is a fascinating site to visit too. Situated around 500m inland of the Brunnen beachfront site it features the remains of over 40 anti-tank defences, concrete blocks similar to ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ but look like they once supported a steel post.
Found in two sections, they run in lines of concrete ‘teeth’ – four abreast – in the dune scrub almost perpendicular to the beach. These follow what looks to have been a valley through the dunes system and were perhaps installed to help prevent any tanks landing from reaching inland where there are several large radar installations at Mont de Terre.