Slave horde strip

Slave horde strip

Tuesday 19 April 2011

WW2 Trip To France : Sword Beach/Grand Bunker



So, I've not posted in weeks! All for good reason though - I went on a trip to France. Some of these places were of historical significance concerning the Second World War. I'm gonna be posting features of this trip to act as not only a wargaming/modelling reference, but also out of sheer interest.

   To begin with, I will show you my one day trip to Sword Beach. Stopping off, on the journey back to England,  we detoured and set for Sword Beach, one of the five D-Day beaches, this one invaded by the British, with help of some French Commandos. Despite having a walk around the beach, eyes on the sand, but no luck (if you get what I mean), I also went to visit the German Grand Bunker overlooking the beach. It was pretty big, but not 'grand' as such, although it did not disappoint by no means. It was a museum inside, and had some stuff outside, without further ado, here's the pics...
German with Russian PP-SH on back in living quarters
MP40

MG34
Sentry with MG42, and below the front of it:


Generator Rooms


Entrance to bunker with the MG42 sentry at the end

Exit of bunker at back

A barbed wire trap

American Half Track

M4 Sherman

Barbed Wire Coil

V1 Flying Bomb 'Doodlebug'

An American tank

Barbed Wire Coil


Flak 88mm
British 'Big Gun'



Above are photos of an original restored D-Day landing craft, as used in the awesome film 'Saving Private Ryan'

A weapon smithy

Viele oft Steilhandgrenades!

MP40, then PP-SH

Two Panzerfausts

MG42s

An StG44 being serviced

A rack of Kar 98Ks

Luger, another pistol, Webley Revolver, another revolver

A sexy Sten

Pair of Webley Revolvers

Mills Bomb Grenade

A D-Day diorama that puts mine to shame!

Two Land Mines

A Big Gun

Sten, Lee-Enfield, Lee-Enfield

An MG13 or MG34 (dunno which)

A rusted, and sea-worn lee-enfield

A sea-worn and rusted MP40, then Sten

A Tommy's helmet, and a Bren, and a Lee-Enfield

Tommy helmet, worn Lee-Enfield

Bren

A slung Thompson

What is this gun, I guessed Gewehr, but I couldn't tell as the sling covers its front - tell me if I'm right

Browning .50 cal

Kar 98K

A bomb

MP40

Castemate's range finder


Views from the castemate


Above are two views through the still working range-finder - the pic looks old but it's not!

An old photo of the Grand Bunker and a German trench system - which butt got rid of/covered over/destroyed this!

An M1 Carbine for sale at 299 euros

Big Gun





Sword Beach - little signs remain

The memorial




The Grand Bunker

PP-SH

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