Grandcamp-Maisy
Encyclopedia
Grandcamp-Maisy is a commune
in the Calvados
department in the Basse-Normandie
region
in northwestern France
.
and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of Pointe du Hoc
. It is an active fishing port, with a fish market located on the harbour side.
, the German defences against invasion. The Germans installed two batteries at this location. The first, called La Martine, was manned by the 8th Battery, 1716th Artillery Regiment. They were equipped with four Czech FH14/19 type 100 mm (4 in) guns, with a range of just under 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). Three were housed in type H669 casemates, with the fourth still in the open at the time of D-Day. The second position, La Perruques, 500 meters to the east, was manned by 9th Battery, 1716th Artillery Regiment, and had guns of a larger caliber; six French Type F414 155 mm (6 in) cannons, dating from the end of World War I. Four had been placed in concrete pits and two in the open, a number of personnel bunkers were built on the site: two type H622 and one type H502 Headquarters. These howitzers had a range of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi). Both sites were protected by minefields and anti-aircraft emplacements. Two weeks before D-day another battery of 150 mm howitzers was added to the complex, making it one of the biggest groups of defended guns in the sector. The next operational battery to the right was Longues-sur-Mer
and to the left Saint-Marcouf
. These three batteries were the covering artillery for the US invasion sector on D-day.
Until recently, the site was overgrown and had been covered by US engineers before the end of 1944, well before any historians had chance to examine the site. Englishman Gary Sterne rediscovered the site after finding a German map, and has purchased some of the site and turned it into a museum with over 2 1/2 miles of original German trenches and bunkers. From his research, it is obvious that the site is many times larger than was originally thought. The labyrinth of underground tunnels had remained hidden for around 60 years. It contains offices, a supplies buildings, general quarters, radio rooms, and many other blocks, including an underground hospital (one of three which has been uncovered can be visited).
It may well be that when all the site is cleared and all the bunkers that are buried are rediscovered, this site will be the largest on the Atlantic Wall
in Normandy. The sheer size of the site poses many questions as to why it does not feature more prominently in German records, and why the site did not have more attention paid to it by the Allies. It was bombed, but not hit to any extent before D-Day. On D-Day, the claimed to have put the guns out of action, but then other battleships were firing at it for another 3 days. The three casemates on the left side of the site (La Martiniere) show no sign of damage from the front, only superficial damage from the east when the Rangers attacked on foot. This was the direction from which the battery was attacked on June 9. Despite this, in the Royal Navy History of D-day it states that HMS Hawkins silenced the batteries on D-day, despite the fact that many other ships claimed to have done the same thing over many days. Hawkins also claimed to have put the battery at St. Martin de Varreville out of action, it is a well-known fact that the guns were not there on the morning of D-Day and had been moved further north. The town became the headquarters of General Bradley
after it was liberated on June 9.
The site has been excavated and was opened as a Museum in April 2007.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
department in the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie
Lower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in northwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Grandcamp-Maisy is located on the coast, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north east of Isigny-sur-MerIsigny-sur-Mer
Isigny-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Geography:Positioned at the bottom of the baie des Veys, Isigny is an important milk production area, known for its AOC butter and cream, as well as its cheeses made by the Isigny Sainte...
and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy in northern France. It lies 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 100 ft tall cliffs overlooking the sea...
. It is an active fishing port, with a fish market located on the harbour side.
History
In 1 November 1972, the commune formerly known as Grandcamp-les-Bains amalgamated with Maisy (Its old INSEE code was 14392) and changed its name to Grandcamp-Maisy.WW II Atlantic Wall
Grandcamp-Maisy formed a part of the Atlantic WallAtlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
, the German defences against invasion. The Germans installed two batteries at this location. The first, called La Martine, was manned by the 8th Battery, 1716th Artillery Regiment. They were equipped with four Czech FH14/19 type 100 mm (4 in) guns, with a range of just under 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). Three were housed in type H669 casemates, with the fourth still in the open at the time of D-Day. The second position, La Perruques, 500 meters to the east, was manned by 9th Battery, 1716th Artillery Regiment, and had guns of a larger caliber; six French Type F414 155 mm (6 in) cannons, dating from the end of World War I. Four had been placed in concrete pits and two in the open, a number of personnel bunkers were built on the site: two type H622 and one type H502 Headquarters. These howitzers had a range of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi). Both sites were protected by minefields and anti-aircraft emplacements. Two weeks before D-day another battery of 150 mm howitzers was added to the complex, making it one of the biggest groups of defended guns in the sector. The next operational battery to the right was Longues-sur-Mer
Longues-sur-Mer
Longues-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The Longues-sur-Mer battery is nearby, part of the Atlantic Wall costal fortifications.-Population:-External links:* *...
and to the left Saint-Marcouf
Saint-Marcouf
There are communes that have the name Saint-Marcouf in Normandy, France:*Saint Marcouf, Calvados, in the Calvados département*St.-Marcouf-de-l’Isle, in the Manche département. The remains of the monastery founded by Marcouf can be seen in the crypt of the church*Îles Saint-Marcouf, a group of...
. These three batteries were the covering artillery for the US invasion sector on D-day.
Until recently, the site was overgrown and had been covered by US engineers before the end of 1944, well before any historians had chance to examine the site. Englishman Gary Sterne rediscovered the site after finding a German map, and has purchased some of the site and turned it into a museum with over 2 1/2 miles of original German trenches and bunkers. From his research, it is obvious that the site is many times larger than was originally thought. The labyrinth of underground tunnels had remained hidden for around 60 years. It contains offices, a supplies buildings, general quarters, radio rooms, and many other blocks, including an underground hospital (one of three which has been uncovered can be visited).
It may well be that when all the site is cleared and all the bunkers that are buried are rediscovered, this site will be the largest on the Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
in Normandy. The sheer size of the site poses many questions as to why it does not feature more prominently in German records, and why the site did not have more attention paid to it by the Allies. It was bombed, but not hit to any extent before D-Day. On D-Day, the claimed to have put the guns out of action, but then other battleships were firing at it for another 3 days. The three casemates on the left side of the site (La Martiniere) show no sign of damage from the front, only superficial damage from the east when the Rangers attacked on foot. This was the direction from which the battery was attacked on June 9. Despite this, in the Royal Navy History of D-day it states that HMS Hawkins silenced the batteries on D-day, despite the fact that many other ships claimed to have done the same thing over many days. Hawkins also claimed to have put the battery at St. Martin de Varreville out of action, it is a well-known fact that the guns were not there on the morning of D-Day and had been moved further north. The town became the headquarters of General Bradley
Omar Bradley
Omar Nelson Bradley was a senior U.S. Army field commander in North Africa and Europe during World War II, and a General of the Army in the United States Army...
after it was liberated on June 9.
The site has been excavated and was opened as a Museum in April 2007.