Armament of Eisenbahn-Batterien of OB.West

[Rich]

One of the main reasons that I picked up Rolf, despite the expense, was that he provides lists of the coast defenses before 1944. For example he gives OBs for 42 and 43 so that you can get a rough idea of the growth in CD guns over time. Damn handy stuff when trying to evaluate the viability of early landings in France, or even Norway.

Anyways, I'll post the Eisenbahn-Artillery sections here shortly.

Jason

Thanks Jason. BTW, it is obvious from the Ob.West documents that I have that E-Artillerie-Abt.725 was comprised of just the Stab and 1.Batterie, 2.Batteries does not appear at all. It seems to me likely that it was not in Ob.West by June 1944. Specifically mentioned are the five Abteilungs-Stab and nineteen Batterien (my list of twenty, but not including 713). Neither 687 nor 532 appear in the September list as well. So the mystery seems centered now about those three Batterien - 532, 687 and 713. Were they still in Ob.West by mid-1944 and if so, why do they not appear as of 1 September? BTW, the September list includes units they had received condition reports from, units whose locations were known, but which condition reports had not been received from, and units whose status was completely unknown. That makes it likely that it included units already lost, including 722 which had already been lost in Cherbourg.

Any further thoughts?

Thanks,
Rich

And yes, I have 1./725 arriving 2 June at St. Germain de Tallevende (4 kilometers south of Vire).

[Rich]

This is my thinking as of today.

Stab E-Art.Abt. 640 – Marseilles
Stab E-Art.Abt. 676 – Blankenberghe
Stab E-Art.Abt. 702
Stab E-Art.Abt. 725
Stab E-Art.Abt. 780 – Hendaye

German Guns:
E-Bttr.6/100 – Abbeville
E-Bttr.655 – Etaples (four 15cm K (E) L40?)
E-Bttr.664 – Hendaye (two 24 cm K (E) Theodor Bruno)
E-Bttr.674 – Hendaye (three 24cm K (E) Theodor)
E-Bttr.688 – (two 28cm K5 (E)?)
E-Bttr.690 – Bredene (four 28cm K (E) Kurze Bruno)
E-Bttr.696 – Dunkirk (two 28cm K (E)?)
E-Bttr.698 – Marseilles
E-Bttr.701 – (?) (two 21cm K (E) V12)
E-Bttr.710 – Calais (two 28cm K5 (E)?)
E-Bttr.712 – Wimereux (Pointe aux Oies) (one 28cm K5 (E), the second was at Anzio)
E-Bttr.717 – Blankenberghe (three 17cm SK (E) L40?)
E-Bttr.718 – Hayst (three 17cm SK (E) L40?)
E-Bttr.721 – Le Verdon (two 28cm kurz Bruno)
E-Battr.722 – Cherbourg (four 24cm)
E-Battr.1./725 – Vire (two 28cm K (E) neu Bruno)
E-Bttr.749 – Pertuis (two 31cm K5 (E) Glatt?)
E-Bttr.765 – Calais-Coquelles (two 28cm K5 (E))
Marine-Art.-Bttr Gneisenau – 19.-Armee (four 15cm SK (E))
2.(E)/ HKAR 1262 – Auderville-Laye (two 20cm SK C/34 (E))
Total = 46

Other possibilities (but probably not with Ob.West) include:
E-Bttr.713 – Wimille (Hydrequent) (two 28cm K5 (E)) (not in the Ob.West list)
E.-Bttr 687 – Lissweghe (two 20cm SK(E)) (not in the Ob.West list)
E.-Bttr 532 – Paimpol with (four 20cm SK(E)) (not in the Ob.West list)
Total = 8

Foreign Guns:
E-Bttr.692 – Marseilles (three 27.4cm K (E) 592 (f)?)
4.(E)/MAA 262 – Kerbonn (four 16.4cm K (E) M93/96 (f))
4.(E)/le-MAA 682 – Cap Cépet (three 34cm K (E) M 12 (f))
5.(E)/MAA 280 – Prefailles (two 24cm K (E) M93/96 (f))
Plouharnel Bttr./MAA 264 – Lorient (three 34cm K (E) 675 (f))
1.(E)/MAA 608 – Isle de Cézembre (six 19.4cm K (E) 486 (f))
Total (24-42cm) = 11

Ob.West identified railroad guns on 1 March 1944 as:

39 German guns in Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie
8 German guns in Marine-Küsten-Artillerie
3 foreign 24-42cm guns

Now, not including 1./725 (arriving in June), the above list includes 52 German guns (15cm-31cm) and 11 foreign guns (24-42cm). There appears to be a number of possible reasons for the discrepancy in the German guns. For one, it appears that E-Bttr.532, 687 and 713 may not have been in Ob.West at all between 1 March and 1 September 1944. In addition, planning documents of the 14.-Armee at Italy include the following as arrived or en route as of 31 January 1944:

One Zug of E-Bttr.712 with one K5 (E).
One Zug of E-Bttr.2./725 with one 28cm (E). Resolves that one – partially.
E-Bttr.Erhardt with two 24cm K (E) 557 (f).

These apparently were all drawn from Ob.West. I strongly suspect that the other Züge of 712 and 725 remained in France and simply got lost in the shuffle by the time of the 1 September report. Excluding the eight guns of E-Bttr.532, 687 and 713 entirely and deducting the two of 712 and 2./725 reduces the number of German guns to 42 versus the 48 given by Ob.West on 1 March. That is a closer match, but unfortunately still does not include any possible armament of 6./100 and 698, although it implies that each could have had three pieces.

However, the number of foreign guns remains 11. But I suspect that the eight guns of 4.(E)/le-MAA 682, 5.(E)/MAA 280 and Plouharnel Bttr./MAA 264 may not have been included in the 1 March report either, since they were all being more or less permanently emplaced. That would leave the three pieces of E-Bttr.692 as the only foreign guns in the 1 March listing, which is a perfect match.

If this is all correct, then it is possible that our list correctly accounts for all except six unidentified pieces from E-Bttr.6./100 and 698.

Thanks all - comments?

Rich

[Leo Niehorster]

From my very meagre notes:

The 2./725 had been sent to Italy in September 1943.

The 532. and 687. (203mm gun) Batteries were "Heeresküstenartillerie" as of 1943.

I cannot find anything, but possibly the 713. Bttr was still on the East Front?

Cheers
Leo

[rpk4]

First post, old thread lets see what happens...

I am slightly obsessed with the K5 E since my grandfather told me about the Anzio Express years ago and my meager research may provide something useful.

The 2./725 had been sent to Italy in September 1943.

Leo

E.2/725 with 2x K5 E was sent to Italy in September 1943 along with E.712 with 2x K5 E and E.765 with 2x K5 E., E.765 was immediately sent back to France after arriving.

At the end of January 1944 1x K5 E from E.712 and 1x K5 E from E.2/725 where combined and became the famous Anzio Express guns, captured in Civitaveccia Italy June 8, 1944. The remaining 2x K5s continued their work in Italy, primarily on the western Italian coast. E.712 was re-equipped with 2x K5s and it appears that both K5 batteries ended the war in the Trieste region, although I have only seen photos of 1 K5 captured by New Zealand troops around May 1 1945.

E-Bttr.688 – (two 28cm K5 (E)?)
E-Bttr.696 – Dunkirk (two 28cm K (E)?)
E-Bttr.710 – Calais (two 28cm K5 (E)?)
E-Bttr.712 – Wimereux (Pointe aux Oies) (one 28cm K5 (E), the second was at Anzio)
E-Bttr.749 – Pertuis (two 31cm K5 (E) Glatt?)
E-Bttr.765 – Calais-Coquelles (two 28cm K5 (E))

Other possibilities (but probably not with Ob.West) include:
E-Bttr.713 – Wimille (Hydrequent) (two 28cm K5 (E)) (not in the Ob.West list)

Rich

E.688 was created and equipped with 2x K5 in the summer of 1942.

I have not seen information of battery 696 having K5 E.

E.710 and E.713 (2 of the first 3 K5 batteries) appears to have spent their entire war in France until their retreat and ultimate self-destruction/capture by Canadians outside of Sluiskil Netherland, August 1944 (also images only show 3x K5s.

E.749 with 2x K5 (919396 und 919399) were in the Crimea area from summer 1942 until January 1944. These guns were lost in Southern France (Livron) in August 1944. E.749 was re-equipped with 2x K5 E Glatt and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

E.765 with 2x K5 E also appears to have spent it's war in France as well.

I'm sure most of this will be found to be incorrect over the next few years if not weeks.

Regards,

JB