Crasville N49 33.850 W001 20.540 1310O
Crasville like many of the gun positions on the Atlantic Wall in Normandy was
equipped with Schneider 105mm field cannon. Over four hundred of these guns were
used by the Germans, after the defeat of France..
They were employed all along the Atlantic Wall from Norway to the south of
France.
Introduced in 1913 these guns were usually very worn and were none too accurate
and ammunition was scarce.
It was for these reasons that they were employed on the Atlantic Wall.
The wheeled versions were difficult to aim and fire in a casemate and many were
mounted on old German naval mounts which allowed them to be bolted to the floor
of the casemate.
The site is interesting as two types of casemate are employed here.
There are two type 671 and two 650, which is unusual as the 671 type is normally
associated with a fire control post. It can only be assumed that the firing
trajectories for the guns in the 671 casemates were calculated in the 650
casemates.
This would also be true when it came to the storage of ammunition, it could be
assumed that the 650 would be used to feed shells to the 671 casemate.
There is also an anti aircraft position on a mound within the site, together
with many small underground bunkers.
