Pics: Atlantic Wall 'Tobruk'/Ringstande 58c.

Most of the Brittany Atlantic Wall bunkers were in places which I wasn't recently.....

But I did happen across numerous 'Tobruks', or more properly Ringstand 58s, the single-person MG position which also feature at the Normandy beaches.

Here's how it would have looked : -



Frustratingly, many have now been filled in with concrete by the authorities, or have filled up with sand, like this one...



Or have been completely uncovered by coastal erosion, like this...



But the above does give a good idea of the construction, with only the doorway and the upper level originally uncovered.

As is often the way, the very best one I found was within a few minutes' walk of where I was staying. Excellently situated...




And, although partially filled with sand, detail was visible such as the two brackets for ammo boxes....






And, inside, one of the handrails which would have been at the head of the steps, with part of the doorway visible at left...



All I could say was....




'Sie Kommen !'




Or maybe not........

 

Nice one, Martin.
I've seen a couple of these on the 'Atlantic Wall' training area in Scotland, but it's always good to see the originals.

 

Glad that we have such an hard fighter to defend the coast, Martin!
Good pics! some 15 years ago i was at the French coast some kilometres above the Gironde delta and the Bunkers at there were around 50 meters from the coast in the sea. Sad to see this.

Regards

Ulrich

 

Nice pictures...
Oh I wish I could visit the Westwall one time. I hope I can do it after I finish school, would be nice to go there with some friends.

 

Damn Martin, what a coincidence, I was in Brittany for the past two weeks. Got back on the 15th. I go to Finistere near Audierne, an area my French wife has vacationed in for years and her parents bought their retirement home a few years ago. Even though she has vacationed there her entire life she never went in a boat (she gets seasick real easily) but this trip she did. we saw some bunkers we had not known about before. Interesting placement. The bunkers near the port of Audierne (small as it is) are an obvious need but the ones we discovered were overlooking rather small beaches. I guess the Germans were covering all contingencies.

It is a shame they are not in better shape. Can you give me a source for the diagrams?

John

 

Hi John - shame we didn't bump into you.....

I'll be downloading some more of my 'holiday snaps' soon,

I'll happily recommend the book which was my constant companion over those two weeks : 'Fortress Third Reich' by JE & HW Kaufmann ( Greenhill Books, 2003 ISBN 1-85367-575-5 ). It's a really useful 'primer' for all kinds of German bunkers including the Atlantic Wall and U-Boat pens, and was really invaluable for identifying exactly what I was looking at..........