Tankman
18-12-2008, 06:17 PM
Thought I would share these with you!
Was lucky to be on holiday back in August in not so sunny Jersey for 2 weeks. Lovely place full of exploration, German bunkers by the score, it seemed every corner you turned there was one looking at you. Most of my holiday was spent underground much to the detriment of my relationship:ohmy
But what else could one do with crap weather and winds that blew a Force 10 gale nearly every day.
There is much history on the web about the various types of bunkers built in the Channel islands so I won't write to much up about them, but with cheap flights available, a long weekend visit to the islands is easily available.
Some of the best bunkers and underground exploration is found at Les landes, here Battery Moltke with its preserved gun emplacement (maintained by the CIOS - Channel Islands Occupation Society ) can be seen.
But wander off the touristy bit a couple of hundred yards or so and the ground around you starts to open up:) albeit well hidden and camouflaged.
Battery Moltke was made up of four emplacements with iron platforms which were regarded as only temporary for the artillery pieces until a more modern quick firing gun was to arrive. These never came and so the WW1 guns became permanent.
Below ground are many passages linking the various personnel quarters along with ammunition storage. These have been blocked off:( however for the true explorer access can be found fairly easily:thumb
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-98.jpg
Preserved (WW1 French) 15.5cm artillery gun at Battery Moltke, maintained by the CIOS. After the war ended the guns were thrown over the cliff top and layed at the foot of the cliffs for some 60 years, they were rescued by the CIOS and returned to their former site.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-70.jpg
A Breech and "blown off" barrel of one of the 15.5cm guns lays in its pit
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-65.jpg
Inside the undergound passages rubble is strewn everywhere from attempts to block all exits. The concrete stubb in this photo is quick drying concrete poured down the entrance in an attempt to block an entrance from the gun pit.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-46.jpg
Ammunition hoist to one of the gun pits above.
Moving a little bit further along the cliff top, one comes across surely one of the most impressive structures the Germans built during the occupation.
The MP3 Observation Tower at Les Landes. This tower was fitted with a huge Freya radar aerial the base of which survives today at the summit of the tower.
Today it stands not just empty - but forlorn. very few visitors know of its existence. It stands as can be seen precariously on the edge of the cliff and appears to the untrained eye as if its about to fall over the edge:ohmy
But far from it! It stands alone and it is still possible to enter, and to do so alone is an eerie experience as one listens to the wind coughing ceaselessly through the observation slits and the surf thundering agains the rocks far below. Of all the fortifications in Jersey this tower surely merits restoration and preservation.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-14.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Les%20Landes%20Bunkers%20CI/JerseyBunkersChannelIslandsAugus-60.jpg
MP 3 - Les Landes.
The tower is surrounded by two AA Flak bunkers which were provided for its protection, the rooms below can be accessed where some wartime graffiti exists. There is also along side the tower a generator bunker for powering the radar.
Loads of images and short video's of my exploration of the various bunkers on Jersey can be seen on my photo bucket page at:
http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/
Hope I have not bored you to much with my ramblings:laugh
Was lucky to be on holiday back in August in not so sunny Jersey for 2 weeks. Lovely place full of exploration, German bunkers by the score, it seemed every corner you turned there was one looking at you. Most of my holiday was spent underground much to the detriment of my relationship:ohmy
But what else could one do with crap weather and winds that blew a Force 10 gale nearly every day.
There is much history on the web about the various types of bunkers built in the Channel islands so I won't write to much up about them, but with cheap flights available, a long weekend visit to the islands is easily available.
Some of the best bunkers and underground exploration is found at Les landes, here Battery Moltke with its preserved gun emplacement (maintained by the CIOS - Channel Islands Occupation Society ) can be seen.
But wander off the touristy bit a couple of hundred yards or so and the ground around you starts to open up:) albeit well hidden and camouflaged.
Battery Moltke was made up of four emplacements with iron platforms which were regarded as only temporary for the artillery pieces until a more modern quick firing gun was to arrive. These never came and so the WW1 guns became permanent.
Below ground are many passages linking the various personnel quarters along with ammunition storage. These have been blocked off:( however for the true explorer access can be found fairly easily:thumb
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-98.jpg
Preserved (WW1 French) 15.5cm artillery gun at Battery Moltke, maintained by the CIOS. After the war ended the guns were thrown over the cliff top and layed at the foot of the cliffs for some 60 years, they were rescued by the CIOS and returned to their former site.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-70.jpg
A Breech and "blown off" barrel of one of the 15.5cm guns lays in its pit
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-65.jpg
Inside the undergound passages rubble is strewn everywhere from attempts to block all exits. The concrete stubb in this photo is quick drying concrete poured down the entrance in an attempt to block an entrance from the gun pit.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-46.jpg
Ammunition hoist to one of the gun pits above.
Moving a little bit further along the cliff top, one comes across surely one of the most impressive structures the Germans built during the occupation.
The MP3 Observation Tower at Les Landes. This tower was fitted with a huge Freya radar aerial the base of which survives today at the summit of the tower.
Today it stands not just empty - but forlorn. very few visitors know of its existence. It stands as can be seen precariously on the edge of the cliff and appears to the untrained eye as if its about to fall over the edge:ohmy
But far from it! It stands alone and it is still possible to enter, and to do so alone is an eerie experience as one listens to the wind coughing ceaselessly through the observation slits and the surf thundering agains the rocks far below. Of all the fortifications in Jersey this tower surely merits restoration and preservation.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Battery%20Moltke%20Jersey%20CI/BunkersjerseyChannelIslands2008p-14.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Les%20Landes%20Bunkers%20CI/JerseyBunkersChannelIslandsAugus-60.jpg
MP 3 - Les Landes.
The tower is surrounded by two AA Flak bunkers which were provided for its protection, the rooms below can be accessed where some wartime graffiti exists. There is also along side the tower a generator bunker for powering the radar.
Loads of images and short video's of my exploration of the various bunkers on Jersey can be seen on my photo bucket page at:
http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/
Hope I have not bored you to much with my ramblings:laugh