This rare and intact field batterie which is still in relatively excellent condition. It is located south of Westende and north east of Nieuwpoort in Belgium and we took a visit one late morning in July of 2018.
The batterie is located on a nature preserve and it is recommended that you arrange a tour of the batterie through a qualified guide.
As time was short for us on this day we couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked so we didn’t photograph the entire battery in as much detail as we could have. We will however be returning for a good few hours to get a complete set.
As mentioned this field gun batterie is rare and unique to the Atlantikwall due to the fact that it is so intact with many fine features not normally seen in the Atlantikwall defences. It also includes only one R669 gun casemate which was built late in the war and partly constructed out of Formsteine blocks.
The only gun bunker at Batterie Bamburg, an R669 type.
The bunkers on the site also include German text on the walls which fortunately have not been destroyed by graffiti vandals, a welcome site as so many others have been vandalized over the years, a very tragic occurrence along the Atlantikwall.
All photographs on this visit to Belgium were taken in July 2018 and are subject to copyright. Please be respectful and do not copy them for your own personal or professional use. If you would like to contact the photographer and admin of this web site please e-mail admin@germanbunkers.com
The camera used to take these photographs was a Canon 18-55 mm T5 DSLR using a EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens.
Click on each image to enlarge for optimal viewing pleasure.
Soldiers going from the toilet bunker didn't have far to go if you were working in the R502 bunker which is pictured here.
Also pictured here the R502 bunker, the WC bunker to the left.
Vf type 52a bunker for personnel.
The entrance to one of the R502 bunkers at batterie Bamburg.
The bunker number beautifully preserved, what a treat!
The scharte where the machine gun would be pointed, in your direction.
A close-up of the gun scharte most likely an MG42 housed behind it.
Through the gas lock of the R502 bunker, the words exit clearly displayed above in German.
Ausgang - In German this translates to Exit inside this R502 bunker, there are two at the batterie.
Corrugated iron greets us on our way out of the R502 bunker.
The ruins of an R134 bunker.
The R134 bunker was blown to pieces, it's ruins lay where they fell.
Additional remains of the R134 and a tobruk peeking through in the background.
Walking inside the R502 bunker we have text clearly visible in German, Eingangsverteidigung.
The small niche in the wall was meant for oil lamps and the remains to the right of the ventilation piping?
Another view of inside the R502 taken from the crew room.
Left of the crew room inside the R502 bunker.
Left of the crew room and close to the weapons embrasure.
Another view of the weapons embrasure and additional defense text in German.
The crew room inside the R502 bunker.
Right view of the weapons embrasure which leads out into the airlock.
The entrance to the R669 gun bunker.
Looking out through the R669 gun casemate.
The entrance to one the ammo rooms inside the R669 bunker.
Facing left inside the gun room of the R669 bunker.
Looking out through the main gun room, the weapon would have been placed here inside.
The business end of the R669 bunker where the gun emplacement would have been.
The R669 gun bunker at Batterie Bamburg was made out of Formsteine similar to cinder blocks. The front end cast in cement.
Building with formesteine was a cheaper method of building bunkers and certainly a less safer option. However the front end of this R669 was cast in concrete.
An ammo niche at the batterie.
A beautifuly preserved R610 bunker on site at the batterie.
Another part of the gun batterie is this rare and intact toilet bunker.
A real beauty, an R610 command bunker here at Stp Bamburg.
Ventilation intake for the R610 command bunker
The gun scharte of the R610 bunker, note the wooden shuttering still in place above the metal plate.
A glance sideways at the R610 bunker and it's scharte in clear view.
