The+Crisbeq+Gun+Battery

The German Navy set up a huge 4 x 210 mm gun battery in Crisbecq, a small village located in the Saint-Marcouf district. The German soldiers built it right before the battles of D-Day in Crisbecq. A gun battery is a unit of guns grouped together in some type of building or shelter in order to have a better battlefield and communication within the troops.

For the American troops being transported by ships to the Utah Beach landing areas, this battery was a real danger. The battery was shot at by Allied aircraft in the spring of 1944 and also on the night of June 5th. Unfortunately, the battery didn't suffer much damage and the next morning of June 6th, the gun battery opened fire on the Allied naval forces. During this artillery battle the fleet soon got the upper hand. Then, the German Navy aimed their remaining operational cannon towards the Utah Beach where the American troops were. On the morning of June 7th, many American soldiers from the 22nd Infantry Regiment (4th Division) died in a vain attempt to take the German position. This building changed the war. The guns that were placed inside and its ability to stay strong and not be destroyed was a big asset to the Germans.

Since 2004, a museum located at the same site as this famous German battery has been open to the public. This museum contains a number of buildings, typical of the Atlantic Wall shelters which could accommodate soldiers, anti-aircraft cannon, machine guns, but also a kitchen or a nursery. Though the guns have been removed, you can still view war items and uniforms showing what living conditions of German soldiers was like.