OMAHA BEACH - SECTOR EASY RED

After that we went to Omaha Beach, Easy Red sector just where the german stronpoint WN62 was placed. The infamous german machine gunner Hein Serverloh was there on D-Day to

After that we went to Omaha beach, Easy Red sector just where the german stronpoint WN62 was placed. The infamous german machine gunner Hein Serverloh was there on D-Day to

This is entry to the observation bunker of the 352nd Regiments and was manned by Oberleutant Frerking and Leutnant Grass. Frerking dies on June 6 1944 and is buried at La Cambe

This is the view Frerking had while on poste during the landing.

Bernhard Frerking was killed in his observation bunker while giving order to his 1st Batterie with 4 105mm howitzers, which was set 4 Km back in Houtteville

This pics shows the 2nd bunker which held a Fieldgun mod. 1917 cal. 7.65 cm. The gun was maned by the soldiers Selbach, Drews, reckers and Krieftewirth. the bunker was aRegelbau 612. the gun could fire up to Vierville

The view from the shoreline up to WN62

Colleville sur Mer / Big red One museum

After WN62 we went up to Colleville sur Mer where the owner of a private collection opend his own museum. It deals with the US 1st Inf Div only.

This is the Churchtower (had to be rebuilt after the war) which was taken by a few Americans. The US snipers shot form the chruch steeple at the germans. To stop the shooting and after killing Leutnat Bauch from WN62 (headshot through the helmet), 3 german soldiers went to take the snipers out with a Panzerfaust. The first shot hit the middle sector of the steeple and a big hole occured. He fired a second Panzerfaust and the church steeple fell completely together. The chuch was raided and ther gemans were surprised not to find American snipers but 3 french resitance fighter. 2 of them died of the second Panzerfaust shot and the 3rd one was taken prisoner and send to WN63.

Here a helmet which belonge to a S/Sgt of G company 16th Regiment. he was killed by a sniper at around 10.30 June 6 near the new hotel which stays at the roundabout to the US cemetery

Another interesting helmet found here. It belonged to a member of the 5th Engineer Sepc. Brigade. It was found 1998 2 Km von Colleville sur Mer

I had never heard of Hein Serverloh before. Amazing that one can study WWII so much and yet still learn new things everyday.

There is a book out called "WN62" with the accounts from Severloh. I had the luck to speak to this gunner back in 2006 bur he passed away in 2007. He claims to be the guy who hit around 2'000 !!! GI's with his MG42. Well, we never know if this is right.

There was another MG gunner named Franz Gockel who was also on at WN62 on June 6 but he too passed away in 2007. The book is from the German view but anyway still a good read.

Juerg

The WN62 was one of fifteen points in support of Omaha Beach. It seems to be the most important of all, by its powerful artillery fire,

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

VEE