Omaha Beach, Widerstandsnest 68

Construction and Layout of Widerstandsnest 68

Widerstandsnest 68 is a fortified resistance nest made up of several concrete shelters, open gun pits, and Tobruk pits, all linked by a trench system. One of its most notable structures is a Doppel Maschinengewehr Stand bunker, a concrete pillbox with two-gun embrasures, positioned on the bluff to cover separate arcs of fire. This double-embrasure bunker provides protected positions for machine guns and also serves as an observation and local command post. Other covered shelters in the complex, built in reinforced concrete by Organisation Todt, are used as crew quarters and ammunition stores, with many sunk into the hillside for protection and concealment.

The trench system runs in a zigzag pattern between all major positions, allowing the garrison to move under cover and defend from multiple angles. Trenches are reinforced with sandbags, wooden revetments, and earth, and are deep enough to protect against shrapnel and beach observation. Sections of the network run along the back slope of the bluff, hidden from naval gunfire but allowing defenders to move quickly to the crest to fire downslope.

In early June 1944, some of Widerstandsnest 68’s fortifications are incomplete. Work is still underway to enclose its 5-centimetre guns in concrete casemates, and a larger Regelbau H667 bunker for a heavier weapon remains unfinished. Despite this, the defensive layout is functional: overlapping bunkers and field works cover the beach in enfilade and guard the draw. The strongpoint does not have a separate large command bunker, as the company headquarters lies inland, but the Doppel Maschinengewehr bunker and an elevated Tobruk act as observation points fitted with periscopes and connected by field telephone to higher command.

The entire position is camouflaged to match the surrounding terrain. Bunkers are covered with earth and vegetation, and dummy structures or camouflage netting are likely used to mislead Allied aerial reconnaissance.

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Defensive Systems and Infrastructure of Widerstandsnest 68

Widerstandsnest 68’s defences are reinforced by a network of obstacles and field engineering measures intended to delay and disrupt any attacker. Across the mouth of the D-3 draw, between Widerstandsnest 68 and Widerstandsnest 66 on the opposite side, the defenders dig a zigzag anti-tank ditch and place barbed-wire entanglements in front of it. The ditch is designed to trap or divert enemy vehicles moving up the draw. Behind it, a concrete anti-tank wall blocks the narrow road from the beach, turning the draw into a killing ground covered by the strongpoint’s guns.

Around the position, multiple belts of barbed wire protect the trenches and gun emplacements. These include double-apron fences and concertina coils, positioned to slow infantry and force them into pre-sighted kill zones. The approaches to Widerstandsnest 68, both on the beach flat and up the bluff slopes, are heavily mined. Anti-personnel S-mines and pressure mines are likely buried in the shingle and grass, while Tellermines and buried shells are placed to destroy vehicles attempting to advance. Allied intelligence notes that all strongpoints on Omaha Beach are protected in this way, with minefields and wire between the seawall and the bluffs.

Communication links connect Widerstandsnest 68 to neighbouring positions and higher command. Buried field telephone cables run along the trench lines to reduce the risk of being cut by fire. A rear switchboard in Saint-Laurent links Widerstandsnest 68’s observers to the battalion or regimental headquarters and to supporting artillery units. From here, defenders can report enemy movements or request mortar and artillery fire from inland batteries.

The terrain itself strengthens Widerstandsnest 68’s position. The strongpoint stands on high ground overlooking a 180-metre-wide gap between bluffs, giving a clear field of fire over the beach and draw. The steep slopes form a natural barrier, funnelling attackers into exposed areas. The curve of the coastline at Les Moulins allows interlocking fields of fire with neighbouring positions. Widerstandsnest 68’s western flank location enables it to fire diagonally across the beach, while nearby strongpoints cover its blind spots. This ensures that no part of the beach in front of Widerstandsnest 68 is left unobserved or unprotected.

The defenders also fortify key structures in the vicinity, such as the three-storey “Villa les Moulins” near the waterline. Surrounded by barbed wire, the villa serves as an outpost and additional firing point covering the beach road. Combined, these obstacles, minefields, fortified positions, and terrain advantages create a layered defence designed to fragment and destroy any assault before it can reach Widerstandsnest 68’s main bunkers.

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Armament and Weapons Emplacements of Widerstandsnest 68

Widerstandsnest 68 possesses a varied mix of weapons designed to cover all approaches to the Les Moulins draw and the adjoining beach sectors. The centrepiece is a heavy tank turret from the VK 30.01(H) project, armed with a short-barrelled 7.5-centimetre KwK 37 L/24 gun. The turret is mounted in a Tobruk pit just behind the beach seawall and can rotate to sweep the D-3 exit road and the sands with high-explosive or anti-tank fire. Its thick armour, combined with the surrounding concrete, makes it difficult to destroy and highly effective at close range.

Two 5-centimetre anti-tank guns strengthen the position. One is a long-barrelled 5-centimetre KwK L/60, equivalent to the PaK 38, mounted in an open Ringstand Tobruk with full traverse. The other is a shorter 5-centimetre KwK L/42, possibly taken from a Panzer III turret, emplaced on a field mounting or in an unfinished casemate. Both pieces are intended to engage landing craft, light vehicles, and infantry moving through the draw.

A captured French 4.7-centimetre PaK 181(f) anti-tank gun is also in position, probably on the western side of the draw. Its high-velocity shells are effective against lightly armoured vehicles and concentrated infantry at short range.

Widerstandsnest 68 also mounts a French Renault R35 light tank turret with a 3.7-centimetre SA18 gun and coaxial machine gun. This turret is placed in a Tobruk bunker higher up the slope to cover the eastern approach and to link with fire from Widerstandsnest 66. Another Tobruk holds an older FT-17 MG turret, armed only with a machine gun, to provide a protected all-round firing point for close-in defence along the bluff slopes.

The Doppel Maschinengewehr bunker on the bluff contains two heavy machine-gun positions, each with an interlocking field of fire. One faces northeast across the draw and the other northwest along the beach, enabling enfilade fire against attackers. Additional open machine-gun nests are located in the trench system, giving the garrison at least four to six MG 34 or MG 42s in total, including those mounted in the turrets.

While there are no dedicated mortar pits listed, the defenders have access to light 5-centimetre Granatwerfer 36 mortars at platoon level. These can be fired from the trenches to drop bombs onto the beach or wire obstacles. Rifle grenades and hand grenades are standard issue, and portable anti-tank weapons such as Panzerfausts or Panzerschrecks are likely available for use against armour that breaches the outer defences.

The arrangement of these weapons ensures overlapping coverage with neighbouring strongpoints. The 7.5-centimetre turret and 5-centimetre guns can fire laterally along the beach, while the machine guns in Widerstandsnest 68 and Widerstandsnest 66 can create crossing fire over the draw and surf. This coordination turns the D-3 exit into a kill zone, with frontal fire from Widerstandsnest 68 reinforced by flanking fire from neighbouring positions, making any approach toward the Les Moulins road exceptionally hazardous.

Garrison and Organisation of Widerstandsnest 68

Widerstandsnest 68 is manned by troops from 10. Kompanie, Grenadier-Regiment 726. This unit belongs to the 716. Infanterie-Division, but by June 1944 it is placed under the operational control of the 352. Infanterie-Division to strengthen the coastal defence. The 10. Kompanie is a heavy weapons company responsible for both Widerstandsnest 66 and Widerstandsnest 68, as well as inland support positions. The company command post is located in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer at Widerstandsnest 69, about one kilometre inland, allowing the Kompaniechef to coordinate the actions of Widerstandsnest 66, Widerstandsnest 67, and Widerstandsnest 68.

On site, Widerstandsnest 68 is commanded by a Zugführer, either an Oberfeldwebel or a Leutnant, while overall control rests with the company commander, a Hauptmann or Oberleutnant, at Widerstandsnest 69. The garrison is about platoon strength, estimated at 30 to 40 men from the company’s total of 120 to 150. The defenders include riflemen, machine-gunners, gun crews, and signals personnel. Each major weapon, such as the 7.5-centimetre turret, the 5-centimetre guns, and the 4.7-centimetre gun, is served by a crew of three to six men, usually led by a junior Non-Commissioned Officer. Heavy machine guns are crewed by two men, while an infantry squad under an Unteroffizier patrols and defends the trench system. A dedicated signals soldier operates the field telephone and maintains contact with Widerstandsnest 66 and the company Command Post.

The quality of the troops is mixed. Grenadier-Regiment 726 is a static formation containing many second-line soldiers and foreign conscripts, including Osttruppen from Ukraine and Russia, as well as Volksdeutsche from Eastern Europe. These men are under the command of German Non-Commissioned Officers who ensure the operation of the heavy weapons. German artillery specialists may oversee key guns, with auxiliaries acting as loaders or support.

Life in Widerstandsnest 68 is disciplined and routine-bound. The garrison has spent months building and improving the position, plotting range cards, and rehearsing defensive fire plans. Observation posts are manned in rotation, often from Tobruk turrets or bunker periscopes. Soldiers maintain the obstacle belts, check minefields, and repair barbed wire. Supplies reach the position via the draw road and are stored in covered shelters. In the days before D-Day, increased Allied aerial and naval activity raises the alert level, and the garrison stands ready to fight to the last. As a fixed defensive unit, Widerstandsnest 68 has no vehicles and no option to manoeuvre; its task is to hold the position and delay any breakthrough until mobile reserves can intervene.

Widerstandsnest 68’s Role in the Omaha Beach Defence Strategy

Widerstandsnest 68 plays a central role in the German Atlantic Wall system on Omaha Beach, anchoring the defence at the Les Moulins draw. It is one of fifteen coastal strongpoints positioned chiefly to guard the exits through the bluffs. Together with Widerstandsnest 66 on the opposite side of the draw, it forms a paired defensive complex. The two positions are arranged to create a crossfire trap covering the valley and its beach approach. Widerstandsnest 66 holds additional anti-tank guns, mortars, and machine guns that complement Widerstandsnest 68’s armament. The positions are coordinated so their fire overlaps at the shoreline and at the mouth of the draw, ensuring that any attacker entering the gap is caught between two converging arcs of fire.

Widerstandsnest 68’s specific mission is to deny the Allies the use of the Les Moulins exit. This draw is one of the few points where tanks and vehicles can leave the beach. Its road is blocked by obstacles and covered by direct fire from Widerstandsnest 68. This arrangement matches Field Marshal Rommel’s policy of defeating an invasion at the water’s edge, rather than relying solely on mobile reserves further inland. Widerstandsnest 68’s heavy weapons are positioned to destroy landing craft, stop armoured vehicles, and pin down infantry, while the minefields, ditches, and barbed wire slow the advance. The objective is to keep the enemy trapped on the tidal flat until German counter-attack forces arrive.

Widerstandsnest 68 also operates within a wider network of support. Immediately inland stands Widerstandsnest 67, intended to house a Nebelwerfer battery from Nebelwerfer-Abteilung 84. The six-barrel 15 cm launchers and frame projectors at Widerstandsnest 67 are not fully operational by June 6^th, 1944, but their presence means Widerstandsnest 68 can expect indirect fire support. In the event of an assault, the Nebelwerfers and other inland artillery, including batteries from Artillerie-Regiment 352, are to bombard the landing zones. Widerstandsnest 68’s role is to hold the line while these units provide saturation fire.

To the west lies Widerstandsnest 70, positioned between Les Moulins and Vierville. Its field guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and Tobruks can fire eastward, overlapping with Widerstandsnest 68’s sector. To the east, the Ruquet exit at E-1 is defended by Widerstandsnest 65 and Widerstandsnest 64, preventing an Allied flanking move. Minefields and barbed wire connect these positions, while fortified houses and prepared points in the rear form a secondary defensive line. The village of Saint-Laurent, directly behind Widerstandsnest 68, is set up for all-round defence in case the first line is breached.

Widerstandsnest 68’s place in this system is as a fixed, heavily armed bastion blocking a vital approach inland. Its weapons, obstacles, and garrison are integrated into a larger scheme of interlocking fire and layered resistance. Before the landings, it stands as a key part of the plan to turn Omaha Beach into a killing ground, trading time and space for the arrival of decisive counter-attacks.

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