Widerstandsnester 83, 84 and 85, Maisy Batterie

Historically, the complex comprises three coordinated installations. Les Perruques is coded Widerstandsnest 83. La Martinière is Widerstandsnest 84. A nearby position stands at Foucher Farm, often labelled Widerstandsnest 85. Together they mount multiple heavy guns. The batteries cover the western half of Omaha Beach. They also command approaches to Utah Beach. German deception before D-Day shifts Allied focus to Pointe du Hoc. That clifftop battery draws bombardment and a Ranger assault on D-Day. The Maisy guns sit 1.6 kilometres inland behind a low rise. They remain hidden and operational through the initial bombardments.

Construction and Layout of Widerstandsnester 83, 84 and 85

The Maisy Battery is a dispersed complex, not a single position. It spans dozens of hectares between Grandcamp and Maisy. Fortified sites link by trenches and covered routes. Two principal nodes anchor the complex. Les Perruques lies to the east. La Martinière, sometimes written La Martine, lies to the west. The two strongpoints stand about 500 to 600 metres apart. Minefields and barbed wire later enclose both within one perimeter. This transforms them into a single defensive system. A third position at Foucher Farm sits roughly 600 metres further south-west. It forms part of the fire plan. It is not connected by trenches.

Widerstandsnest 83, Les Perruques, lies about 500 metres to the east. The 9. Batterie of Artillerie-Regiment 1716 mans this site. The armament comprises six French 155-millimetre field howitzers. These are captured First World War-era guns. Four occupy open concrete emplacements, or encuvements. Space constraints force two into improvised earth emplacements nearby. Les Perruques features extensive underground works. Communication trenches link sections across the site. Tunnels connect ammunition caves with living quarters. The garrison builds an underground field hospital bunker. An operating room is cut into the earth. Corrugated steel blast shelters line covered trenches between positions. The site includes at least two R622 personnel bunkers. Machine-gun and observation tobruks guard approach routes. A rare dedicated command and communications bunker stands here. It functions as the battery’s fire-direction centre. Signals equipment coordinates the artillery fire. The forward fire-control post lies nearer the coast. It stands north-west of Grandcamp on a slight rise. Observers there spot shipping and troops on the beaches. Corrections pass inland by telephone to the guns.

Widerstandsnest 84, La Martinière, is the first site constructed. The position faces towards the Vire estuary. The armament comprises four Czech 100-millimetre field guns. These are Skoda 100-millimetre FH14/19(t) pieces. German workshops rebore them to 105-millimetre calibre. The guns initially occupy open firing pits. In late 1943, the garrison hardens the site. Concrete casemates rise for protection against air attack. The plan calls for four Regelbau casemates. Sources identify types H612 or H669 for field guns. By June 1944 only three casemates are complete and operational. One 105-millimetre gun remains in an open emplacement on D-Day. That casemate is still under construction. La Martinière holds several supporting shelters. Five Vf 58c concrete tobruks serve personnel or machine guns. One R622 double infantry shelter stands within the position. The R622 is a standard two-room troop bunker for twenty men. It likely houses gun crews or infantry support. Two 75 mm anti-aircraft positions provide local air defence.

Widerstandsnest 85 or the Foucher Farm sits further south-west of the main nodes. Four 150-millimetre field howitzers occupy open firing positions. The site lacks the heavy concrete works of the other two. It remains integral to the battery’s firing plan. The position is exposed once identified by Allied ships.

The Maisy complex contains dense, layered defences. Les Perruques holds six open concrete gun rings for 155-millimetre pieces. La Martinière fields three completed Regelbau casemates for its 105-millimetre guns. A fourth casemate stands unfinished at the invasion. Foucher Farm provides four open pits for 150-millimetre howitzers. Each gun position has ready-use ammunition recesses. Trenches connect emplacements to shelters for rapid resupply.

Personnel protection is substantial across the complex. At least two R622 double-group bunkers stand, one at each main site. An older Type 502 double-apron bunker is also present. It serves as a staff and command shelter for the battery officers. At Maisy it functions as headquarters for WN 83 and WN 84.

Fire control and communications receive special attention. A coastal observation and fire-control bunker directs the guns. Inland, a communications bunker links the sites by field telephone. Lines connect to the observation post and to higher headquarters. An anti-aircraft radar control centre operates on site. A Würzburg radar set is likely present. It guides the Flak guns against Allied aircraft.

Ammunition and supply needs are covered by reinforced stores. At least two Vf7b ordnance bunkers hold artillery shells. These bomb-proof stores are the Vf7b SK model. Four additional storage bunkers hold supplies, fuel, or equipment. A water storage facility, likely an underground cistern, supports the garrison.

Other facilities complete the entrenched camp. An officers’ quarters building stands within the perimeter. A field kitchen and mess hall serve daily needs. A small field hospital bunker includes medical facilities. A separate radio building handles liaison with higher command. Mortar pits bolster local defence with light infantry mortars. Numerous machine-gun tobruks ring the perimeter and approaches. Two French tank turrets serve as pillbox emplacements. These strengthen close-in defensive fire.

The trench system at Maisy is remarkable in scale. More than two kilometres of trenches connect major positions. Zig-zag lines run between emplacements, bunkers, and depots. Covered sections use soil and vegetation for camouflage. These form shallow roofed trenches that blend into the ground. Corrugated steel shelters protect key nodes along the routes. Short concrete-lined tunnels link critical bunkers. One tunnel connects the command bunker to nearby personnel shelters. A side chamber serves as the commander’s quarters. These covered routes shield movement from shrapnel and observation. They allow circulation under bombardment across the complex.

Maisy functions as a self-contained fortress inland from the coast. WN 83 and WN 84 support each other with heavy guns and shelters. Trenches integrate both into a single networked defence. Dispersed batteries complicate targeting by ships and aircraft. Most works sit below ground level and under natural cover. The gentle inland slopes help conceal the positions. Camouflage frustrates Allied air reconnaissance before the landings. Deep entrenchments and interlinked bunkers absorb punishment. The complex remains operational during the Normandy invasion.

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Defensive Systems and Infrastructure of Widerstandsnester 83, 84 and 85

The Maisy Battery fieldworks go far beyond the guns themselves. Layered systems turn the site into a formidable strongpoint. The complex embodies Atlantic Wall principles of depth, deception, and interlocking fire. These measures delay and disrupt Allied efforts in early June 1944.

In the days before D-Day the garrison receives major Flak reinforcements. A Luftwaffe battalion from Flak Regiment 1 deploys between June 3^rd and June 5^th, 1944. The unit installs twelve 88-millimetre guns around the complex. Eight cover approaches from the north. Four cover approaches from the south. The 88-millimetre pieces serve against aircraft and surface targets. They can also engage tanks and shipping at range. Light Flak augments the heavy batteries across the perimeter. Twenty millimetre automatic cannons provide close-in air defence. Thirty-seven millimetre guns add punch against low-flying aircraft. These weapons occupy pits and revetments forming a protective ring. An on-site radar control centre coordinates the Flak fire. A radar set likely feeds target data to the crews. German accounts describe numerous engagements with Allied aircraft on D-Day. The Flak crews reportedly down several planes over the area. They also capture about a dozen American paratroopers nearby. The heavy Flak concentration threatens Allied armour and infantry as well. The 88 mm guns can traverse to cover ground targets.

Concealment is central to the design at Maisy. The main positions sit about 1.5 kilometres inland. A slight ridge screens them from naval observers at sea. Bunkers and gun pits receive soil and vegetation after construction. Crews bury profiles beneath sod and living greenery. Camouflage nets further break up outlines within fields and hedgerows. Many trenches gain wooden overhead covers topped with earth. From the air these look like ordinary hedgerows or drainage ditches. Secrecy during construction keeps the complex off many Allied maps. Intelligence fails to appreciate its full scale before the landings. The pre-invasion bombardment therefore largely misses the inland batteries. On June 5^th and 6^th, 1944, the bombers inflict little verified damage at Maisy. Naval shelling on the morning of June 6^th, 1944, also fails to cripple the site. The gently rolling terrain helps hide embrasures and entrances. Camouflage and siting create confusion among troops on Omaha Beach. Units come under fire for hours without locating the source precisely.

Perimeter obstacles surround the two principal battery areas. Thick barbed wire belts encircle both strongpoints in multiple bands. The ground between Stützpunkt 83 and Stützpunkt 84 is heavily mined. The minefield creates a continuous defensive zone under observation. Bunkers follow Organisation Todt standards for reinforced concrete. Regelbau designs like H612 and R622 appear across the complex. Walls and roofs often exceed two metres in thickness. Many shelters are banked into the earth and then covered with soil. Only narrow embrasures or discreet entrances remain visible. These features are further masked by camouflage and shielding. Earthen revetments protect open firing positions from blast and fragments. Timber and sandbag parapets supplement cover at key points. Dispersal is a guiding principle for all gun positions. Guns are split between separate emplacements to reduce losses. At Les Perruques four heavy guns occupy one sector. Two more sit in another nearby sector. Internal defence uses interlaced trenches and fighting positions. Heavy MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns cover likely avenues of approach. Fields and the main connecting road fall under overlapping arcs of fire. Tobruk pits provide all-round coverage with machine guns. Some pits mount captured French tank turrets as fixed weapons. Anti-tank defence includes two 50-millimetre PaK guns within the complex. Mortar positions stand ready to strike troops in wire or open ground.

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Armament and Weapons Emplacements of Widerstandsnester 83, 84 and 85

The Maisy Battery fields a mixed arsenal of artillery and defensive weapons. Its guns cover Omaha’s western sectors and Utah’s approaches. Fire control and observation direct this fire onto beach and inland targets. Ammunition moves from protected bunkers to the pits. Mountings allow wide traverse across the Channel. Crews coordinate through a central command post and a forward observer.

Six French Schneider 155-millimetre guns stand at Widerstandsnest 83, Les Perruques. The German designation is sFH 414(f). These are First World War designs. Each gun fires a 43-kilogram shell. The maximum range reaches about 11 to 12 kilometres. That range covers Omaha’s west and Utah’s exits. Four guns sit in prepared concrete encuvements. Two occupy improvised earth pits nearby. The howitzers deliver high-angle fire against beachheads and inland nodes. On D-Day they shell Omaha near the Vierville draw. They also send harassing fire towards Utah’s exit areas.

Four rebored Czech field howitzers stand at Widerstandsnest 84, La Martinière. The original model is Škoda 100-millimetre vz.14/19. German armourers rebore them to 105-millimetre calibre. The German designation is leFH 14/19(t). Their range is roughly 10 kilometres. Three guns sit in new concrete casemates by 1944. These casemates follow Regelbau H612 or H669 patterns. The fourth gun remains in an open pit on D-Day. Its bunker is still under construction. The 105 mm pieces provide faster supporting fire. Their arcs overlap with the 155-millimetre sectors. They also cover the Vire estuary and Utah’s northern flank.

Four 150-millimetre howitzers stand at Widerstandsnest 85, Foucher Farm. The pieces are likely Škoda designs of Czech origin. Their range is about 12 to 13 kilometres. They can reach both beaches and offshore targets. The site lacks heavy concrete protection.

Each artillery piece uses a fixed or semi-fixed mounting. Broad traverse covers wide arcs along the coast. Two large ammunition bunkers serve each main site. Shells move under cover to ready-use recesses. The central command post coordinates all batteries. A forward observation post near the coast spots targets. Observers send corrections inland by field telephone.

A strong Flak detachment arrives just before the D-Day landings. A battalion from Flak Regiment 1 deploys between June 3^rd, 1944 and June 5^th, 1944. The unit brings twelve 88-millimetre FlaK 36/37 guns. Eight cover northern approaches to the complex. Four cover southern approaches around the perimeter. The 88-millimetre guns engage aircraft and surface targets. They can also defeat armour and shipping at long range. Lighter pieces add close-in air defence across the ring. Twenty millimetre FlaK 30/38 guns provide rapid fire. Several 37-millimetre FlaK 36 guns strengthen low-level coverage. The weapons sit in pits and revetments around the site. An AA radar control centre operates within the complex. A radar set likely cues the batteries onto targets. German accounts describe many air engagements on June 6^th, 1944. Crews claim several shot-downs over the area. They also capture about a dozen U.S. paratroopers nearby. The 88-millimetre positions can traverse to engage ground troops. They threaten any armour advancing inland from the beaches.

At least two 50-millimetre PaK 38 anti-tank guns defend approaches. Likely arcs cover the main access road and open fields. Effective anti-armour fire reaches about one to 1.5 kilometres. Captured weapons supplement the defence where needed. A British 25-pounder gun stands within the complex. Its 87.6-millimetre shells provide artillery or heavy anti-tank fire. A 76.2-millimetre Russian field gun is also reported on site. These additions reflect flexible German use of available ordnance.

Machine guns dominate the trench lines and approaches. MG 34 and MG 42 weapons provide interlocking fields of fire. Embrasures and Tobruk pits house many of these positions. Mortar pits strengthen the inner defensive belt. Eight centimetre Granatwerfer 34 mortars reach about 2.5 kilometres. They drop bombs into dead ground and wire obstacles. Two fixed French tank turrets serve as miniature pillboxes. They are likely Renault R-35 or FT-17 turrets. Each mounts a 37-millimetre gun or twin machine guns. These turrets cover flanks and close approaches to the batteries. Infantry and gun crews carry standard small arms for defence.

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Garrison and Organisation of Widerstandsnester 83, 84 and 85

About 450 German troops hold Maisy on June 6^th, 1944. The garrison mixes men from two formations. The 716. Infanterie-Division provides the artillery core. The 352. Infanterie-Division adds infantry and liaison. Their sector boundary runs near the Vire estuary. Both formations therefore operate around Grandcamp and Maisy. This mixed manning reflects the local defence plan.

The guns belong to Artillerie-Regiment 1716 of the 716. Infanterie-Division. Two batteries man the complex at Maisy. 8./Art.Rgt.1716 operates La Martinière, Widerstandsnest 84. Its pieces are 105 mm howitzers. 9./Art.Rgt.1716 operates Les Perruques, coded WN83. Its pieces are 155 mm howitzers. Each battery is company strength. Typical manning is fifty to seventy-five men. German records call the site H.K.B. Maisy. The group codename is Brasilia. Operational control sits with LXXXIV. Armeekorps. The position functions within Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie.

Each battery has an officer commander. Usual rank is Oberleutnant or Hauptmann. One commander acts as senior over the full complex. A central command bunker coordinates both Widerstandsnest 83 and Widerstandsnest 84. A signals post links observers, guns, and higher headquarters. Regimental headquarters of Artillerie-Regiment 1716 directs fire and supply. The regiment reports to the 716. Infanterie-Division staff. Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter commands the division in June 1944. Elements of the 352. Infanterie-Division maintain liaison at Maisy. Artillerie-Regiment 352 does not man the guns. Grenadier-Regiment 914 provides local infantry support in the sector. Those troops likely man machine guns and trenches.

Security infantry from both divisions guard the perimeter. Riflemen and machine gunners hold the trench lines. They occupy tobruks and field positions across the site. Strength is at least company level. Numbers likely reach one to two hundred men. Captured defenders on June 9^th, 1944 wear mixed insignia. This confirms a composite force on the ground. Accounts describe officers rallying men under fire. Some officers shoot early surrenderers to harden resolve. Such actions prolong the defence during the final assault.

A Luftwaffe Flak-Abteilung arrives on 3–5 June 1944. The unit forms part of Flak-Regiment 1. Oberstleutnant Josef Kistowski commands on site. The detachment brings twelve 8.8 cm FlaK 36/37. Eight cover northern approaches to the complex. Four cover the southern arcs. Crews for the 88s number about ten per gun. Total Flak strength approaches one to two hundred men. Light 2 cm FlaK 30/38 and some 3.7 cm FlaK add close defence. An AA radar control bunker supports direction and fire control. The Flak unit cooperates with the Army command. Kistowski later describes air engagements over Maisy. His men also capture American paratroopers near the site.

The senior artillery officer directs daily defence. Infantry retain administrative chains to their divisions. In battle they act under the battery commander’s orders. The Flak-Abteilung remains in the Luftwaffe chain. Liaison links coordinate air and ground fires. Forward observers pass corrections to the batteries. Telephone lines and runners maintain control under bombardment.

Widerstandsnester 83, 84 and 85’s Role in the Omaha and Utah Beach Defence Strategy

The Maisy complex sits between Omaha and Utah Beaches. Its guns provide medium and long-range support. The battery enfilades western Omaha from Vierville-sur-Mer towards Pointe de la Percée. It also strikes the eastern approaches to Utah near Saint-Marcouf. Fire can reach the routes towards Carentan. The position also guards the Vire estuary against landings. Maisy functions as a Heeres-Küsten-Batterie within the Atlantikwall. Beach strongpoints pin assault troops at the water’s edge. Inland batteries, including Maisy, deliver observed fire onto sea and shore. The intent is to maximise casualties and disorder among landing forces. Maisy supports neighbouring Widerstandsnester along the bluff line. It interdicts movements inland from both beaches. Its location gives wide arcs and favourable angles of fire.

German planners seek overlapping artillery coverage against amphibious attack. Maisy forms a key node within that plan. It links with Longues-sur-Mer to the east of Omaha. It also complements the Saint-Marcouf batteries near Utah. Interlocking fields of fire cover the gap between beaches. German fire plans for Omaha assign Maisy the western sector. The zone towards Utah also lies within its arcs. The sector carries the German code Küste Besprechungsgebiet. By June 1944, Oberkommando West flags Maisy as important. The battery takes part in defensive fire exercises. Crews pre-register firing data for beaches and sea lanes. Allied intelligence identifies the complex before D-Day. Allied planners mark Maisy as an Area of High Resistance. Components appear as Target 5, Target 16, and 16A. These targets enter pre-invasion bombardment plans.

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