Jack Koorneef

OTD 23-10-1944 (well it happened yesterday...) Two groups of the K-Flottille 215, equipped with Linsen (speedboats with explosives) on the move from Flushing to Dunkirk (four more to Cadzand) The group leaving for Dunkirk was shot at by Artillery and the formation broke up.

The target (ship) was not found due to difficulties with the simple handcompass used to navigate in the dark. 14 Linsen returned to Flushing. The kommander of K-Fl. 215 was Kapitänleutnant Ludwig Vellguth (November 1944 till May 1945). The unit ended the war in Norway.

Two weeks ago we visited Northern Brittany and we've seen this nice little bunker (type 667) for a 5cm KwK (KampfwagenKanone) on the beach near Saint Pabu. It is now covering a nice beach but in 1944 this was littered with obstacles to prevent an easy landing (some obstacles are still present)

667's are the smallest standard gunbunkers used in WW2. Small does mean it is boring, a lot of differences can be seen; two types of gun (L42 or L60), an open or covered back, with or without tobruk and a big or small embrasure. In Brittany it is built in combo with types 612, 669 (for LAG).

OTD 22-10-1944 On German aerial photographs it was noticed that in the harbour of Ostend in Belgium quite a big armada of Allied ships were seen, in the harbour about 150 ships located, these were probably to be used in a little more then a week from this date in the landings on Walcheren.

OTD 21-10-1944; A new plan to destroy the bridge over the Waal river at Nijmegen went wrong in the early stage. The truck in which mines were moved to Utrecht was shot up by an Allied attack (from planes?) New measures were taken to continue with the operation.

OTD 20-10-1944 In the still held Atlantikwall Fortresses (Dunkirk, Lorient, St.Nazaire and the Gironde) local battles are being fought and also some succesfull German raids. Lorient has an occupationforce of 26000 men, of these 12.800 were from the Marine.

Some of the Marine coastalbatteries are now also organised to fire at land to support the Landfront. 18 vessels have been moved to the sinkingsite in front of the harbour, a window to keep a route for their own ships was left. Mines to close the window were kept on barges in the U-boatbunker.

On Ile de Groix (Island in front of Lorient) a hospitalcomplex for 600 beds was being built and partly ready, 2 hospitalships are ready and two more are being prepared. Small German boats are sailing between St.Nazaire, Quiberon, Belle Ile and Ile de Groix without any problems with the enemy.

A few weeks ago the hospitalbunker at West-Souburgh on the Island of Walcheren (Netherlands) was opened by Stichting Bunkerbehoud. It is hopefull that the bunker can be kept open for some small tours per year. The bunker is full in very good state and even on the outside the camouflage is present.

OTD 17-10-'44 In the battles around the river Schelde an Allied attack on the Sloedam could not totally be contained by the German forces. The Sloedam was the lifeline for the 70th Division fighting on Walcheren, but at this moment the hope that the 15 Army could open it up was fading rapidly.

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At the Waalbridge at Nijmegen the Allies were targeted by German commando's of MEK 60/65, the action failed but no exact cause was known at the moment. More actions to destroy the Waalbridge at Nijmegen would follow (and none would finish it's task).

Back to Zeeland; The Seeko Südholland (Seacommander South-Holland) sends a message that the situation of Southern Bridgehead (Festung Schelde Süd) was deteriorating fast and that Breskens would lost (and so the bridgehead on the southside of the river Schelde).

Supplies of material and men had to come from the North of Walcheren through Veere with it's harbour (Veersegat) and waterway-connection (kanaal door Walcheren) also wounded troops and also the V2 rocketbatteries that were aiming for London could be taken off the island for new operations.

OTD 3-10-1944; On the Island of Walcheren the seadike between the Radarapparatus and Battery Westkapelle was bombed by airplanes and the dike was reported to be destroyed and had a breach of 80 metres. Seawater started flowing in at around 15:00. Walcheren is becoming a giant soupbowl.

OTD 2-10-1944; Steamer "Wachtel" with 700 tons of Ammo was hit at 90:50 by Allied Jabo and sunk, the 700 Tons of ammo were going to be sorely missed during the battles in and around the Schelde estuary.

22 Sept

on 22.9.44 the OKM Seekriegsleitung anounces at the Lagebesprechung the start of the radiobroadcasts with the surrounded fortresses in France. One of the tasks was to pass important messages from familiy to the German soldiers in the fortesses (for instance Lorient, St-Nazaire and Dunkirk).

22 Sept

Coastalfortress Boulogne surrenders and from 17:00 no new messages were received from the besieged Germans.

22 Sept

Boulogne; At 10:00 batteries Creche 1 and 2 were heavily bombed, a lot of materialloss. Wimereux (just North of the coastalfortress Boulogne) was lost for the Germans after heavy streetfighting. The commander of Marine Artillerie Abteilung 240 fought its way to Cap Griz Nez with 250 of his men.

On 31-8-1944 the demolishing of the Dieppe and Fecamp harbours was declared finished. The harbour and facilities were out of order for a long time (according to the OKM). It seems that also the harbour of Le Treport had to be demolished but there was no contact with Le Treport.

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To stop the Allied advance several of the coastalbatteries were taken from the coast and went to cover the retreat of the German troops (for instance the batteries 1., 3., 5. and 6./1245 from the area Etaples and 2./1244 near Dunkirk), others like 2., 8,. and 6./1245 moved to the Somme.

Because of the fast deteriorating front-situation the heavy coastal Marinebatteries of "Todt" (4x38cm) and "Lindemann" (3x40,6cm) in the Pas de Calais got the order to empty the ammo stores and fire at Englisch cities on the southcoast, starting 1 September 1944.

Today 82 years ago the Festung Le Havre was encircled by Allied troops, the destruction and blocking of the harbour is ongoing but slow due to the bad weather.

30 Aug

Two weeks ago we had a nice day visiting the Bikers Festival at Spa-Francorchamps. Beautifull bikes, great people and a good sporty atmosphere. We will be back next year (maybe for the weekend, this year only Friday and Saturday, due to the biggest fire in Belgian history sunday was cancelled).

Only one week left before we will revisit the battery of Bihen.

27-8-1944; At St-Malo the Island of Cécembre is still under fire. on 25-8-1944 300 shots were fired and at 15:00 an airbombardment took place and 200 bombs fell. No guns were damaged and no loss of human life. On 26-8-1944 the battery was shot at by former German guns from Battr. Grand Bey.

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At Brest the heavy anti-aircraftbattery "Vorwerk" (4.805) was captured by the Americans. Battr. "Holtzendorff" was plasterd with bombs also Battery "Spee" and "Toulbroch" with Artillery. Sperrbrecher 135 was lost due to bombardments and also Sperrbrecher 8 was hit in it's dock.

Furthermore the Hospitalship "Oakland" was that heavily damaged that it can not be moved elsewhere. Accordance was given by the Fortresscommander to destroy the harbour on 28-8-'44 starting with the commercial-harbour and parts of the shipyard workshops.

This island Cézembre in the bay of St-Malo is only 700 by 300 metres and was already fortified by Vauban (as many of the small islands in the bay) The Germans places a coastal battery with 6x 19.4cm on it. Now it is a nice island with lots of birds and in the summer a nice covered beach.

26 Aug

On 26 August 1944; At Brest at 1700 ongoing bomberattacks on ships in and around the harbour. Sperrbrecher 180, 162, "Pelikan" loaded with mines to close the harbour and a HS-boat were sunk. Marine coastalbatteries are helping to deter Allied artillery, infantry, tank and air attacks.

26 Aug

For instance Battery Spee and Camaret were engaged in the fire battles. On the other hand Battery Pree was itself also target of bombardments on 25-8-44 from sea, the enemy ships could not be attacked because of the bad weather. Radar personell from various locations in Brittany arriving in Brest.

26 Aug

OTD Near (North-West) Lorient the Germans left resistancepoint Concarneau with all weapons and materials. The harbour was destroyed and harbourfacilities rendered useless by explosives. Concarneau was protected by several bunkercomplexes, the most important one on Pointe de Cabellou.

25 Aug

82 years ago(25-8-44), The OKM lost its transmissions to Marinelocations of Paris. The Marine headquarters moved to Pilz (big underground ammocomplex). The transportation of torpedo's from Pilz to Germany was halted because of the Allied progress. 3300 torpedo's and tubes are lost to the enemy.

25 Aug

on 24-8-44 the 7 Vorpostenflottile moved from Brest Southwarts, in the bay of Audierne crossed by 2 Allied groups (kreuzer and Zerstorer). The VP 702, 730 and 719 sunk and 729, 721 and 711 were that heavily damaged that they were put on the beach, 240 men and 6 officers became POW many others died.

The WSBK weekend was nice as usual. The Superbike races itself were a bit boring with Bulega winning everything but Supersport, Sportsbike and Northern talentcup were awome to watch.

The WSBK weekend was nice as usual. The Superbike races itself were a bit boring with Bulega winning everything but Supersport, Sportsbike and Northern talentcup were awome to watch.

The WSBK weekend was nice as usual. The Superbike races itself were a bit boring with Bulega winning everything but Supersport, Sportsbike and Northern talentcup were awome to watch.

4 Feb

Here some pictures of a nice Westwallbunker type 105b. It lies on a ridge south of Beckingen. The 6cm strong armored plate was hit by a 5.7 or 7.5cm armor piercing grenade. The light green color inside the bunker is original WW2.

23 Dec 2025

Measures were to be taken to prevent the crossing of the river by the German soldiers, S.D. would get the full cooperation from the Feldgendarmerie. Not only Germans tried to flee the German occupied part of The Netherlands but also Allied Airman (and Para's that fought at Arnhem) and civilians.

23 Dec 2025

The S.D. and Feldgendarmerie came back three days later, this time a Kriegsmarine-Officer was arreste, another 20 persons were also taken away. 4 more avoided this same fate. A conversation between a waiter and an S.D. agent was overheard and the S.D. was planning a more solid investigation.

23 Dec 2025

OTD The S.D. was ordered to Gorinchem to investigate Germans that wanted to cross Boven-Merwede river to surrender, one of them, a German Officer, had new information on the V-weapons for him it did not work out even with help from four other men that wanted to do the same, and he left.

20 Sept 2025

Some pictures of the airbornelandings at Ginkelseheide, Ede, Netherlands. Para's from England, Greece, Germany, France, the Netherlands, America and other nations jump here not only to reenact the 1944 airbornlandings but also to practise in the phantomleap operation.