Editing Courseulles-sur-Mer (section)

===D-Day: L’île===
{{Overly detailed|date=August 2022|section}}

====Widerstandnesten WN31====
StP.Courseulles (West) was located at North 49.3367  Deg  / West W  00.4602  and in June 1944, for targeting purposes, at: LZ1 vT MR Grid 965858 (Ref. GSGS 4250 1:50K: Creully Sheet 7E/5). The (WN) Resistance Nest at Courseulles (West) was a very large ‘platoon-sized’ position, attempting to protect entry into the town port, deny exits off the beach, and prevent an out-flanking entry into the town.<ref>Marc Laurenceau, D-Day Overlord: Encyclopédie du débarquement et de la bataille de Normandie: WN 29 en Normandie. See: http://www.dday-overlord.com/wn-31-en-normandie-encyclopedie-d-day/ Accessed 24.05.2016</ref> West of the River Seulles, still being 'developed', it sat on a small peninsula of land, water defending three of its approaches, its land based left front (NW)  approach protected by the very large K.V.Gruppe Courseulles Beach Minefield: Mf 72.<ref>AOK 7 Maps: Strongpoints KVA ‘H1’ Caen 716 & KVA ‘H2’Bayeau 352 . See: Accessed 03.02.2K18</ref> At its western end was a 50mm gun, in an open pit emplacement, supported by a Heavy MG.  Towards its center, facing west down the beach, was a 75mm field gun and a 50mm gun, both in casemates. Overlooking the harbour was a 50mm gun, in a casemate (protecting its front), that could fire east or west. Additionally thirteen crew served, machine gun and mortar, weapon emplacements, had their rear was protected by the river.<ref>Operation Overlord/ Neptune, JUNO BEACH: Bombardment Force ‘E’,  Page 18. See: http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/juno/tables.pdf Accessed 02.2K18</ref><ref>JUNO Beach: First Hussars. See: http://www.junobeach.info/juno-4-8.htm Accessed 04.02.2K18</ref>

With half of his Kompanie 6. / Batl II. / Gren.Regt 736., on the position, Hauptmann Grote commanded the fight for Stützpuntkte (StP) Courseulles, from a Type [[Regelbau]] Command Post Shelter / Bunker.  Fighting WN 31, its Züg Führer (Acting Commander), having no 'urban' structures to observe 'over' the dunes, had to rely on a Type Regelbau R666 - Infantry Observation Bunker (with Panzerkuppel - 89P6 Small Turret) to adjust to the Canadian assault.  Courseulles (West) was fronted by an area of coastal erosion, where sand deposits had blocked the River Seulles access to the sea and forced it into a loop. The strong-point was not fronted by beach villas, which were a feature of much of the JUNO Sector, and there were few landmarks, making it difficult to identifying the correct point on which to that land.<ref>Operation Overlord/ Neptune, JUNO BEACH: Bombardment Force ‘E’,  Page 18. See: http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/juno/tables.pdf Accessed 02.02.2K18</ref> After the Assault Force J1 Beach Bombardment Programme, which did not seem to have much actual effect, WN 31 began to take indirect 105mm artillery fire from the guns of 12th Field Regiment, RCA from H-30 to H+5 and direct fire from the DD Tanks of 'A' Squadron, [[1st Hussars]] near 07h45. Landing just a little 'late', seven 'A' squadron immediately fired on the 50&nbsp;mm anti-tank gun emplacement, it destroyed, ‘A’ Squadron began to ‘cruise up and down the beach’ engaging the machine gun crews, permitting the infantry to sweep over the dunes to begin their fight for the position.<ref>JUNO Beach:  First Hussars. See:  http://www.junobeach.info/juno-4-8.htm Accessed 04.02.2K18</ref>

Landing on its strong left flank, [[The Royal Winnipeg Rifles|‘B’ Company, Royal Winnipeg Rifles]], (OC Captain P. E. Gower), was immediately pinned down by its heavy machine gun, and the 50mm, in a concrete pillbox, while taking accurate sniper fire.<ref>JUNO Beach: Winnipeg Rifles. See: http://www.junobeach.info/juno-4-5.htm Accessed 04.02.2K18</ref> Skirting left away from the position, ‘B’ Company forced a crossing of the river, on a small bridge at MR 964857, and got in to clear ‘four’ defensible positions, on the ‘island’.<ref>War Diary: The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Ashore Graye-sur-Mer: Page 4, 6 Tue June 1944. See: http://lmharchive.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/The-Royal-Winnipeg-Rifles.pdf Accessed 01.02.2018</ref> The Coy Comd and twenty-six other ranks ‘survived’ the assault of the three casements and its twelve MG emplacements.  It took until the early afternoon for WN 31 to be secured.<ref>War Diary: The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Ashore Graye-sur-Mer: Page 5, 6 Tue June 1944. See: http://lmharchive.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/The-Royal-Winnipeg-Rifles.pdf Accessed 01.02.2018</ref><ref>JUNO Beach: The Royal Winnipeg Rifles. See: http://www.junobeach.info/juno-4-5.htm Accessed 01.02.2K18</ref>

German Crew Served Weapons at StP.Courseulles (West).<ref>Richard Drew, Atlantikwall: WW2 Defences from 1941-1944, France: AOK 7 Normandie. See:  http://www.atlantikwall.org.uk/courseulles_wn31.htm  Accessed 18.05.2016</ref><ref>Anderson Richard C., Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall: The 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers on D-Day, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA., 2010, {{ISBN|9780811742719}}, Chapter 4 German Planning and Preparation: The German Defences - Page 74 Accessed 18.05.2016</ref>

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Regelbau Type
! Ringstand (Casement)
! Weapon / Gun
! Details
|- 
| OB Gr.West Heer H612	
| Vf Reinforced Casement
| 75mm FK 16 n.Art. (German)
| Positioned Left of Centre   
|-
| OB Gr.West Heer H667(SK)
| KwK - Doppelschartenstan
| 50mm Pak 38 L/42
| Casement at Harbour Entrance 
|-
| OB Gr.West Heer Vf 65a	
| KwK auf Sockellafetten SK-L
| 50mm Pak 38 L/42
| Kampfwagenkanone: Open Pedestal
|-
| OB Gr.West Heer Vf600 
| KwK Sockellafetten: Six-Sided 
| 50mm Pak 38 L/42
| Open Pedestal - SK Modification 
|-
| OB Gr.West Heer 604	
| Panzerstellung Tobrouk x1
| 37&nbsp;mm [[Renault FT]] FT 31(f)
| Tank Turret – Coaxial MG
|-
| OB Gr.West Heer H630 
| Casement with Tobrouk x1
| Heavy MG - Firing Port  
| Position on Left Flank
|-
| OB Gr.West Type 34 (Vf69) 
| Tobrouk sGranatwerfer 
| 8.14&nbsp;cm Heavy Mortar
| Gruppen Crew - On Left Flank
|-
| Weapon Crew Posts x3
| Reinforced Concrete Vf  (R630)
| Light MG - Maschinengewehr   
| Half Steel Ring Traverse (Open)
 |-
| Company Mortar Pits x2 
| Nest fur Granatenwerfer Type 36
| (Vf58c) 50&nbsp;mm Light Mortar
| Left Flank / Centre Left
|-
|}