SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Share Posted 5 April , 2012 Good evening All, Yesterday I went for a drive around the area south-west of Longwy, to familiarise myself with the terrain that was fought over in August 1914. On my way to the Mangiennes/ Billy sous Mangiennes/Pillon area to investigate the encounter of 10 August 1914 I was side-tracked by this sign: I'll start another thread on my travels through the battelefields and the cemeteries I visited but I'll now post some photos of this site, partially overgrown in the Bois de Warphemont, near Duzey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 Hidden in the wood is the original gun emplacement, which you can wander round, although the gun-pit and most of the underground areas are grilled off: Either the top photo in this panel was taken after the war or one German soldier wanted to be the first into Verdun ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 5 April , 2012 Share Posted 5 April , 2012 Steve, Looking forward to following this thread and learning about a new area!! TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 The gun-pit has been flooded (I think deliberately) But the arming area that received the shells is more readily accessible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 Hi TT, Other than the protective grilles and the flooding of the gun-pit it's just there in the wood to be explored, with the help of a signposted route around the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 Following the path around the site: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 It took me a while to find the old track bed... until I realised I was walking on it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 It is possible to enter one of the two munitions tunnels: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 The nearby Camp Marguerre experimented in various forms of concrete construction, this rear-area of the Verdun sector was a real hive of activity. More photos of the Gros Max site: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 5 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 April , 2012 Here are some more photos: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Posted 6 April , 2012 Share Posted 6 April , 2012 Hi Steve, thanks for the pics, I have noticed that the photo of the gun on the panel shows the 380mm gun at Chuignes in the Somme and not at Duzey, however both were 380mm guns. It seems that there's a lots of remains around the site at Duzey, concrete construction and ammunition tunnels, etc... whereas there's nothing left at Chuignes:; I have explored in depth the wood (still called "bois du gros canon") and couldn't find anything like at Duzey. I was just wondering why ? lack of time ? Sly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 6 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2012 Hi Sly, Good spot ! When I look closer at the shape of the "gun-pit" (I don't know the correct term) in my photo, it is different to that in the photo on the panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 6 April , 2012 Share Posted 6 April , 2012 Fascinating photographs - thanks for posting them! Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Chap Posted 6 April , 2012 Share Posted 6 April , 2012 What a fascinating site. Thyanks for sharing your photo's. Regards, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 6 April , 2012 Share Posted 6 April , 2012 Hi Steve, The Duzey gun pit has not been deliberately flooded. It is like that naturally, as are the underground emplacements. The water level in the pit rises and falls according to how dry the season is and I have photos from 12 yrs or so ago when it was completely dry. I met an old local chap there once who told me how he and others used to swim in the pit when they were boys. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 6 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2012 Hi Steve, The Duzey gun pit has not been deliberately flooded. It is like that naturally, as are the underground emplacements. The water level in the pit rises and falls according to how dry the season is and I have photos from 12 yrs or so ago when it was completely dry. I met an old local chap there once who told me how he and others used to swim in the pit when they were boys. Christina Thanks Christina, there were fish in it on Wednesday !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 8 April , 2012 Share Posted 8 April , 2012 Fish? I wonder how they got there? Were they goldfish or what? Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 9 April , 2012 Author Share Posted 9 April , 2012 Fish? I wonder how they got there? Were they goldfish or what? Christina Hi Christina, They weren't goldfish and there weren't many, they were about 5-10cm in size. At first I thought they were frogs or tadpoles but I'm pretty sure that they were fish. It was that that led me to think it had been flooded deliberately. I don't know how they would have got there, other than been introduced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Posted 9 April , 2012 Share Posted 9 April , 2012 it reminds me some of the mine craters near Messines where I have seen on several occasion people fishing... and I have always wondered how it was possible ? Sly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbillington Posted 14 April , 2012 Share Posted 14 April , 2012 Here are some more photos: Really interesting Photos. I have read that there was a shooting match between this 380 mm gun and a 420mm gun, Both firing on Fort Douamont. I will have o pay a visit when next in the area. Thanks Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 17 April , 2012 Share Posted 17 April , 2012 The 'shooting match' took place in February 1915 but the 380mm gun involved was not the Duzey gun. The pit was not built at that time. Off-hand I think it was the 380mm gun at Sorel Farm but I'll have to check that. The 420mm howitzer stood in Hingry Wood, which is part of Spincourt Forest. There were two batteries there, quite close together. The gun pits are still there, now filled with water. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 17 April , 2012 Share Posted 17 April , 2012 The line of the standard gauge railway that served them is quite clear. This section passes close to the site of Battery No 4. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 22 April , 2012 Share Posted 22 April , 2012 Without the water... Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 22 April , 2012 Share Posted 22 April , 2012 very interesting, thanks for sharing! Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 27 April , 2012 Share Posted 27 April , 2012 Without the water but with the railings! I wish they hadn't put them up. The gun pit by the railway line in my photo above was the site of the 42cm howitzer that fired on Forts Douaumont and Vaux in February 1915. The records are contradictory on the site of the 38cm gun that fired on Fort Douaumont on the same occasion. It was either fired from the Sorel Farm position at the edge of Spincourt Forest or from a site in Watlemont Wood. This is a fairly unknown site which stands in a wood to the south of the circular pit with the railings. The huge concrete platforms at Sorel Farm are on private land which the owner is determined to keep private and I have never managed to view them from close to. If anyone can get hold of the French magazine called Tranchées, there is an article with good photos of the Sorel position in Vol.8 2012. http://sites.google.com/site/trancheesmagazine/archives/2012/editorial-du-dernier-hors-serie/les-canons-de-38cm-skl45-prs-de-verdun This is the site of the Watlemont gun. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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