Presumed construction of Wn.123 avril 1943 (≈ 1943)
Deployment of battery H.K.B.7./1261
23 décembre 2024
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 23 décembre 2024 (≈ 2024)
Protection of remains and land base
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Wn. 123, remains of the Second World War, in full, and the land base where they are preserved, including archaeological remains buried or in known or to be discovered, located at Le Havre de Crabec, 47 route du Val de Saire, on Parcel No. 224, shown in cadastre section B 01, as represented on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 23 December 2024
Origin and history
The Wn.123 is a German resistance nest located on the coast between the Gatteville Lighthouse and the village of Barfleur. This military site, integrated with Heeres-Küsten-Batterie 7./1261 (formerly H.K.B.282), was reportedly built around April 1943, although the exact date of the site remains unknown. Its role was to protect a coastal battery, typical of the Atlantic Wall defences during the occupation.
The site is distinguished by its complex network of 20 elements connected by concrete trenches, including troop shelters and firing sites. These remains, exceptionally well preserved, offer an almost intact witness to German defensive strategies. The whole, including the buried archaeological remains, was classified as Historic Monument by order of 23 December 2024, stressing its heritage importance.
Located in Le Havre de Crabec (47 Route du Val de Saire), Wn.123 illustrates Nazi military architecture in Normandy. Its conservation allows us to study the rapid fortification techniques deployed between 1942 and 1944, while the Germans anticipated an allied landing. The accuracy of its location is estimated to be fair (note 5/10), based on available data.
The monument belongs to the commune of Gatteville-le-Phare (code Insee 50196) in the department of Manche. Although the practical information about his visit is not detailed, his recent listing as a Historic Monument makes him a site of growing interest in the history of the Second World War in Lower Normandy.
