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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

German vehicles on the Ginkel heath. Never seen that before!

On this Yesterday, 17 Sept. 1944; Wardiary Ob.West. On 14.25 message from Verb.Kdo.Lw. at Ob.West about airlandings in the area Nijmegen-Emmerich-Eindhoven. Before the landings started heavy bombardments by bomberunits.

Guess what we did...

Last Wednesday i went to search for the last remaining part of the antitank ditch of the Panterstellung in the Netherlands. Well not really searching but visiting. Most parts were re-cultivated and are now filled. But in a small Forrest a short stretch was left.

1 After the bombing of Watten's V2 bunker (Eperlecques) a new project for firing V2 rockets was planned; The Org. Todt was to design and built a bombproof firebase. A concrete dome with a diameter of 56 meter and 5 meter thick in a quarry.

1 OTD 1944; St.Malo, After heavy bombardments and artillery shelling the enemy (Americans) enter the Cité under cover of smoke. The M19 (Maschine Mortar) is demolished by the Germans. After German artillery fires on the Cité the Americans retreat leaving 20 men POW.

OTD 1944, On the order of GFM Kluge the harbor of Granville had to be demolished directly, all vehicles were to be moved to St Malo as possible. All Marine units that are defending Granville are placed under command of the HaKo Granville. Pictures of the demolitions to be sent to HaKo St-Malo.

The Seacommander Pas de Calais messages that around 18:30 a V1 (flyingbomb) crashed 30 metres in front of Lager Hasso. five minutes after the crash it exploded. Hasso was a storage for seamines and torpedo's partly underground. Today the concrete part is still visible, the mine is now a quarry.

TT assen was great!

Today 81 years ago the battles around Cherbourg are meeting the final stages. Ob.Mar.West messages to Hako Cherbourg to relay the message to all Batteries and resistance-nests that they are named in the Wehrmachtsbericht due to their hard battles and that must be a reason to hold on.

OTD Gruppe West of the kriegsmarine announces that the Führer K.Admiral Hennecke and Batterychef of Battery Hamburg the Oblt.(MA) Gelbhaar recieved the Knightscross. Hennecke of his efforts to destroy the Cherbourg harbors and Gelbhaar for keeping the Allied warships from attacking Cherbourg.

OTD The SeeKo (probably) sends a message that the communicationscenter of the Festung Cherbourg has fallen in enemy hands and that they must be carefull with messaging each other. The bunker was from a non standard type. Before the bunker fell in to enemy hands it was probably set on fire.

1/1 In the morning of the 23rd (6-1944) Seeko Normandie signals new bomber and fighterattacks on batteries, the entrance of Torpedocommand and military complexes (around Cherbourg). Bombingraid (lasting 3 hours) on the Southern Landfront of Cherbourg, 21 airplanes shot down.

OTD 81 years ago; About three days ago the Allies were closing in on Cherbourg. Last night the fight for the landdefenses (LF) began. The LF of Cherbourg was one of the worst protected of all Festungen in the Atlantikwall. Only the cornerstones of the front were defended with strong fortifications.

OTD (18 June 1943) Resistanceagent "Zwaantje" (swan) forwards the news that pillboxes of the Grebbeline are filled with sand and are closed with bricks, the same happened with the IJsselline, Maasline and Peelline. the reason was that the enemy could not use these. Up till now some are bricked up.

1/- 16-6-1944 was a second bad day. The harbor of Boulogne was bombed just like Le Havre the day before. The messages around 02:26 are not complete when it comes to the total damage but the losses are heavy.

OTD 81 years ago, MAA266 messages; From 22:03 to 22:18 Firing on the coast by a battleship (big caliber) from a distance of about 30Km. Round flies 75 seconds. 10 salvos and some single shots. One fell 100 metres behind the firedirectingbunker of battery Le Havre (3x 38cm guns building stage)

1/- In the night of 14/15-6-1944 a heavy bombardment on the harborarea of Le Havre. About 120 Liberators started the bombingraid around 22:30. Lots of damage on the boats in the harbor. It seems some of the Liberators got hits by the German AA batteries around Le Havre but all made it home.

OTD 81 years ago two Thunderbolts attacked the sluice of Tancarville, The flakzug protecting it fend off the attackers. Apperently no damage. Much has changed in the Seine-delta but the sluice and the old houses for the workers are still there. Sadly no pictures from last year, my chip burnt up.

otd (D-Day+81 years) at 13:20 message from 17 Lw.Feld.Div. to Seeko Seine-Somme. In Etretat a supply-ship has ran ashore. The Navy crew (6 men) manning the craft taken prisoner, one prisoner drowned when taken off the ship. The craft had 8000 jerrycans of petrol on board. Salvage of the ship for KM.

1/2 To prevent German reinforcements entering Normandy from the Northern side of the Seine, ferries were attacked. otd 81 years ago the Ferry of Bac du Hode was damaged by bombs and sinking on the Normandy side of the Seine. Boilerroom full of water. The Germans were trying to save the ferry.

Otd, Seeko Normandie signals; HKB 4./1261 (Battery Azeville) fires at 07:14 on enemy destroyer 6km in front of Quineville. Hit in the back of the ship, destroyer on fire. Ship is being abandoned. It is probably the Free French destroyer Mistral. 4./1261 had 4x 10.5cm K331(f) guns, commd by Kattnig.

D-Day 22:50 Telephonecall from Adm. Kanalküste to Gruppe West Führst. and AOK 15: 18:30 at Coastalbattery 1./1255 (SSW Vierville) -must be Villerville because the message is about Battery Villerville- heavy bomberattacks. first gun out of order, 5th gun out of order but in a few days ready again.

In the papers of the Adm. Kanalküste regarding D-Day the first messages that paratroopers were landing came in around 01:20 on 6 June at the HQ of the SeeKo Normandie (K.Adm. Hennecke). They were seen above sea and flying over the Battery Marcouf (2nd battery of Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung).

During D-Day, around 10:00 (German time) the Festungskommandant Le Havre messaged that 10 Canadian (w.u. one Lieutenant) belonging to the 1st Canadian Parachute Batalion (3rd Para brig -6th AB Div.) were captured together their with maps of the area of Caen-Bayeux.

Yesterday at Camp Nijverdal, a nice diverse display of British and Canadian vehicles used in WW2. Today we remember the liberation of the Netherlands, the vehicles will make a combined convoy with the American camp at Deurningen. With about 350 vehicles the column will be long. The motorcycles.

Ducati's hard at work at the Ramshoek Assen during the WSBK 2025 Assen Round.

Our Dutch WSBK hero's! Bo, Jeffrey and Michael. Superbike weekend at Assen. Wonderfull and spectacular raceweekend. Nice weather, fast bikes and nice people.

WSBK Woman's Championship 2025 Assen.

These webinars with fortifications as red line are a good source to begin your journey in the world of fortifications. Next one one is about the fortifications around Amsterdam. These webinars are in the Dutch language. On the website of "The Menno" you can find older versions.

The Atlantikwall is beautiful. Like this M272 artillery bunker in Lokken, Denmark. Gorgeous lines!😍

Even less then tow weeks till the Superbikes return to Assen.

The "back" of Cotentin was not as well protected as the bay where later the beaches would become D-Daybeaches. But still they do have nice bunkers, you have to do a long beachwalk but it will pay off. Especially in the summerevenings when the sun is low. Lots of small Tobruks but also nice type 676.

The area of Cherbourg has it share of bunkers in all kinds of use and some are special. This is a picture of a commandbunker type 608, this one has a non standard observationpost added. It was once covered by a steel plate (probably a 7P7 -10cm thick). It is located at MKB Brommy.

Well, coming days the weather will be getting colder again. Let me quick post a bikepicture.

A rather onknown artillerypostion behind Juno Beach. It is not always big bunkers that housed divisional batteries. Most of them were just low profile simple bunkers for ammo and men. Later in the war many were upgraded by big bombproof bunkers.

Yesterday was one with really good weather, ideal to visit the memorial at Keizersveer, it is just a piece of polder but in the end of 1944 a place where soldiers desperately fought for their life.

We had a nice motorcyclefriday because we went to the Motorbeurs at Utrecht. Pretty busy, riding motorcycles is getting more and more popular, everyone should know how cool it is. Lots of nice bikes and dito people. Good food and lots of things to do!

Today a nice drawing from the German Bundes Archiv, this bunker was only built in the Festung Hoek van Holland (i thought 5 times) and only one is left. It can hold 30.000 liters of water. No official type number yet but it could a type 53.

brnodaily.com/2025/02/11/b... We will just wait for the pictures. Most of the time a little sceptical. But hé, maybe this is real news.

@klaasm67.bsky.social www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...

Is this the MotoGP Worldchampion of season 2025?

Almost 20 years ago i had a very bad experience when on vacation to France, tents flew through the air in the night and it was raining for most of the week but luckily there also was a day of sun, so here is a sunny 621 crewshelter at the airfield north of Calais (Stp Brück - Wn d).