Fort Hommet 10.5 cm coastal defence gun casemate bunker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Hommet |
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| Albecq, Castel, Bailiwick of Guernsey | |
10.5 cm Coastal Defence Gun Casemate
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Plan of the Casemate
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| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Type | Artillery Casemate |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Restored and open to the public 6 May 1995 |
| Site history | |
| Built | April 1943 |
| Materials | Reinforced concrete |
The Fort Hommet 10.5 cm coastal defence gun casemate bunker is a special kind of fortified building. It was part of a huge defense system called Fortress Guernsey. This system was built by German forces during World War II, between 1940 and 1945. Today, this bunker has been fully restored, so you can visit it and learn about its history.
Contents
Where is Fort Hommet Located?
This bunker is found in a place called Castel on the island of Guernsey. It sits on the northern side of Vazon Bay. The bunker is part of a larger group of strong concrete buildings. These were all built by the German army at a site known as Fort Hommet.
Fort Hommet is on a piece of land that sticks out into the sea. It is about 3.3 miles (5.3 km) northwest of St Peter Port, which is on the other side of the island.
History of Fort Hommet
Fort Hommet was first built a long time ago, during the late Napoleonic Wars. This was to help protect against attacks from France. However, there were records of defenses here even earlier, as far back as 1680.
In 1804, a round tower called a Martello tower was added to the site. More gun batteries and soldier barracks were built later.
Fortress Guernsey During World War II
After German forces occupied the Channel Islands in 1940, a big change happened. In October 1941, a special order was given to turn the islands into very strong concrete fortresses. This was part of a huge defense line called the Atlantic Wall. A construction group called the Organisation Todt built these defenses all around the coast.
The restored bunker you can visit is one of 21 similar buildings. They were all designed to hold large 10.5cm K331(f) guns. Four of these bunkers were placed at Fort Hommet. They were part of a strongpoint called Rotenstein. Each bunker was a standard design known as a Regelbau Series 600 Jäger casemate.
Building the Bunker in 1943
Construction of this bunker started in April 1943. First, a railway line was finished between Vazon and St Peter Port. This railway was very important because it helped bring in all the huge amounts of materials needed for building the forts.
The building process was very quick. Workers first dug out the site. Then, they poured a strong concrete base. Next, they built wooden frames and put in steel bars to make the structure even stronger. Concrete was then poured continuously, which made the bunkers incredibly tough. Once the concrete was dry, the wooden frames were removed, and the bunker was fitted out inside. The whole process took only a few weeks.
Inside the Bunker: Its Design
If you look at a plan of the bunker, you can see how it was laid out.
- The main gun room is at the front.
- Next to it is a room for spent shell casings.
- There's a room for the crew, which also has an escape shaft.
- An anti-gas lock and entrance defense protected the main entrance.
- Two rooms were used to store ammunition.
- Finally, there was a special plant for ventilation, to keep the air fresh inside.
After the War: Liberation
In 1945, the Channel Islands were freed. After this, most of the fortifications were stripped bare. Both the British Army and the islanders took out all the metal parts, like guns and blast doors, to sell them for scrap. Many bunkers, including this one at Fort Hommet, were even buried. This was an effort to make the coast look like it did before the war.
Restoring Fort Hommet
Guernsey celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of liberation in 1995. As part of this celebration, and a project called Fortress Guernsey, the island's government decided to restore one of the 10.5 cm casemates. They checked all the bunkers on the island to find the best one.
This particular casemate at Fort Hommet was found to be dry and strong, even though it was just an empty shell. Workers started digging out the entrance in April 1993. The restoration work then began.
The restoration was finished in 1995. Today, the bunker is open to the public on certain afternoons from April to October. It's a great way to see what these wartime defenses were like!
See also
 | Bessie Coleman |
 | Spann Watson |
 | Jill E. Brown |
 | Sherman W. White |
