Battle of Douvres Radar Station

41 (Royal Marine) Commando attacked a German radar station operated by and mostly defended by Luftwaffe ground forces.Supported by an artillery and detachments of specialist mine-clearing and assault tanks of 79th Armoured Division, the defences were breached and the site taken with few casualties on the Allied side.[5] Located south of both the Juno (Canadian) and Sword (UK) landing beaches, its nightfighter command station (Nachtjagd JaFü), became operational in August 1943.Covering the Seine Bucht, operators identified aircraft (bomber stream) course, height and speed, and directed Luftwaffe nightfighters to intercept.About 238 Luftwaffe personnel operated the site, led by Oberleutenant Kurt Egle but it took in German Army soldiers retreating from Tailleville, Douvres, and La Deliverande expanding the garrison.Douvres I was a solid, reinforced company-plus sized fortified position, incorporating multiple concrete Verstärkt Feltmessig LwF Type 2 anti-aircraft Flak gun casemates, with additional Vf observation and Vf crewed fighting positions, it was built to protect the primary radar complex.A well prepared position on open ground, sited to the west of Douvres, with clear fields of fire over 360 degrees of arc, it was defended by Kompanie 8./Luftnachrichten-Regiment 53.Distelfink then reacting as a night aircraft control centre (Nachtjagdraumführer) for its assigned airspace, the decision to launch interceptors having been made.[26] For night fighter aircraft control, Funkmeßgeräte-Auswertung: Nachtjagd JaFü DISTELFINK was integrated with Jagdfliegerführer 5 at Bernay in Eure, la Basse- Normandie, itself subordinate to 5.)[39] Luft-Nachrichten-Regiment 53., formed in April.1942, consisted of multiple battalions, whose companies manned and operated medium-range detection Freya and short-range interceptor Wurtzburg-Riese.[4] On D-Day the Canadians had paused in their movement south from the Juno beaches, looking for 48 (RM) Commando to move up, secure their left flank, and help to capture the Douvres radar site.[48][49][50] Early on 7 June, The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment moved south from the Chateau de Tailleville to capture the Douvres radar station, its support limited to direct-support fire from 19th Canadian Army Field Regiment (24 25-pounder guns) and a squadron of Sherman tanks of the Fort Garry Horse.[51] Securing the start-line, 'A' Company having patrolled across its front the night before, quickly ran into an entrenched position, where they took 38 prisoners, opening a route overlooking les Bruyeres.With it clear and secure up to Voix les Moulineaux, containment of the Douvres site was entrusted to the Black Watch, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, the 4th Special Service Brigade, and two AVREs from the 79th Armoured Division.[55] Under their new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Palmer, 41 Commando and forty-four armoured engineering vehicles attacked from the north, while other AVREs (77 Assault Squadron) created a diversion from the south-west.[4] While the Crabs were successful in clearing the minefields, AVRES with their high explosive bombs caused severe destruction; one hit a 50 mm gun and another an open emplacement at 60 yards (55 m) range.[3] The two hundred and twenty seven remaining Luftwaffe personnel, including five officers, surrendered and the last of the 4th Special Service Brigade's D-Day objectives was finally achieved.