Houlgate battery
Built into the top of a 300 ft (91 m) cliff, the bunker complex was created to protect the western bank of the mouth of the River Seine and was 10 mi (16 km) east of the Normandy landing beach Sword which it shelled.The Germans aimed to place all the First World War vintage French guns inside H679 casements but by the time of the Normandy landings only two had been completed.The Houlgate battery was garrisoned by the 3 Company of the 1255 Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie-Abteilung (HKAA) and commanded by Major Fritz Günther.At 0523 on 6 June 1944 the Royal Navy Roberts-class monitor, HMS Roberts engaged the battery from 20,000 yards with her 15 in (38 cm) guns but the 27 rounds fired caused minimal damage.However, the need for commandos in the immediate vicinity of the landing beaches and the confidence of the RAF and Royal Navy to silence the battery saw this cancelled.