Knocked out kfz flak

[gtbpappy]

Anyone know where this may be from the writing on the walls?? Are those tactical notes??

[Jan Klaassen]

Well, I can't read the placename in the upper right corner, but the place you're looking for is smack in the middle of Domfront (which is some 51km away, according to what I can read) and Rennes (at about 60km?) - also close to St. Hilaire du Haircouet. Make a triangle, perhaps you'll find the place you're looking for! It is in Britanny (Normandy for Domfront), France.

[Jan Klaassen]

Well, I can't read the placename in the upper right corner, but the place you're looking for is smack in the middle of Domfront (which is some 51km away, according to what I can read) and Rennes (at about 60km?) - also close to St. Hilaire du Haircouet. Make a triangle, perhaps you'll find the place you're looking for! It is in Britanny (Normandy for Domfront), France.

Just tried a triangle. I'm guessing it's somewhere northeast of the French city of Fougeres.

[Panzer Rob]

Great work Jan!! This may help narrow down which unit(s) it could be from.

It's hard to tell from the photo posted, but it appears to be a SdKfz.7/1 armored cab... "gtbpappy" - is it possible to post a larger, cropped image of just the wreck? Nice photo!

Rob

[Tom B]

By the look of the damage, it got hit by some thing big.

[Wesley's Dad]

Photo.

A fun thing to try if you have the town nailed down is to find it via Google maps and see if they have done "street view" of that location yet. If they have, you can view the various road and street intersection and possibly find the exact building if it still stands. A friend in France recently sent me some wartime photos of Chammes, a small village where a relative was killed that were taken a few weeks after the war had moved on. Using street view I was able to find a few of the buildings that still remained.

[gtbpappy]

Close up

May be a little more grainy..

[Jan Klaassen]

I believe (with about 95% certainty) that I have found the exact location of the FlaK in question. The house in the far back of the photograph is still in existence today - the building on the right (with the writing on the wall) isn't.

Will post streetview-pictures as soon as I get home! Just wanted to share my own happiness at possibly solving this puzzle

[Jan Klaassen]

Hereby!

We, or at least I, missed out on one huge clue: the RN numbers on the sign. Routes Nationales 870 and 176 - searched where they were and where they (nearly) crossed at about 20km west from St. Hilaire (as Domfront is located to the east, and is 40km further away from the crossing).

Found this location, south of Avranches, south of the village of Pontaubault:


Zoomed in and, by pure luck, landed in front of this house:




Now I believe this is the house in question - even though at least the chimneys have changed since 1944. Same shed even, next to it - and the buildings behind it correspond with the original picture - as does the texture of the walls, the layout of doors, windows and so on.

From a little distance: the route from Avrahcnes to Rennes is the RN176 - to St. Hilaire (also Domfront) is RN870.
Encircled are the house and shed - "A" marks the place where the building with roadsigns on the original photo, would've been. It was clearly knocked down to make this roundabout.

[Panzer Rob]

FANTASTIC There is no doubt in my mind that is the exact same building.

Now if we can narrow down the time frame and the units that were fighting in/operating in the area it may be possible to ID the unit that SdKfz.7/1 belonged to.

Awesome work guys!

Best,
Rob

[gtbpappy]

How cool!!! Great detective work!!! When we went to Belgium in 2001- I brought my battle of the bulge book--- after the battle series now and then, and drove around for 3 weeks finding a lot of yesterday- today pics!!! I find this most interesting!!! Thanks for the details !!!!

[Jan Klaassen]

No problem, I really could not let go before I found the place! Perhaps some then/now-artist could mix both pictures!

[Tom B]

WOW....Great job ! Tom