The Battle of Douvres Radar Station was a military engagement of the invasion of Normandy, that took place on 17 June 1944. The radar had been destroyed on the first day and Allied troops had bypassed the site moving further inland.

British No. 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.

Background The Normandy landings, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France had commenced on 6 June 1944. The radar at Douvres-la-Délivrande was the primary Luftwaffe radar station in the area—a fortified position of twenty acres—having been built by the Todt Organisation comprising five radars with thirty concrete works. It had been attacked on numerous occasions prior to the landings.

At 11:00 p.m. on the night of 5/6 June 1944, the Allies launched intensive jamming of radar frequencies which blinded the German radar network along the "Atlantikwall" from Cherbourg to Le Havre. On the morning of 6 June (D-Day) the antennae at Douvres-la-Délivrande were destroyed by Allied naval artillery bombardment.

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, which had landed nearby on Juno Beach, isolated the station but the Germans defended it for twelve days, awaiting a counter-attack by 21st Panzer Division; on one occasion it was supplied with food by a nocturnal paradrop mission from Mont-de-Marsan.

The objective The Douvres site was large, covering about in two parts, a main site (Hauptstützpunkt I Stp. Douvres I ) and to the north, separated by a road, a secondary site (Stützpunkt II Stp. Douvres II). Both parts were well protected by high barbed wire and minefields with multiple machine guns and anti-tank and anti-aircraft defences with a 7.5 cm field gun and mortars, The majority of the site was underground in concrete bunkers up to four storeys deep.

Vollfestungsmässig Gross Suchstellung 'Diestelfink''': ("Luftwaffe night-fighter control centre Douvres") had five radars operated by 8. Kompanie / II. Abteilung / LuftNachrichten-Regiment 53. 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.Winter, Paul. D-Day Documents: National Archives (Great Britain), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014, p 19. From the Normandy villages of Douvres and la-Délivrande (Gold Beach), its north approach, was secured by Kompanie 12., Battalion III. of GR 736, and its western approach, from Canadian landings at Tailleville, was defended by Kompanie 11./ Battalion III./ GR 736.

At its primary site were four radars, two Freya FuMG and two Würzburg FuSE, and at its ancillary a single Wasserman sFuMG. 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.Musée Radar 1944 Douvres. Jerôme Remy, Agence Web Caen Netskiss. http://musee-radar.fr/web/histoire.php Accessed 12 February 2018 A fully developed standard Stellung / Suchstellung configuration, it consisted of a fortified main site: and a single fortified satellite, operated under a single authority and command, having grown in personnel to battalion strength. The site consisted of standardized technical electronic equipment and operational buildings, combined and laid out following specified distance criteria. The power for the site radar and associated equipment came from diesel generators, housed in underground bunkers. As a Coastal Zone site it was fortified with heavy bunkers (Verstärkt Feltmessig Type 2) for the protection of vital radar functions and personnel, to include a very strong anti-aircraft defence capability, set-out respecting the terrain and potential defence of the site.Col. Michaël SES Svejgaard, GYGES Gefechtsstand of Jagdabschnittsführer Dänemark (08.2003): The Dienst: Luftwaffe radar stations (Flugmeldemess-Stellungen). See: http://www.gyges.dk/Flugmeldemess%20Stellungen%202.htm Accessed 12.02.2018 Hauptstützpunkten Stp. Douvres I was located at North 49Deg 17Min 11Sec / West 00Deg 24Min 14Sec, . Hauptstützpunkten Stp. Douvres I integrated an Annex, South of 'la Route de Beny controlling the East/West Road access to the Station, and defending its south approach. Stützpunkten Stp. Douvres II was located at defending the north approach to the station.

Hauptstützpunkten Stp. 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.D-Day Overlord, Douvres-la-Délivrande in 1944 – Calvados – Battle of Normandy. See: http://www.dday-overlord.com/en/battle-of-normandy/cities/douvres-la-delivrande Accessed 09.02.2018 A well prepared position, sited to the SW of Douvres, with open and clear fields of fire, a 360Deg arc, it was defended by Kompanie 8. /Luftnachrichten-Regiment (Ln.Rgt.) 53. Set out in a fully circular design, the site was additionally 'protected' by a tactical minefield, 13 meters wide, recorded as KV-Gruppe Riva Bella Minefield: Mf.52.AOK 7 Mapping: Stützpuntkte KVA 'H1' Caen: 716 / KVA 'H2' Bayeau: 352. Accessed 03.02.2018Capt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 50 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The Campaign in North-West Europe: Information from German Sources, Part II: Invasion and Battle of Normandy (6 Jun - 22 Aug 44) Para 28.– Page 16 (Richter). Dated 14 October 1952 Stp. Douvres I AA defencesRichard Drew, Atlantikwall: WW2 Defences from 1941-1944, France: AOK 7 Normandie. See: http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/Riva-Bella/StP-Douvres-I-01/html/page01.htm and See: http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/Riva-Bella/StP-Douvres-I-01/html/page02.html Accessed 10.02.2018 Type R622 Doppelunterstand Bunker: Twin Group Bunker 1x 2 cm Flak 38 (Open) x3 Ringstand: 1 x 2 cm Flak 30 Luftwaffe Type L414 Schartenstand für 2 cm Flak. (Casemate for 2 cm AA) Stp. Douvres I ground defences Schartenstand für 7.5 cm PAK 40 - Ringstand: 1 x 75mm PaK anti-tank gun x3 PAK-Unterstellraum.Ringstand OBW 50mm KwK: 1 x 50mm Kwk L/42 GunSteiger, Capt. A.G., Report No. 50 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The Campaign in North-West Europe: Information from German Sources. Part II: Invasion and Battle of Normandy (6 Jun - 22 Aug 44), Page 16/Para28, Kdr 716 Inf Div. Dated 14 Oct 52. Accessed 12.02.2018 x3 PAK-Unterstellraum.Ringstand: 1 x 50mm PaK L38 Gun Panzerstellung Tobrouk: 37 mm Renault FT 331(f) Turret (H604) x2 Ringstand Tobrouk: Vf.Rs58c heavy machine gun Multiple Understand: Vf Light machine guns (x16) Stp. Douvres I had two H622 Understand personnel bunker accommodating 20 men, with another for medical use R661 Unterstand für Verwundetensammelstelle (Sanitätsstände for casualty assembly) Luftwaffe Type L415 FA Wasse Wasservorrats-Unterstand (water reserve storage) Air-Defence Weapons and Support Bunkers located at Stp. Douvres I (South)Richard T. Drew, Atlantikwall: See: http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/Riva-Bella/StP-Douvres-II-01/html/page05.html and http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/Riva-Bella/StP-Douvres-II-01/html/page01.htm Accessed 24.05.2K16 Type (Lwf) L410A Geschutzstand mit Zugbefehlsstelle Command-Bunker: 2x 37mm Flak guns (open roof) x2 Type (Lwf) L409A Geschutzstand Emplacement: 2x 3.7 cm Flak guns Type (Lwf) L413 Understand Bunker: Ammunition Flak Battery 37mm Type (Lwf) FA Unterstand für Munition: Gebaude (Munitionstand für leichte Flakzug)

Stützpunkten Stp. Douvres II was a well reinforced platoon-plus sized position, incorporating concrete Verstärkt Feltmessig Type 2 anti-aircraft gun casemates, with additional observation and fighting positions, it was built to protect the ancillary radar complex, enclosing one radar. 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. North of its larger command position, it and was set-out in a fully circular design, the site was protected by a tactical minefield, 13 metres wide, recorded as KV-Gruppe Riva Bella Minefield: Mf.100.AOK 7 Mapping: Stützpuntkte KVA 'H1' Caen: 716 / KVA 'H2'Bayeau: 352 . Accessed 03.02.2018Capt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 50 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The Campaign in North-West Europe: Information from German Sources, Part II: Invasion and Battle of Normandy (6 Jun - 22 Aug 44) Para 28./ Page 16 (Richter). Dated 14 Oct 52 Crew Served Weapons and Support Bunkers at II/ Stp. DouvresRichard T. Drew, Atlantikwall Co.UK. See: http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/Riva-Bella/StP-Douvres-II-01/html/page05.html and See: http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/Riva-Bella/StP-Douvres-II-01/html/page01.htm Accessed 24.05.2K16 x2 Type L409A Geschutzstand Emplacement: 2x 3.7cm FlaK 43 Guns Open Roof Type L410A Geschutzstand mit Zugbefehlsstelle Command-Bunker: 2x 3.7 cm FlaK 43 Guns x4 Ringstand Tobrouk: Vf.Rs58c Heavy MG (schweren Maschinengewehre) L486 Understand Bunker (Permanent Radar Station): FA Generator L486 Permanent Radar Station - Type FA Generator

The radars