Strongpoint WN62 was located on the bluffs on the western shoulder of the E-3 Colleville draw. The combat actions by this strongpoint are covered in more detail in the text. The strongpoint was typical of those on Omaha beach. The position was roughly 250m (800ft) in diameter and 12 to 50m (40 to 165ft) in elevation over the beach below. The initial defences (
A) featured a sequence of beach obstructions including Belgian gates, ramps with Teller mines, Czech hedgehogs, stakes and scattered anti-personnel mines. There was little cover for US assault troops until they reached the seawall (
B), which was about 1.5m (5ft) high. The next defensive barrier was an anti-tank ditch (
C) 1.5m (5ft) deep and 2m (7ft) wide, filled with water and covered by two static remotely operated flamethrowers (
D) at the eastern corner. The perimeter of the strongpoint was ringed by a barbed-wire fence (
E). There were four main concentrations of structures and bunkers in the strongpoint. At the north-eastern corner (
F) was a cluster of field entrenchments intended to cover the anti-tank trap and the access into the Colleville draw. The main weapon here was a pedestal-mounted 50mm gun and it was covered by two Polish 7.92mm water-cooled machine guns in trenches. Slightly to the east of the position was an old resort villa (
G) that the strongpoint used as a canteen for preparing meals. In the northwest corner of the strongpoint there was a tobruk (
H) with an MG34 machine gun guarding the access to the strongpoint and, further up the hill, were the two H669 enfilade gun bunkers (
I) with 7Smm field guns that fired along Omaha Beach to the northwest. Midway up the bluff was the command center of the strongpoint including the artillery observation bunker and its associated radio bunker. This area was protected by three MG34 machine guns in trenches, one on an anti-aircraft mount. There was a pair of 50mm mortar tobruks (
K) up the bluff from the upper field gun casemate, to provide fire support for the forward positions. The final concentration of emplacements in the strongpoint were on the crest of the bluff (
L) and included a 20-man bunker for the garrison, another 50mm mortar tobruk and a bunker containing the signalling equipment used to communicate with neighbouring WN61 on the other side of the draw. On the south-eastern side of the position was a single 50mm pedestal gun in a field entrenchment (
M) to cover the rear of the position.
Osprey