Hi Samphoto and thank you for your kind comment.
Now, about the construction of the real ones. I
t took six months to do so, since they were already built in late 1943 and finished early 1944.
The foundations were laid as usual, but the walls were made out of heavy rectangular stones carried to the site by heavy trucks and placed in place using heavy cranes by sealing them in armed concrete.
The top instead, was in one piece and was prefabricated in a German led factory in France. That too was then lifted and carefully positioned with four heavy cranes.
The whole operation, from design to finished building was in the hands of the Organization Todt and was partially made by slave workers.
Contrary to what many believe, these were not Wehrmacht Bunkers but rather a commission by the Kriegsmarine. In fact the guns were leftovers of naval guns and the same can be said for its turret.
Regarding the painting, although today’s bunkers are rather kept well, they nevertheless are constantly exposed to the capricious weather conditions in Normandy, especially in the Autumn/Winter seasons, but also partially in the Springtime, since rainfall comes an goes often, as well as being exposed to winds and the salinity of the coastline.
But contrary to what some believe, that they looked splendid when first built, I must disappoint them, since after all, these were not holiday resorts but real fortresses and therefore very often roughly built, although very sturdy to protect the operators in case of aerial or naval attacks.
But I repeat, due to the harsh weather conditions in Normandy already in early 1944 these bunkers acquired already a rather battered aspect already back then. Also a misconception was that the Bunkers in Normandy were all painted in camouflage colors. This does not correspond to reality.
Much rather and also due to time constraints and to chronic paint shortages Germans preferred using camouflage nets to cover the front of these gun laden bunkers.
They wouldn’t bother to camouflage them in a painted pattern also because all heavy bunkers were usually encased in the surrounding terrain and their tops, such as here, in the Longues-sur-Mer Battery were completely covered with earth and rich vegetation. No better method as to hide them with the surrounding terrain.
And to your first question (I am answering your questions like a crab, in reverse order 
), there’s no doubt that I will have to mess the bunker up after having paint it throughly and correctly. So, yes, I will not only weathering it, but prior to that give it various washes of Black, Brown, Earth and even Olive Green to simulate various natural effects on it, like sooth, dirt, dust, mold and grime. I will also add some rust stains to the following applications of the hooks and rings holding the frontal camouflage net.
I usually finish such heavy bunkers with a mixture of all above named acrylic colors heavily thinned in water and generously letting them flow down from the walls. Should the final effect be too strong, I can easily tone it down with a sponge first and with a paper towel later.
Finally, I will use an airbrush to evenly apply a dead flat varnish overall.
I hope I have given you an idea on how much more work still remains to be done on it.
Once the painting and weathering will be done, I will bury the entire structure into faithfully recreated mounds encasing it as you have seen in the pictures above with added vegetation all around it.
The scene will then be filled with British/Canadian troops having found them abandoned by its German crews. There will also be some vehicles involved in it.
But all this is reserved for a future build. I am still busy with “The Last Warning (April 14th, 1944)” and then preparing a larger one of the second landing on Omaha Beach under WN61, in the American sector between Fox Green and Easy Red.
Be well and do great things. The sky is just the limit!