From: Mike Campbell <mike@aloysius.equinox.gen.nz>
Subject: Cross-channel gunnery
Organization: Me?  Organized?
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 16:04:41 GMT


From Mike Campbell <mike@aloysius.equinox.gen.nz>

> From Harry Bloomberg <hpb@hpb.cis.pitt.edu>
>
> In article <BzB9Kn.so@law7.DaytonOH.NCR.COM>
 military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) writes:
> >Thursday, 10 December, 1942
> >
> >German and British shore batteries along the Channel coast at Dover enter a
> >90-minute gun duel.
> >
>    That's one heck of a long range for an artillary duel!  Isn't the
> distance across the Channel something like 25 miles?  Could somebody please
> describe these batteries?  At such a range, what would be the likelyhood of a
> hit?
>
GERMAN:

The Germans had 2 x 210 mm guns (2.26") able to shoot 125,735 yds (71
1/2 miles) based on the "Paris" gun of WWI.  These arrived in Calais
region in August 1940, and were eventually emplaced just north of
Gravelines.  For those who live in the area, a piece of a shell from
one of these was found at Rainham, between Chatham and Sittingbourne.

12 x 280mm (11") rail guns were also used. Range 22 miles.

11 x 17cm guns were used - range 17.4 miles.  6 x 24 cm, range 18.3
miles;  4 x 38cm, range 34.6 miles (61,000 yds);  3 x 30.5 cm, range 29 miles;  3 x
3 x 40.6 cm, range 34.8 miles.

Of these peices only the 17cm, 24 cm and 30.5 cm peices couldn't reach
England.

The 40cm guns were to have formed the armament of cancelled
battleships, and used a lightweight shell (1325 lb vs 2271 lb) to gain
range (61,250 yds vs 46,800 yds).  The 38cm guns were modified from BB
guns by reaming out the chambers to take a heavier charge, and using a
lighter shell (1071 lb vs 1764 lb) to gain range (61,000 yds vs 45,900
yds)

The V-3 "Millipede" had a bore of 15cm, and would have had a range of
150 miles - enough to hit London.

A total of 41 pieces (not counting the V-3).


BRITISH:

3 x 13.5", range 22.7 miles;  6 x 9.2", range 16.6 miles;  4 x 9.2"
range 17.6 miles;  6 x 6", range 14.2 miles;  3 x 8", range 16.6
miles;  2 x 14", range 27.3 miles;  2 x 15" @ Wanstone - range
unknown.

The 13.5" guns also used lighter shells (1250 lb vs 1500 lb) for extra
range.  Of the British guns only the 15" were originally designed for
coastal work, having been meant for Singapore.  The 13.5" were old BB
guns, mounted on railway carriages meant for WWI 14" bombardment
peices.

And, lest you think the Poms couldn't match the 210mm's, a single
13.5"/8" gun with a range of 62.5 miles (110,000 yds)!!  This
consisted of a 13.5" breech and barrel, into which an 8" barrel liner
had been inserted.  So the 8" shell was propelled by the charge
usually used for a 13.5" shell.  Two of these weapons were made, the
first acheived a range of 57 miles but was used for testing only.  The
second, also known as "Bruce" in honour of the new C-in-C Home Fleet,
Sir Bruce Fraser, was emplaced at Cliffe.  These guns wore out their
rifling after only 30 shots, so "Bruce" fired another 10 shots to test
shell design and stratospheric trajectories, then never fired again.
Other ideas suggested to obtain extreme range were to put 2 x 16"
barrels end to end and inserting an 8" liner, or lining a 16" barrel
down to 7".

"Bruce" had a predecessor for the job - a 16/8" job along similar
lines tested in 1918.  This peice acheived a muzzle velocity of 4,900
fps, but 61 ft of the 69 ft liner cracked on the 6th shot, and it was
scrapped.


Only "Bruce" and the 2 x 14" ("Winnie" and "Pooh") guns could reach
the French coast.

27 pieces.


All of these weapons had severely limited barrel lives - the
14", 15" & German 210mm about 100 shots, the 406mm 170-180, 305mm
about 250 and smaller weapons about 350.

Spotting at the extreme ranges of these weapons was non-existant, and
only one known casualty was inflicted prior to 1944 (a British Marine
gunner mortally wounded on 10 December 1940).  With the invasion the
Brits were able to secure air superiority over the German batteries,
and on 16 and 17 September 1944 scored a number of direct hits on
several batteries with the help of spotter aircraft.

On 30 September Canadian troops captured the last of the operational
batteries - the Mayor of Dover may have been the first civilian to get
the news.  Dover had been hit by 2,284 heavy shells (vs 464 bombs and
3 flying bombs), and 216 people had been killed, together with 762
injured by the big guns.

All of SE Kent suffered to a greater or lesser degree from the German
guns.  The British guns primary mission was anti-shipping, and
whenever the Brits opened up on ships, the Germans would shoot back at
them, trying to put them off aim.  Since SE Kent is a lot more heavily
populated than the area around the German batteries, there was a lot
more "collateral damage" and civilian casualties on the British side.
The civilians were originally extrememly um,..."upset" at the gunners
because of this action-reaction, but were slightly mollified when it
was all explained.  There were only a handful of real cross-channel
duels.

The British guns are credited with sinking a total of 26 ships, and
damaging an unknown number.

Source:  War Monthly #27, article by James Ettrick.
--
Mike Campbell, Christchurch, New Zealand
mike@aloysius.equinox.gen.nz

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