page_title: 359th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery
section_title: The Blitz
hierarchical_section_title: 359th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery / The Blitz
caption_attribution_description: The 3.7-Inch QF AA was Britain's primary heavy anti-aircraft gun during World War II, the equivalent of the German 88 mm FlaK with a slightly larger calibre of 94 mm. It remained in use after the war until AA guns were replaced by guided missiles in the late 1950s.
context_page_description: The 359th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. After defending the North Midlands during The Blitz, it formed part of Force 122 sent to protect the Falkland Islands against a possible Japanese invasion, where it mounted both heavy and light anti-aircraft guns in inhospitable conditions.
context_section_description: On 10 December, the regiment moved to the Nottingham–Derby Gun Zone, where it came under the operational control of 50th AA Brigade in 2nd AA Division. 359th HAA Battery occupied two gun sites at Derby. The North and East Midlands had escaped the worst of the bombing during the early part of The Blitz, but both Nottingham and Derby were heavily attacked on the night of 8/9 May 1941 (the Nottingham Blitz).
  In early June 1941, 359th HAA Bty was relieved at Derby and took over two sites at Nottingham to allow 362 HAA Bty of 113th HAA Rgt to attend a practice camp. Then in September 359th Bty transferred to 60th (City of London) HAA Rgt covering the Firth of Clyde in Scotland under the command of 42nd AA Bde in 12th AA Division.
  At the beginning of 1942 the battery was firing at No 2 AA Practice Camp at Burrow Head, and then took over two gun sites at Irvine, North Ayrshire. Site IC1 had emplacements for four guns, but only two 3.7-inch mobile guns were in position, while IC2 had four static 3.7-inch guns and a GLII gun-laying radar. Although 60th HAA Rgt remained in 42nd AA Bde, 359th Bty was attached to 63 AA Bde, which covered Western Scotland.
  The battery continued training on the guns, radar and semi-automatic plotter at Irvine until May, when it received a warning order to prepare for overseas service. On 15 May it entrained for London to proceed to the RA Depot at Woolwich together with B and C Troops from 205 LAA Bty of 84th LAA Rgt, also in 63 AA Bde. They became B and C Trps of 359 Bty, which came under direct War Office Control in June. That month it travelled to Avonmouth Docks to embark on HM Transport F9, with a strength of 10 officers and 275 other ranks, forming part of Force 122. Sailing on 18 June it landed at Cape Town on 18 July and then proceeded to the Falklands, where it landed at Port Stanley on 11 August. (The following day it officially became independent of 60th HAA Rgt).
caption: Static 3.7-inch HAA gun
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