Kingfish Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 Look here Scroll halfway down to 'Stronghold Cézembre island', then click on 'Middle'. The second pic shows a destroyed German 150mm gun which the author of the website says was "used to shot Lightnings shells" Were they illumination shells for the larger 194mm coastal guns? Did this weapon have the capability to shoot standard 150 HE ordanance as well? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 Originally posted by Kingfish: Were they illumination shells for the larger 194mm coastal guns?Possibly. In any event, I've never heard of "lightning" shells and I take it he meant to write 'lighting'. Perhaps English is not his first language? Did this weapon have the capability to shoot standard 150 HE ordanance as well? Surely. And if it were a naval gun, it might have had a semi-armor piercing round as well. One thing to consider is that the author may have been mistaken about either the caliber or function of the weapon or both. We don't know. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macphail Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 he probly meant star shells, for area illumination 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macphail Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 either that, or it was some V weapon from penumunde i was previously unaware of. sounds like something suitibly wagnerian, that hitler would want researched. "I will hurl lightning bolts at them until they submit to my will!" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted December 31, 2004 Author Share Posted December 31, 2004 Star shells was my guess as well. The Fortress had 6x 194mm coastal guns, but only 1 150mm gun, so it would appear that it was to provide illumination for the larger guns at night. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willbell Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 Kingfisher, Can't believe everything you read. I think the author took some great photos but completely balled up the info. Will 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted December 31, 2004 Author Share Posted December 31, 2004 willbell, You may be right, but then again why have only one 150mm gun on the island at all if not for support of the larger coastal guns? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Originally posted by Kingfish: willbell, You may be right, but then again why have only one 150mm gun on the island at all if not for support of the larger coastal guns? That's a good argument and I am inclined to go along with it. But it's worth remembering that German coastal defenses were in any case quite a mélange of German and captured weapons thrown together willi-nilli. For instance, those 194mm main battery guns are an odd size. Could they be something left over from WW I, railway guns for instance, pressed into service as coast defense guns? In short, these fortresses tended to be armed with whatever the Germans could lay their hands on. While I tend to agree with your idea, it's just possible that there was a spare 150mm laying around somewhere that got drawn into the make up of this particular establishment. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted January 1, 2005 Author Share Posted January 1, 2005 Originally posted by Michael Emrys: For instance, those 194mm main battery guns are an odd size. Could they be something left over from WW I, railway guns for instance, pressed into service as coast defense guns? You are correct. From the link I posted earlier: "Main guns were six French 194m/m 1870 model last used during World War I by French army as railroad battery" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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