Adolf Gun

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The 40.6 cm Schiffskanone C/34 in Schussgerät or Adolfkanone (Adolf gun) was a German coastal defense gun, designed in 1934 by Krupp and originally intended for battleships. Since the intended 56,000 ton H and J-Klass battleships were not built, the guns were used in coastal defence during the Second World War. Ten of the guns were produced, seven being sited in Norway. Three guns were used in Poland in Hel (German name Hela) near Danzig, as the Battery Schleswig Holstein. Soon after their first training shoots, the guns were transported to France and sited near Sangatte as Battery Lindemann, from where they fired at Dover.

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[edit] Gun sites in Poland

The first three guns were situated in Hela, Poland as the Schleswig-Holstein battery during 1939 and 1940 to protect the Bay of Danzig. All three guns were fired during May and June of 1941 [1] and that were transported to France for use as Battery Lindemann soon after. From this new location near Sangatte in France they were used to fire at Dover. There is now a Museum of Coastal Defence located in the remains of the battery in Hela. [2]

[edit] Gun sites in Norway

The seven guns in Norway were split into two batteries:

  • Battery Dietl with three guns on the island of Engeløya, Steigen.
  • Four guns mounted at Trondenes near Harstad.

After the end of the war the Trondenes guns were taken over by the Norwegian Army, along with 1,227 shells. The battery was last fired in 1957 and formally decommissioned in 1961. The three Engeløya guns were sold for scrap in 1968 but the four guns at Trondenes were spared and one is open as a museum. [3]

[edit] Gun sites in France

The Schleswig Holstein battery from Hel, in France recalled as Battery Lindemann saw considerable service, with the three guns emplaced singly in turrets, protected by massive concrete encasements in places four meters thick. The guns fired 2226 shells at Dover between 1940 and 1944. The guns were not put out of action by bombing despite being hit many times, due to the thick concrete. Only the Bruno turret was damaged on 3 September 1944, when a shell from a British Railway Gun hit its elevating gear shortly before the battery was captured.

Battery Lindemann German coastal artillery in the Pas-de-Calais area, with laborers at work on casemate.
Battery Lindemann German coastal artillery in the Pas-de-Calais area, with laborers at work on casemate.

[edit] Description

Intended to be mounted in battleship turrets, the guns were produced in left and right handed pairs. These pairs were split for individual mounting in the coastal defence role. The gun's barrel was approximately 20 meters long (sources state between 20300 mm and 21130 mm). In a coastal defence emplacement the gun could be elevated to 52 degrees, giving it a range of 56 km with the special long range shell. In terms of construction the 40.6 cm guns were identical to the 38 cm SK C/34 - only the calibre of the barrel was different. The rate of fire for the weapon was around 2 rounds per minute.

[edit] Projectiles

  • 40.6 cm Sprgr L/4.8 m KZ m Hb
The standard high explosive projectile weighing 1030 kg. Muzzle velocity: 810 m/s.
  • 40.6 cm Sprgr L/4.6 m Bd Z Hb
Semi-armour piercing shell weighing 1030 kg. Muzzle velocity: 810 m/s.
  • 40.6 cm Sprgr L/4.4 m Bd Z Hb
An armour piercing shell weighing 1030 kg. Muzzle velocity: 810 m/s.
  • 40.6 cm Adolf Granate L/4.2 m Bd Z u KZ m Hb
A long range shell for coastal gun use, weighing 610 kg. With the full charge it had a muzzle velocity of 1050 m/s and a range of 56 km. With a reduced charge the muzzle velocity was 970 m/s and the range 46.7 km. The Adolf shell could reach a maximum altitude of 21800 meters, and had a maximum time of flight of 2 min 10 sec.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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