Cross-Channel Guns In The Second World War
The Dover Strait coastal guns were long-range coastal artillery, coastal artillery batteries that were sited on both sides of the English Channel during the Second World War. The British built several gun positions along the coast of Kent, England while the Germans fortified the Pas-de-Calais in occupied France. The Strait of Dover was strategically important because it is the narrowest part of the English channel. Batteries on both sides attacked shipping as well as bombarding the coastal towns and military installations. The German fortifications would be incorporated into the Atlantic Wall which was built between 1942 and 1944. German installations After the Battle of France, Fall of France in June 1940, Adolf Hitler personally discussed the possibility of invasion with ''Großadmiral'' (Grand Admiral) Erich Raeder, the Commander-in-Chief of the ''Kriegsmarine'' (German Navy) on 21 May 1940. Almost a month later on 25 June he ordered ''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' (''OKW'', su ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), defence against an anticipated Operation Overlord, Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe from the United Kingdom, during World War II. The manning and operation of the Atlantic Wall was administratively overseen by the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army, with some support from ''Luftwaffe'' ground forces. The ''Kriegsmarine'' (German Navy) maintained a separate coastal defence network, organised into a number of sea defence zones. Hitler ordered the construction of the fortifications in 1942 through his Führer Directive No. 40. More than half a million French people, French workers were drafted to build it. The wall was frequently mentioned in Nazi propaganda, where its size and strength were usually exaggerated. The fortifications i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Oberkommando Der Wehrmacht
The (; abbreviated OKW [oː kaːˈve] Armed Forces High Command) was the Command (military formation), supreme military command and control Staff (military), staff of Nazi Germany during World War II, that was directly subordinated to Adolf Hitler. Created in 1938, the OKW replaced the Ministry of the Reichswehr, Reich Ministry of War and had nominal oversight over the individual high commands of the Wehrmacht, country's armed forces: the army (), navy () and air force (). With the start of World War II, tactical control of the Waffen-SS was also exercised by it. There was no direct chain of command between the OKW and the other High Commands. Rivalry with the different services' commands, mainly with the Oberkommando des Heeres, Army High Command (OKH), prevented the OKW from becoming a unified German General Staff in an effective command hierarchy, chain of command, though it did help coordinate operations among the three services. During the war, the OKW acquired more and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Prince Henry Of Prussia (1862–1929)
Prince Heinrich of Prussia (; 14 August 1862 – 20 April 1929) was a younger brother of German Emperor and King of Prussia Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Wilhelm II and a Prince of Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia. Through his mother, he was also a grandson of Queen Victoria. A career naval officer, he held various commands in the Imperial German Navy and eventually rose to the rank of Grand admiral, Grand Admiral and the office of Generalinspekteur der Marine, Inspector General of the Navy. Biography Born in Berlin, Prince Heinrich was the third child and second son of eight children born to Crown Prince Frederick William (later Emperor Frederick III, German Emperor, Frederick III), and Victoria, Princess Royal (later Empress Victoria and in widowhood Empress Frederick), eldest daughter of the British Queen Victoria. Henry was three years younger than his brother, the future Emperor William II (born 27 January 1859). He was born on the same day as King Frederick William I "Soldier-Ki ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Grosser Kurfürst
Grosser or Großer is the masculine nominative singular form of the German adjective "gross", meaning "big", "great", "large", "tall", and the like. It is part of many placenames, especially of mountains. It is also a surname. People with that surname include: * Alfred Grosser (1925–2024), German-French writer, sociologist, and political scientist * Arthur Grosser (active from 1987), Canadian physical chemist and actor * Jamey Grosser, American motorcycle racer * Jorge Grosser (born 1945), Chilean runner * Lily Grosser (1894–1968), German-French activist * Maximilian Großer (born 2001), German footballer * Maurice Grosser (1903–1986), American painter, art critic, and writer * Pamela Großer (born 1977), German actress * Peter Grosser (1938–2021), German football player and coach * Philip Grosser (1890–1933), Ukrainian-American anarchist and anti-militarist * Thomas Grosser (1965–2008), German footballer * Tim Grosser (born 1942), Australian cricketer See also * Gross ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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28 Cm SK L/50 Gun
The 28 cm SK L/50 was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II.SK - ''Schnelladekanone'' (quick loading cannon); ''L - Länge in Kaliber'' ( length in caliber) Originally a naval gun, it was adapted for land service after World War I. Description The 28 cm SK L/50 gun weighed , had an overall length of and its bore length was . Although called , its actual caliber was . It used the Krupp horizontal sliding-block, or "wedge", as it is sometimes referred to, breech design rather than the interrupted screw used commonly used in heavy guns of other nations. This required that the propellant charge be loaded in a metal, usually brass, case which provides obturation i.e. seals the breech to prevent escape of the expanding propellant gas. Naval turrets In shipboard use, these guns were mounted in twin turrets as the primary battery of three German battlecruisers: the two ships of the ''Moltke'' class ( and ) plus , each mounting five of these turrets ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the Côte d'Opale, a touristic stretch of French coast on the English Channel between Calais and Normandy, and the most visited location in the region after the Lille conurbation. Boulogne is its department's second-largest city after Calais, and the 183rd-largest in France.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017 Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques, INSEE It is also the country's largest fishing port, specialising in herring. Boulogne is an ancie ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fritz Todt
Fritz Todt (; 4 September 1891 – 8 February 1942) was a German construction engineer and senior figure of the Nazi Party. He was the founder of '' Organisation Todt'' (OT), a military-engineering organisation that supplied German industry with forced labour, and served as Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition in Nazi Germany early in World War II, directing the entire German wartime military economy from that position. An engineer by training, Todt served in the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' during World War I and was a recipient of the Iron Cross. He joined the Nazi Party in 1922 and the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) in 1931. Steadily rising through the ranks, Todt became Inspector General for German Roadways after Adolf Hitler came to power. In that capacity, he was responsible for the construction of the Autobahn, German autobahns. In 1938, he founded ''Organisation Todt'' and directed large-scale engineering projects such as the ''Siegfried Line, Westwall'' (Siegfried Line) an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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38 Cm SK C/34 Naval Gun
The 38 cm SK C/34SK – ''Schiffskanone'' (ship's gun) - Post 1920; ''C – Construktionsjahr'' (year of design) naval gun was developed by Germany in the late 1930s. It armed the s and was planned as the armament of the s and the re-armed s. Six twin-gun mountings were also sold to the Soviet Union and it was planned to use them on the s, however, they were never delivered. Spare guns were used as coastal artillery in Denmark, Norway and France. One gun and one barrel is currently on display at respectively Møvig Fortress outside Kristiansand and Bunkermuseum Hanstholm, Denmark. Ammunition It used the standard German naval system of ammunition where the base charge was held in a metallic cartridge case and supplemented by another charge in a silk bag. Both cartridges were rammed together. ;Propellant charge Main charge: 38 cm HuelsKart34 – GefLdG – RP C/38 (16/7) Fore charge: 38 cm VorKart34 – GefLdG – RP C/38 (16/7) Shell Four types of shells were u ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cap Gris-Nez
Cap Gris-Nez is a cape located in Audinghen, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département of northern France. Part of the Côte d'Opale, it is classified as a protected natural area. Its cliffs mark the closest point of France to Great Britain, separated by just . Etymology The name "Gris-Nez" translates to "grey nose" in French referencing the grey-coloured cliffs of the cape. The Dutch name, "Swartenesse" ("black cape"), distinguished it from "Blankenesse" ("white cape"), now known as Cap Blanc-Nez to the northeast. The suffix "-nesse" or "-nez" is cognate with the English "-ness," signifying a headland, as seen in Dungeness and Sheerness. Geology The cliffs of Cap Gris-Nez are composed of sandstone, clay, and chalk, primarily grey in colour. The area is a site for fossil hunting, with most fossils originating from the Jurassic period. These include bivalves, gastropods, and fossilised wood. Rare finds, such as large ammonites, as well as fish and reptile teeth, are occasio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Audinghen
Audinghen (; Dutch: ''Oudinghen'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography A farming commune, comprising several hamlets, some north of Boulogne-sur-Mer, at the junction of the D940 and the D191 roads. Cap Gris-Nez, the nearest part of France to the English coast, forms the western boundary of the commune. History The town was originally named ''Odingehem'', 'home of Odin', by the Vikings who built a temple here dedicated to the Germanic god Odin. Audinghen has been rebuilt several times after being completely destroyed, including: * In 1643 or 1644, according to the interpretations, by a party of soldiers of the King of England, who burned the village population inside the church; * Three centuries later, in November 1943, by the British, who bombed and totally destroyed the village (then occupied by the German army) and a centre for Organisation Todt. Population Sights * The church of St. Pierre, dating from the twen ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Todt Battery
The Todt Battery, also known as ''Batterie Todt'', was a battery of Cross-Channel guns in the Second World War, coastal artillery built by Nazi Germany during World War II, located in the hamlet of Haringzelles, Audinghen, near Cape Gris-Nez, Pas de Calais, France. The battery consisted of four Krupp 38 cm SK C/34 naval gun#Coast defense gun, guns with a range up to , capable of reaching the British coast, each protected by a bunker of reinforced concrete. Originally to be called ''Siegfried Battery'', it was renamed in honor of the German engineer Fritz Todt, creator of the Organisation Todt, Todt Organisation. It was later integrated into the Atlantic Wall. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division attacked the Cross-Channel guns in the Second World War#German guns, Cape Gris-Nez batteries on 29 September 1944, and the positions were secured by the afternoon of the same day. The Todt battery fired for the last time on 29 September 1944 and was taken hours later by the North Nova Sco ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1986-104-10A, Atlantikwall, Batterie "Todt"
The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (, lit. "Federal Archive") are the national archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952. They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media (Claudia Roth since 2021) under the German Chancellery, and before 1998, to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. On 6 December 2008, the Archives donated 100,000 photos to the public, by making them accessible via Wikimedia Commons. History The federal archive for institutions and authorities in Germany, the first precursor to the present-day Federal Archives, was established in Potsdam, Brandenburg in 1919, a later date than in other European countries. This national archive documented German government dating from the founding of the North German Confederation in 1867. It also included material from the older German Confederation and the Imperial Chamber Court. The oldest documents in this collection dated back to the y ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |