The Guns of Longues Sur Mer

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Nice photos. ALMOST like being there.

THANKS!

[Patrick Chadwick]

Thanks for the photo series Geoff. Two years ago I took a detail photo of the muzzle of the gun with the barrel sloping downwards (your 2nd and 3rd photos).



It seems to have a cap that could be removed with a suitable (large!!!) C-spanner.

Maybe someone with knowledge of gun design could enlighten me: is that to hold in a barrel sleeve (maybe to prevent it shifting under recoil), or what?

BTW. the "micro-groove" rifling still looks pretty good after decades of exposure to the coastal atmosphere.

Hoping for answers!
Patrick

[bigduke6]

Patrick I did notice it, The actual construction looked like it has a liner with sections of reinforce, (bigger tube sections fitted over it) If you noticed the step ups they were all numbered.

Yep the rifling were very good considering the location, but the guns themselves never seen much action........

[Gil Boyd]

Well an interesting one..............the Navy used to have to have access to the front part of the barrel as it corroded in salt water at sea, even through the covers and often was replaced!

[Flying10uk]

When a site like this was captured, was there an actual "allied policy" to deactivate the enemy weapons on site, such as removing part of the breach mechanism, as quickly as possible in case the site was recaptured in a counter attack by the enemy? It would seem like a sensible policy to have and I believe that other sites have had any enemy weapons, on site, made safe quickly after capture but I don't believe that I have ever heard or seen that there was a stated policy to do this.

[Gil Boyd]

More than likely did, but if the gun emplacement was secure and the guns were still in tact, probably used in case of counter attack from the sea. Then if the position was likely to be overrun demo the barrel

[bigduke6]

In the case of the above, the battery was used by the RAF...... it was the reason the casemate No 4 was in bits.

[mrclark303]

Thanks for all the pics and info Geoff and Gil, absolutely fascinating!

I spent a couple of days taking in the invasion locations a couple of years ago.

From Carentan to Pegasus bridge, taking in as much as possible along the route.

You could easily take a week doing it...

Some incredible museums along the route, with staff passionate about their subject.

Strongly recommended to all members, if you ever get the chance.

You need to traverse the invasion front to get a real idea of the scale and the incredible achievement and massive sacrifice made in the first 100 days post DDay.

[Gil Boyd]

Geoff,
Couldn't have been RAF mate, you would have been stumbling over abandoned Brylcream jars

[30Three]

In the very first picture of the casemate with the demolished gun and barb wire fence. You can see the forward part of the barrel in the fore ground to the right.
I visited a couple of times in the last few years. I noticed that most visitors were walking on and over the barrel without even realising what it is. One end was sufficiently unearthed to see the rifling. Surprised nobody has dug it up!