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Gun Emplacement

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Six inch breech loading gun in place at Watch House Battery Plymouth World War II. © Freddie Woodward



   
   

Gun Emplacement
Location: City of Bristol

 One of two gun emplacements each emplacement had a single 6 inch breach loading gun. Each was served by its own shell and cartridge lifts. Storage facilities for shells and cartridges are present. © P.D.SticklerWatch House Battery was armed with two six-inch breach-loading guns. Each gun was served by its own shell and cartridge lift, these connect directly with the magazine below.





Detail of Top of Shell lift brought uo 6inch shells from magazine below © P.D.SticklerThe mechanisms for the shell and cartridge lift are no longer in place. The wooden ramp for the shell lift is still present.






Davoits for use in bringing up shells and cartridges if shell lift and cartridge lift failed © P.D.Stickler In addition there are davits at each end that could be used to hoist materials from outside of the magazine to the guns.






Gun Emplacement Watch House Battery Plymouth. Bearing markings © P.D.SticklerMarkings of plus or minus 0, -25 and +25 are incised in the concrete on both gun emplacements. A range finder emplacement was built North of the most Northerly gun. Plans, (WO 78/5058 PT3) dated 16.3.04, were drawn up to add a third 6-inch breach loading gun. This was to be sited in the area to the North of No 1gun emplacement, the area is now a car park and the site of the depression range finder these plans were never followed through.



Bolts used to attach guns to emplacement. During mothballing each had been coated in grease and covered with bake bean tin and concreted over © P.D.SticklerThe two six-inch guns remained in place to 1952. The emplacement was moth balled the guns removed. The bolts for the barbette were covered with tins containing grease and these were cemented in place. This concrete is crumbling and the plate and bolts have been exposed in places





 



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