38 cm naval gun emplacement Pommern excavated !!! -- Kaiserliche Marine

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Subject: 38 cm naval gun emplacement Pommern excavated !!!

Author:
Johan Ryheul

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Date Posted: 06:25:49 04/03/02 Wed

Hi !

Just moments since I came home from the excavation of the the gun emplacement of the 38 cm naval gun Pommern at Koekelare, West Flanders, also generally known by the public as Long Max, although this was a gun of the type Max.
This gun shot numerous times from here to the 45 kilometer further Dunkirk and also on a number of other targets such at Furnes etc.
The excavation of the inner part is now totally completed. Works started on monday.
From one side to the other this enormous emplacement measures 22.5 meters !
The gun only, had a weight of approx. 77 tons !
There is very heavy damage on the 'Kesselbettung' emplacement. The two forward bunkers that were constructed in the emplacement are completely gone. Only the ground level of them remains.
Also some large parts to the back (where the gun was being charged) were completely blown to pieces when the bunkers were destroyed in the early 1950's.
Also were found part of the fundations of one of these bunkers, as the other one can not be researched and is on private grounds. However due to the works these fundations are for the moment not visible.
The plans are to restorate the emplacement by the end of september.
Of course the location can now already be visited and is part of the program that we have on visits concerning the Marinekorps Flandern and that we are offering to groups.
More information can be asked on this e-mail adress :
flandersevents@belgacom.net
Very recently were found by us also parts of the plans of the emplacement and we know now also the complete story on the construction of this kind of batteries.
The war diaries of both Pommern and Deutschland (4 x 38 cm) are in our posession.
Another 38 cm gun emplacement at Klerken-Esen has also survived but is in not such a good condition and not as spectacular as the one at Koekelare.
Near the Koekelare emplacement is also a small museum that can be visited and in which the two major full scale diorama's were constructed by us.
We are preparing for the moment also a book on the 38 cm guns in West Flanders (Predikboom Klerken, Pommern Koekelare and Deutschland Bredene) which should be published by this summer.
The Pommern gun emplacement will be without any doubt the place to pay a visit to this summer.

Best from Johan

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