Outside Harstad in Northern Norway one can visit the famous "Adolf Cannons" on the former German coastal fortification MKB 5/511 Batterie Theo. The building of this large complex began in 1943 and consisted of four huge cannons, caliber 40.6 Cm. Organisation Todt was responsible for the construction and brought 1200 Soviet POWs for the labour.
The cannons had been constructed in 1934 and was planned used on a huge "H" Class battleship but it was never built.
The barrels are approximately 20 meter long and could fire shells up to a distance of 56 Kilometres. The guns could fire three different shells, High Explosive, High Explosive/Armour Piercing (both ca 1030 kg) and the special long range shells called the "Adolf Grenades" (ca 600 kg). The fire rate was 2 shells pr minute. Each shot would take with it 40 kg steel from the barrel so totally it would be able to fire 250-300 rounds. This batterie was never fired at enemies, but has been test fired several times, the last time in 1957.
Today one of the guns is open for the public, but only through guided tours as it is located inside an operative military base. We visited the gun and had a two hours tour through the bunker and the turret "Barbara" which is kept operative for museal purposes. I highly reccommend visiting this place if you are in Northern Norway as it is a spectacular site.
https://adolfkanonen.com/?lang=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40.6_cm_SK_C/34_gun
The cannons had been constructed in 1934 and was planned used on a huge "H" Class battleship but it was never built.
The barrels are approximately 20 meter long and could fire shells up to a distance of 56 Kilometres. The guns could fire three different shells, High Explosive, High Explosive/Armour Piercing (both ca 1030 kg) and the special long range shells called the "Adolf Grenades" (ca 600 kg). The fire rate was 2 shells pr minute. Each shot would take with it 40 kg steel from the barrel so totally it would be able to fire 250-300 rounds. This batterie was never fired at enemies, but has been test fired several times, the last time in 1957.
Today one of the guns is open for the public, but only through guided tours as it is located inside an operative military base. We visited the gun and had a two hours tour through the bunker and the turret "Barbara" which is kept operative for museal purposes. I highly reccommend visiting this place if you are in Northern Norway as it is a spectacular site.
https://adolfkanonen.com/?lang=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40.6_cm_SK_C/34_gun
Just inside the entrance where the soldiers sleeping quarters were it is a small exhibition of items.
A large generator, a backup generator and a compressor gave power and pressurized air for the complex.
Next to the generator room is a water reservoir for cooling purposes.
In the ammo storage room with the cranes to lift the shells onto the cradle that rolls the shells onto carriages on the other side of the wall before they got lifted into the elevator to the turret.
Only two of the "Adolf Grenades" survived, the rest was dumped in the ocean.
Tools for mounting the gun.
Range finder.
Plans for the battleship the guns had been intended for.
Pic from when the gun was fired the last time.
The barrell is big enough for a person to crawl through.
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