Dueling cannons across the Channel
April 6, 2017 12:36 PM   Subscribe

Allied big guns named "Winnie" and "Pooh" dueled Nazi cannons named "Adolf" and "Todt"across the English Channel. The Allied and Nazi cross-channel guns at Dover and Calais were among the last behemoth cannons of their kind in a new era of mobile warfare and soon-to-be guided missile technology. (further Wiki) (from the always interesting War is Boring)
posted by lstanley (6 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
A report in 1943 observed, “As you can see, there are no real grounds for retaining this Regiment under present conditions other than the Prime Minister’s personal affection for these pieces.”

Seems like you could often count on Churchill and Hitler for this sort of thing.
posted by Kikujiro's Summer at 12:48 PM on April 6, 2017


The Kriegsmarine in World War II could not shift its surface warships between the Mediterranean and the North Sea without passing either through the straits of Dover or taking the long way around England.

Anyone else find this odd?
posted by Mr. Yuck at 1:41 PM on April 6, 2017


Those are the only two routes. I'd say 'the long way around Britain,' though.
posted by carter at 1:44 PM on April 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


Among the last.

Then there was Gerald Bull and the Iraqi Supergun.
posted by IndigoJones at 2:21 PM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


The article said that Dover's population declined by half during the war because of the bombardment. It seems like it would be a great setting for a novel of some kind.
posted by My Dad at 2:34 PM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


What I meant was that the Kreigsmarine surface vessels never sailed the Med because Gibraltar.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:52 PM on April 6, 2017


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