Coastal artillery in Estonia

[Erik E]

Hello!

I`m told this photo shows a 152 mm Russian naval gun... L/45 possobly?
There are also some indications thatthe photo may be taken in Estonia....

Comments or info most appreciated!!!

[Drobjatski Sergei]

There were some russian naval guns on the islands. This pic could be taken somwhere there.

/Sergei

[henryk]

I think that is the post WWII Soviet gun on Naissar Island, in Tallinn Bay, 9 km north of Tallinn. Here is a photo I took in 2004.

[Drobjatski Sergei]

hm...I was on Naisaar this summer, haven't seen that there are several islands, that had these. Russians build artillery like that on the islands even when Estonia was a part of Czarist Russia. And these fortresses were later used during WWII.

/Sergei

[Harri]

The gun looks a lot of 152 mm L/45 Canet but its barrel tip was strenthened unlike in the gun of the photo. Breech looks similar to Canet guns. For some reason the adjusting wheels are very similar to 120 mm L/50 Vickers guns and also the barrel is very similar in shape to Vickers gun. Barrel just looks strange at the point where the soldier holds it.

---

There was also 130 mm L/55 Vickers gun (they were also licence made by Obuhov). There are two models of that gun: model A obtained before and during the WW I and model B obtained during the WW II but I don't if the latter ones would have been used as coastal guns (I have not seen any photos on them). Germans used 130 mm A models also in Norway, so I think this gun is out of question? 18 pieces were originally bought from France but captured by the Germans in 1940. Finns also bought two 130 mm Vickers guns from Estonia during the war but they were not used in Finland because of their bad condition.

Soviet 130 mm guns don't look similar.

[nublu]

Sry. i cant inform you from which battery are taken the pictures.

Russians started to build such batteries in estonia on 1913. And Estonians used those batteries (and replaced the guns to get them working) all the independence time. Until 1940.

And on 1939 Russians started again to build such kind of batteries with newer guns.

It looks like newer one, not from czarist time. This concrete building stuff at least. But at the moment i can-t tell you whee soviets had 152 mm guns placed on their positions on 1941. Maybe bit later.

[Juha Tompuri]

I think one possibility is that it also could be 120mm L/45 Canet.

Regards, Juha

[henryk]

A description of the interwar Estonian coastal fortresses:

http://www.geocities.com/kumbayaaa/esto ... fortr.html
THE ESTONIAN COASTAL FORTRESSES
Considering that the Estonian capital, Talinn (which, might I add as a Dane, means "City of the Danes" , was situated at a bay only 300 kms from the major Soviet naval base of Kronstadt, the Estonians did all they could to safeguard the security of it. Around and in the bay were located 3 coastal fortresses that were to protect Talinn from any enemy vessels trying to bombard it. The Coastal Fortresses (in Estonian "Merekindlused") were commanded by erevääekapten K. Freimann, and they were organised as follows (a Rannapatarei is a battery with one or more turrets):

Aegna Island Command (Aegna komandatuur): kaptenleitnant O. Kivima

Rannapatarei nr. 1: vanemleitnant J. Vendla (305mm)

Rannapatarei nr. 2: vanemleitnat K. Kolbre (152mm)

Rannapatarei nr. 3: vanemleitnat K. Tingas (130mm)

Rannapatarei nr. 7: (120mm) (on Viimsi Peninsula)

Rannapatarei nr. 8: (152mm towed) (on Viimsi Peninsula)

Rannapatarei nr. 10: vanemleitnat A. Hansmann (75mm AA)

Rannapatarei nr. 11: vanemleitnat V. Loo (102mm) (on Viimsi Peninsula)

Naissaar Island Command (Naissaare komandatuur): kaptenmajor E. Urm

Rannapatarei nr. 4: vanemleitnat K. Pehme (152mm)

Rannapatarei nr. 5: vanemleitnat N. Meidla (152mm)

Suurop Peninsula Command (Suuropi komandatuur): kaptenmajor J. Poder

Rannapatarei nr. 6: vanemleitnat R. Kääo (234mm)

Rannapatarei nr. 9: vanemleitnat R. Hiiesaar (120mm)

The Coastal Fortresses with nearly 50 guns of different calibres were all placed around Tallinn Bay, at which the capital Talinn lay. The 4 x 305mm (12 inch) guns of Rannapatarei 1, situated in 2 well-armoured gas-tight 2-gun turrets had a maximum range of 40km. If working together with Finnish batteries at Helsinki, they were able to close the Finnish Gulf for any enemy warships. The fire control equipment, including undersea cables between Estonian and Finnish batteries, was prepared in the 1930s.

[nublu]

Hi again!

In addition to the list what Henryk already posted

Battery number 2 was situated in Aegna - 4 152 mm guns
Battery number 4 was situated in Naissaar - 4 152 mm guns
Battery number 5 was also on Naissaar - 3 152 mm guns
Battery number 8 was in Leppneeme - 4 towed 152 mm guns (so, probably not those one, what are on picture)
Battery number 11 was in Randvere - 4 152 mm guns.

Most of them were Canet 152 mm guns, sry don't have exact mark for them.

[nublu]

And in case that those were actually 120 mm guns - Battery number 7 was situated at Miiduranna, 3 120 mm guns.

[Harri]

120 and 152 mm Canet guns are almost identical but I think this one is 152 mm gun. Gun barrel looks more like Canet but the adjusting mount is more like Vickers. Both guns were licence made in Russia.

Smaller calibre coastal guns and Canet guns were "turned upside down" to increase their elevation and thus range in Russia. This gun is not a "turned" one. Does it indicate something? In Finland the turning of numerous (but not all) 75, 120 and 152 mm Canet guns was started well before the Winter War.

[Erik E]

Thanks for all your inputs!
Really interesting discussion too!!

Erik

[nublu]

One picture of 152 mm Canet in Estonian service. Sry, no info about battery. Photo is from the book. M . Õun "Eesti Sõjavägi 1920-40" (Estonian Army /years are same/)

If will find any photos about 120 mm Canet, will post.

[Juha Tompuri]

Hi,

Here another pic of 152mm Canet at Estonia:

http://www.virtsu.ee/ajalugu/1ms_patareid.html
It might well be this type of gun (with this type of low lafette) at Erik's pic...

Here a Finnish152mm Canet:

http://www.novision.fi/viapori/eavaus.htm

Here a pic of a Soviet 120mm Canet (with a high lafette):

http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNRussi ... _m1892.htm

Here some additional info from the past: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &highlight

Regards, Juha

P.S. here a pic of a 120mm Canet (with a low lafette) from "Itsenäisen Suomen Rannikkotykit 1918-1998" (The Coastal Artillery Guns of Independent Finland....) by Ove Enqvist:

[Harri]

None of them matches perfectly with the Erik's photo. Maybe it is 120 mm Vickers anyway? Were the Estonian 120 mm coastal guns Vickers or Canet guns?