Chinese coastal batteries

[forttravel]

Yeah Statist, it is 2:0 for you in perceptiveness competition. Your'e right with ID. I got these pictures described as West battery but not cheked while I had doubt about shape of these emplacements. Thank you.

[forttravel]

Hi Statist, could you comment please that picture, it is described in internet also as Yantai. Battery III or IV? What do you mean? On attached map there is a stone wall which is visible on picture too approching to mountains ascents.

[Statist]

Hi Statist, could you comment please that picture, it is described in internet also as Yantai. Battery III or IV? What do you mean? On attached map there is a stone wall which is visible on picture too approching to mountains ascents.

It’s not easy to determine the place where is situated this battery. The most sources (Chine, USA) have reported only two forts with coastal guns (West and East batteries). Near the places of batteries III and IV on the scheme there is a big hill which is similar the hill on the photo, but now there are no traces of the coastal batteries. The gun courtyards design is not similar West and East batteries. The photo may be displayed in mirror image.
At this moment I can not say that the battery was located in the Yantai (Cheefoo).

[forttravel]

That map I attached to previous post is a present copy/interpretation from Russian intelligence document from year 1898, but armament of these batteries (III & IV) is unclear for me in text. We can be sure only for 5,3 cm quick fire guns for anti-assault/infantry purpose. British intelligence documents from similiar period said also four batteries but armed mostly/probably with heavy guns 15-24 cm. Other German memories tells that in first tranche were sold from Krupp for Yantai 2 x 24 cm guns + 2 x 15 cm guns (West battery). Next delivery were 3 x 21 cm (East battery) + 2 x 15 cm + 2 x 12 cm (East battery auxhillary guns?) and 12 x 5,3 cm QF's (some of them on III & IV batteries?). So we have not recognised locations for 2 x 24 cm and 2 x 15 cm guns.
Guns from picture I posted were: on first emplacement - British Armstrong 6 inch BL gun on typical Vavasseur mount, two other guns - German Krupp old style "Festungskanonen" I guess 12/15 cm?

[peeved]

Two photos reportedly from Nanjing, 1912: Tiger Hill and the beach defences and Chinese arty students at Krupp from http://www.ebay.de/itm/332082272594?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT , http://www.ebay.de/itm/Nanking-Nanjing- ... true&rt=nc and http://www.ebay.de/itm/Kruppsche-Schies ... SwkZhWTeuN

Markus

[peeved]

Reportedly Nanjing 1912 from http://www.ebay.de/itm/332090946911?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT Armament, emplacements, landscape etc. in the 1st photo looks similar to the ones in forttravel's photo from 31st October 2016 18:58 EET.

Markus

[YC Chen]

Very nice photos, thanks for posting!

The one shows three QF guns lined up is extremely beautiful - although 4.7in and 6in Kiangnan guns(licenced copies of Armstrong guns) were widely used along the Yangtze, but the concrete lined-up batteries are quite rare. There is a surviving one similar to this in Zhenjiang.

Yes I think these could all be Nanking(I remeber seeing similar views before, and for me the design of batteries look similar to those in Nanking), but I'm not sure if these are all Tiger Hill. There are also many other forts along the Yangtze river and even inside the city wall in Nanking.

[forttravel]

Here is one more blurry pictrue described as Kiangnan made gun in area of Nanjing.

[forttravel]

And emplacement of such gun described by Japanese Army (after capture in China?).

[forttravel]

Exhibition of Russian guns captured by Japanese army.

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Visited by US Navy sailors.

And recaptured by Soviet's army.

1326204683_2010090401.jpg (56.74 KiB) Viewed 13568 times

[Statist]

Exhibition of Russian guns captured by Japanese army.

The pictures numbers 1, 2, 4 show the Chinese Krupp guns seized Russian in Dagu or Beitang. In the left corner of the pictures number 1 is a 150-mm Krupp gun. The fate of this gun is unknown.

Right gun is a 120-mm Krupp gun, most likely produced in China.

Now three 120-mm Krupp guns there are in the Military Historical Museum of Russian Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok. One gun with the shield there is in the open exhibition.

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Until the 1970s, the 20th century two another 120-mm Krupp guns were on position Sapernaya battery of former Vladivostok fortress as guns of revolutionaries. Picture from the web-site http://kfss.ru/index.php/objekts/72-ba318

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Now these two guns with cutting barrels and shields there are on the memorial patrol ship "Red pennant." These guns represent the 75-mm Canet guns. Pictures from the web-sites http://zeka-vasch.livejournal.com/1376370.html and http://tsushima.su/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=1002851

120 Krupp 2.jpg (104.12 KiB) Viewed 13541 times

120 Krupp 1.jpg (105.01 KiB) Viewed 13541 times

The picture number 3 shows Russian 6-inch sea gun. Now this gun there is in the open exhibition of Military Historical Museum of Russian Pacific Fleet too.

6 inch sea gun.jpg (176.55 KiB) Viewed 13541 times

[forttravel]

Thank you Statist.
Here two pictures of Krupp gun (the some gun?) somewhere on concrete emplacement.

[Statist]

It is most likely that these two Krupp guns were situated on the battery of Guangzhou land front.
On the old map showing 1857 battle there is one battery on the north of city.

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On the one of photos is visible one of the Guangzhou old towers - Liurong Flower Tower.

tower Liurong.jpg (107.64 KiB) Viewed 13467 times

Now near the possible place of battery is located Guangzhou City Museum. In museum there are two similar guns, may be the same on the photos.

[Statist]

Reportedly Nanjing 1912 from http://www.ebay.de/itm/332090946911?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT Armament, emplacements, landscape etc. in the 1st photo looks similar to the ones in forttravel's photo from 31st October 2016 18:58 EET.

Markus

In the another photo loos the damaged gun on the Chinese battery. It is indicated Lion battery (Shi paotai) in Nanjing

Lion battery gun.jpg (53.31 KiB) Viewed 13434 times

[Statist]

There are two japanese schemes of coastal batteries Wusong (Woosung) and Shizilin near Shanghai from 1932.

In a good resolution schemes can be found at these links
http://www.virtualshanghai.net/Maps/Source?ID=612
http://www.virtualshanghai.net/Maps/Source?ID=613