Italian railwayguns

[Dragons Hunter]

hi Dili, I'm not a real expert but there is something wrong.
The link you posted says: Dopo la dismissione dei 381/40 AVS, le bocche da fuoco smontate furono impiegate per difendere il porto di Genova (After the disposal of 381/40 AVS, the guns were dismantled and used to defend the port of Genoa: Arenzano e Monte Moro)
I never heard about railwais gun 381/40 in Liguria.

[Dili]

I have read that but i don't think it is correct that the AVS guns were employed for Genoa turrets.

There were about 30 -40 381/40 guns build. 2 of them were sunk with Alfredo Cappelini monitor/pontone so 38 - i am not sure they were recovered from the sea. 2 in twin turret were in Augusta, 2 in twin turret in Venice, 4 in 2 twin turrets in Brindisi, 2 in Faa di Brunno monitor/pontone. 4 to 7 said to have been given to Regio Esercito for railway guns. So there were much more guns that could be employed in those 2 turrets in Genoa.

The other wiki page https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/381/40_Mod._1914 also has some incorrect information.

[Dili]

Check also pictures here at end of the war:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 5#p1864333

and this :
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1#p1864403

Said to be Viareggio.

[Manuferey]

Two 381/40 railway guns at Val Ponzano, near La Spezia, in WW1. Note the camouflaged shelter in the background.


Source: difesa.it

The shelter in 1936 being extended or is it a totally new shelter being constructed?

Source: milistory.net/forum

Emmanuel

[Manuferey]

Thanks to a German document of 29-11-1944 posted by Jos on 23 Nov 2016 here, we now know that the complete German "beute" designation for the 381/40 was 38 cm K(E) 722(i).
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &start=615

See line before last:


Emmanuel

[Dili]

Nice, thanks Emmanuel.

[Manuferey]

A large series of propaganda pictures of a 152/40 in Sicily in 1942:
http://www.televignole.it/foto-storie-guerra-84/

Some of the pictures were posted by Dili on Dec. 17, 2015 in the following thread:
https://forum.axishistory.com//viewtopi ... &start=210

Emmanuel

[JABIER]

From Ebay:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/2-WK-Foto-Panze ... SwLUpaczV1
https://www.ebay.de/itm/2-WK-Foto-Panze ... Swam1aqqdt
https://www.ebay.de/itm/2-WK-Foto-Panze ... SwjpRaqqw4

Saluti!

[Dili]

Thanks. Photos have the WW1 flavour.

[Manuferey]

More like interwar, I think, based on the clothes and hat of the people on the last picture.

Emmanuel

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Any idea about this ?

Image from Ebay
Sturm78

[Dili]

Doubt it is Italian.

[jopaerya]

I have seen one picture from the same guns that were called English Channel guns ??

[Manuferey]

Picture of a side view of this gun. The caption on the expired delcampe auction read "15 in. British gun in 1939". (15 in. = 381 mm).

I strongly suspect that it is indeed a British naval gun on a firing test set-up.

Emmanuel

[ROLAND1369]

Interestingly this British proof mount is still in existence. It has the only surviving 18 inch howitzer mounted on it and belongs to the Royal Artillery Museum.