‘cat’s head’ and ‘reversible turret cannon’

[Discovery]

This video mentions ‘cat’s head’ and ‘reversible turret cannon’
Could someone give me some explanations on them?
The web, seems to me, does not have too much info on them.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdKmH27CWYk&NR=1

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(00:44)The regular pillboxes in the West Wall were interspersed with larger multi-story structures, like the cat's head armored fort near the village E... in the south Eifel.
(1:15)Its foundations were dug to a depth of 118 feet and the fort contained 3 stories with reversible turret cannon, automatic flame throwers and machine guns. The rooms were air conditioned providing plenty of comfort for its 84 man crew who could remain at the cat's head for 6 weeks at a time.

(1:59)The typical West Wall pillbox was more compact. There were 2 entrances with a large gas proof chamber between them. On the right a short staircase led up to the arms room with an ammunition bunker attached and another 37 feet square beyond that. The 2nd arms room nearly 99 feet square was sited at the rear.

http://7grad.org/Exkursionen/Westwal...ano_aussen.jpg

[Heimatschuss]

Hello,

'cat's head' is a misunderstanding. The hill near Irrel on which this bunker is situated is called Katzenkopf which literally translates to 'Cat's Head'. But being a geographical designation it should not be translated of course.
For more info see for example http://www.westwallmuseum-irrel.de/.

Best regards
Torsten

[Discovery]

http://agoodwordtailor.com/photopage.html

Hi, Torsten:

Thank you so much for the invaluable info. It has bogged me down for so long.

So according to the descriptions here, there is no whatsoever cannon in this armored work actually.
Only machine gun turrets atop the underground building.

Those episodes from that video series are somewhat error prone.

Best regards,
Discovery

[Heimatschuss]

Hello Discovery,

I think I've understood the meaning of the mysterious second part right now too.

According to this site http://7grad.org/Exkursionen/Westwall/K ... nkopf.html the fixed weaponry at Katzenkopf consisted of
- one fortress flamethrower
- one automatic mortar (Maschinengranatwerfer)
- 4 MG 34 machineguns in the two 6-slit turrets

If you look here http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1381 the M19 automatic mortar installed in the B-Werke could be lowered 50 centimeters to seal the muzzle hole in the cupola with a hatch. In German you would describe that as 'absenken' (= lower) or as 'zurückfahren' (= reverse).

So by inept translation lowering the mortar has warped into a 'reversible cannon'.

Best regards
Torsten

[Discovery]

'absenken' (= lower)

<== Is it also right if I put it another way, 'retractable'?
And as you pointed out for me, it was actually a mortar instead of cannon.

I can easily be wrong. English is not my native language.

[Heimatschuss]

Hello Discovery,

I'm no native English speaker either but I think 'retractable' is indeed a good translation of the mechanism.

Best regards
Torsten