Taranto defenses

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OldBill
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Taranto defenses

#1

Post by OldBill » 26 Jun 2018, 16:46

How extensive were the minefields and coastal defenses of Taranto when the British attacked?

LColombo
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Re: Taranto defenses

#2

Post by LColombo » 26 Jun 2018, 19:07

Regarding minefields, from "La guerra di mine" (USMM) it appears that four defensive minefields, all of them anti-submarine, were laid between 6/6/1940 and 10/7/1940 in the Gulf of Taranto; all of them betweeno Capo San Vito and Torre dell'Ovo (just outside Taranto). One was composed of 50 mines, the other three of 70 mines each, all Elia type.

Only in 1941 a further eight minefields, these ones anti-ship, were added, and another two were laid in 1942.


LColombo
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Re: Taranto defenses

#3

Post by LColombo » 26 Jun 2018, 19:13

Coastal defenses (coastal batteries?) I do not know. The anti-aicraft defenses of Taranto consisted of 21 AA batteries totalling 101 guns, plus 68 machine gun emplacements (84 machine guns overall) in both fixed and floating emplacements, and another 109 light machine guns in both fixed and floating emplacements. 13 aircraft sound locators, two of them connected to spotlights; 22 spotlights, most of them "modern type". 27 barrage balloons on the night of the attack, as windstorms had torn off another 60 in the previous days.

Dili
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Re: Taranto defenses

#4

Post by Dili » 21 Jul 2018, 22:25

Coastal defences up to 152mm guns.

OldBill
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Re: Taranto defenses

#5

Post by OldBill » 22 Jul 2018, 07:40

That's good info Dili, Thanks! Any information on where they were sited?

Dili
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Re: Taranto defenses

#6

Post by Dili » 04 Aug 2018, 03:17

I have to collect it. Maybe this weekend.

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Waleed Y. Majeed
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Re: Taranto defenses

#7

Post by Waleed Y. Majeed » 04 Aug 2018, 22:18


OldBill
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Re: Taranto defenses

#8

Post by OldBill » 05 Aug 2018, 17:23

Thank you gentlemen!

Dili
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Re: Taranto defenses

#9

Post by Dili » 06 Aug 2018, 01:13

I have this in my notes - since the notes included also 280/9 mortars which were not employed there in time of war, it is possible this is an earlier time.

Bty. Gulli 4 X 152/45 and 1 X 120/40; Batterie Aubry 4 x 152/45 both at S. Pietro
Rota(S.Pietro) 4x152 1x120; C Allessandri 4x120/40 , Punta Forca 2x120/40 other source 2x152x40.

By 1943 Batteria Amm.Toscano with 2 203/45 turrets were being build and Cattaneo with 2 305/42 almost complete. None finished.

OldBill
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Re: Taranto defenses

#10

Post by OldBill » 09 Aug 2018, 12:54

Oh that is good stuff! I'll have to put those on a map this evening. Thank you!

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