Hello Folks Ive Just joined the forum as my friend pathfinder told me about it! we got interested in an old battery when walking the dogs in Braefoot Bay near Dalgety Bay in Fife,Scotland and we are trying to find info on the battery and hopefully get pics of the place when it was operational in the 1st and 2nd world wars.
welcome aboard this fine forum nodout you will find out the info you are after enjoy your stay.. best krirg
G'day mate and welcome to this excellent forum. With any questions feel free to direct them to the info request are, if you havn't done already, somenow will surely help you out.
Hello folks cheers for the warm welcome,got sum pics of the afore mentioned battery so. pic1 ob post, pic2=gunpit-(You can still see the narrow gauge rails that lead from the magazine to the guns)pic3=gunpit- dif view,pic4=magazine store(carved into the hill),pic5=magazine(probably biggest building there),pic 6="MAGAZINE"-still visible,pic7=toilets,pic8=kitchen,dining on left,stores on right(writting again stil visible)pic9= view of gunpit from another OB post.
Fascinating pictures! Thank you for posting these, they are really nice and give a good idea of what they used to be. I'm surprised of the circular shape of some of the buildings
thanks Skipper! the circular shapes are where the guns were bolted to the ground!the barrels must of overhung the curved concrete walls facing out over the River Forth,think they were to try and stop the Luftwaffe destroying the Forth Rail Bridge.
They were actually anti-shipping batteries Toafer, but there was a Luftwaffe raid on the Forth on 16/10/39 by 1KG30 (Kampfgeschwader=bomber squadron) flying from Syllt on the Danish border. The target was actually HMS Hood, but because she was already docked in Rosyth by the time the bombers (Ju88A1's) arrived, they attacked RN ships berthed just east of the bridge. Southampton, Edinburgh & Mohawk were all damaged, though not seriously. The only damage done on the ground came from anti-aircraft shells from the batteries on the south side of the Forth. The AA battery at Steeple Clump in Dalgety Bay tried to engage the raiders, but couldn't see for Naval aircraft practising landings at Donibristle. Two Germans were shot down after being engaged by Spitfires of 602 and 603 Squadrons, one crashing off Crail and the other off Port Seton. At no point was the bridge itself attacked, and a fully-laden passenger train actually passed over to Inverkeithing at the height of the raid.
Thanks Historian Very interesting stuff!!! Especially about the Notorious HMS Hood so with this new info just wondering if the guns mounted a Braefoot were poss land versions of what was fitted on warships at the time! (similar ammo delivery systems and similar gun sizes!) would just love to see the place operational as every time im there the old immagination runs riot!
Certainly 9.2 inch guns were used on the Western Front in WW1, and it's thought the battery was decommissioned in 1917 to provide more heavy artillery. The ammunition delivery system on ships was based on hydraulic lifts, so there's not really a comparison. If you get the chance to visit Carlingnose, ask the owner if you can visit the underground magazines. The shell lift machinery used to carry shells up to the gunpits is still there, but it's mechanical rather than hydraulic.
