BRIXMIS
Member
Last year I was lucky enough to be able to visit Kravag Coastal Artillery Fort in the North of Norway near to Trondheim.
Location is on the Krakvag island, just in the inlet to the huge Trondheim
fjord. This area has been a key area for Norway since WWII. During WWII the Germans knew this and positioned Tirpitz deep inside the fjords and mounted several coastal artillery batteries along the coasts. The heaviest being the tripple 28 cm turret at Austritt. Located nearby (report to follow)
Kravag was built to defend the inlet to the fjord with its three 12 cm m/70 guns, made by Bofors in Sweden. The three guns are controlled by
a master and a secondary "measuring station" . Each of these has multiple
radars and range finders, as well as optical TV/laser equipment. If this all failed or was hit they could fire independently with help from a periscope and alaser channel inside the turret.
To get to the fort, which is really a hollowed out island! you get a ferry from the mainland.
Its the big one!
Ferry "Nidaross"
Island on the way to Kravag
Entrance to one of the turrets
The Turret under its camouflage cover
Ventilation and emergency exit hatch.
Blast door entrance to Bunker
Automated shell system, shells are stored on the racks on the left, moved by an air trolley to the fusing equipment and then sent up a hoist to the turret.
Automated shell fusing system.
More to follow
Location is on the Krakvag island, just in the inlet to the huge Trondheim
fjord. This area has been a key area for Norway since WWII. During WWII the Germans knew this and positioned Tirpitz deep inside the fjords and mounted several coastal artillery batteries along the coasts. The heaviest being the tripple 28 cm turret at Austritt. Located nearby (report to follow)
Kravag was built to defend the inlet to the fjord with its three 12 cm m/70 guns, made by Bofors in Sweden. The three guns are controlled by
a master and a secondary "measuring station" . Each of these has multiple
radars and range finders, as well as optical TV/laser equipment. If this all failed or was hit they could fire independently with help from a periscope and alaser channel inside the turret.
To get to the fort, which is really a hollowed out island! you get a ferry from the mainland.
Its the big one!
Ferry "Nidaross"
Island on the way to Kravag
Entrance to one of the turrets
The Turret under its camouflage cover
Ventilation and emergency exit hatch.
Blast door entrance to Bunker
Automated shell system, shells are stored on the racks on the left, moved by an air trolley to the fusing equipment and then sent up a hoist to the turret.
Automated shell fusing system.
More to follow