BATTERY TODT
CAP GRIS NEZ, AUDINGHEN, PAS DE CALAIS, FRANCE.
the most famous of the Atlantic wall batteries is now a museum dedicated to the Atlantic wall. this battery built in 1940 was originally called battery siegfried and renamed after the accidental death of fritz TODT in 1942. Hitler's main architect, he built the famous German autobahns.
the battery consisted of four gun position or turm (tower) each having a 38cm 15inch barrel. the batteries in the area of cape gris nez were offensive gun positions and were used to shell England and ships in the channel. they were quite disruptive to operations in the port of Dover. the Germans would fire a shell which would set of the air raid warning off in Dover, and as there was no warning of attack after an hour or so the all clear would sound and things would start as normal again then another shell would land and the process repeated. there were four batteries in the area Lindeman with three 16inch barrels, TODT battery, Furfurst battery with four 11 inch barrels and a railway battery with four 11 inch guns. one of the k5 railway guns is on show at the museum.
picture above K5 RAILWAY GUN
The 38cm SK c/38 barrel was the same type as used on the Bismarck, Schlachtshiff and Gneisenau, with slight alteration. the rate of fire was 2.3 to 3 rounds per minute. the velocity with a 495kg shell was 1091 meters per second, and the barrel life was 250-300 rounds. the range with a 52 degree lift with a 800kg shell was 42000 meters. and with a 495kg shell 54900 metres.
as the pas de Calais area was too strongly defended the allies landed at Normandy and bypassed the Atlantic wall heading straight for Germany. some of the isolated pockets on the Atlantic wall were defended for months.
the TODT battery was finally taken on the 29th of September 1944 by the Canadians with 8 dead and 34 wounded which is quite light really. and using flail and petard bunker busting tanks, took the surrender of 1600 German troops.
the museum has a wide range of exhibits relating to the Atlantic wall and world war two, and also a range of vehicles and artillery pieces outside.