3.7 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun - Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
Posted by: 
Dragontree
N 50° 46.790 W 001° 05.350
30U E 634710 N 5627082
This 3.7 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun towers above you on the esplanade outside the D-Day Museum in Southsea.
Waymark Code: WMFRNX
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/24/2012
Views: 4
Accessible to all the gun can be explored and examined and is accompanied by an information board describing its history:
'3.7 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun
The 3.7 inch Mark II was the standard British heavy anti-aircraft (AA) gun of the Second World War.
It was effective against enemy bombers up to 32,000 feet (9,800 metres), and could be fired at a rate of eight rounds per minute. In July 1940 Portsmouth's defences included sixteen 3.7 inch guns, as sixteen 4.5 inch and four 3 inch.
This anti-aircraft gun was recovered from a scrapyard in Eire in 1972. It was restored for Portsmouth Museums Service by former serving members of the 214th (Southsea) AA Battery of the 57th (Wessex) Heavy AA Regiment, Royal Artillery (Territorial Army), who spent a total of 474 hours working on the project.
On the front of the gun is the "flaming Dornier" sign of the 57th (Wessex) Heavy AA Regiment, which was responsible for manning the anti-aircraft defences of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight 1939-1941. During the Blitz on Portsmouth, the Regiment's four batteries fired more than 125,000 rounds.'
On the information board is a photograph of the gun at Fort Widley and a mobile gun in action.
What type of artillery is this?: 3.7 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun
Where is this artillery located?: Park
What military of the world used this device?: British heavy anti-aircraft
Date artillery was in use: 01/01/1939
Date artillery was placed on display: 01/01/1972
Artillery is no longer operational: no
Still may work: no
Are there any geocaches at this location?:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=3e7cdcba-a23f-4be0-a545-55c1276140ba
Parking location to view this Waymark: Not Listed
Cost?: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
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