World War II Gun Arrives in Delaware-- Part 2: Technologically Advanced

The gun weighs 32,000 pounds and could be used on ships or land.  They fired two types of shells:  high-explosive or armor-piercing.  The shells weighed 24 pounds and could hit a target 11 miles away or an aircraft flying at 34,000 feet.

Crews loaded the shells individually, but a highly complex firing system then took over to fire it.  This was extreme armament technology at the time.

When the guns were at Fort Miles during the war, they were placed on the beach, but had wheels for ease of movement.

The Fort Miles Historic Association and Delaware state Parks got the gun from the National Electronics Museum in Linthicum, Maryland.  They are currently looking for a 1918 155 mm gun as the fort at one time mounted eight of them.

--GreGen