Military Model Scene

Title: British Coastal Weapons vs German Coastal Weapons
Author: Neil Short
Publisher: Osprey
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4977-9

The Dover Strait, 1940-44, number 126 in the Duel series from Osprey. An 80-page soft-cover book covering the fixed gun batteries and railway guns used by both sides in the long running artillery duel, across the Straits of Dover.
The book is split across 9 main sections, including an Introduction to set the scene and a Chronology of Events. It explains the Design and Development story of the various guns used by both sides in their cross-channel duels. There is also an examination of the Strategic Situation and the Technical Specifications of the guns on both sides. The British guns were in the proximity of Dover, while the German Batteries were sited between Boulogne and Calais. One of the best known perhaps being the Batterie Todt on the Cap Gris Nez. A chapter on the Combatants tells us about the various units on each side, and which weapons they served. Combat then examines the actions that took place over the years of the duel, including targeting Dover, counter-battery fire and anti-shipping operations in the Channel itself. It also includes the eventual capture of the various German sites as the Allied armies advanced across France. Everything is rounded off with an Analysis that offers how the 2 sides performed in comparison with each other and including charts showing the changes in the number of rounds fired over the years. A final Aftermath tells us about what remains of the various emplacements to be seen today. The remains of the German batteries are actually better preserved than those on the British side. The bunkers of the Batterie Todt, plus the K5 Railway Gun which is preserved there are, in my view, the highlight. Throughout the book there are plenty of archive photos along with some great artwork, this time by illustrator Adam Hook. Maps, the layout of a batterie site and tables of data on the various weapons (many of which still dated from WW1).The heavier weight of weaponry was on the German side but together the opposing forces make this a grand comparison. It does also include the potential of the never completed site of the V3 gun emplacement at Mimoyeques, a site which is well worth a visit. Another interesting title in this Duel series from Osprey.
Thanks to Osprey for our review copy.

Robin