Protecting British Skies – Ack-Ack gun fired for first time in 50 years

October 4, 2010

Fort Nelson resounded to the sound of anti-aircraft fire recently – a poignant reminder of Portsmouth’s suffering during the Blitz.

The History Channel captured the moment as uniformed gunners from the Portsdown Artillery Volunteers fired a mobile Three-Seven anti-aircraft  (AA) gun for the first time in more than 50 years.

The gun firing at the Royal Armouries Museum, Fort Nelson, evoked powerful memories of the Victorian building’s role during the Second World War, when a battery was sited outside the Fort at Monument Farm.  Initially, static Three-Sevens were used to help defend the City of Portsmouth from relentless bombardment by Hitler’s Luftwaffe.

The Blitz wreaked widespread damage across the city and Portsmouth Harbour and saw the Fort take a hit on the night of January 9/10 1941. Fortunately the damage was not catastrophic and the Fort escaped with structural damage.

The static anti-aircraft guns, bolted onto a concrete base, were also damaged in the air raid and mobile Three-Sevens - of a similar specification to the gun fired at Fort Nelson recently – provided cover while repairs took place.

The recent gun firing – coinciding with the 70th anniversary year of the Battle of Britain – featured a Three-Seven dating to later in the War (1943). The Royal Armouries acquired it from a dealer about 20 years ago and dismantled it, prior to extensive restoration work.
Known colloquially as an “Ack-Ack” gun during the War, the weapon has now been given an overhaul and cleaned and repainted. A new firing pin was made on site, a spare cartridge case provided and various checks and tests carried out.
Now the gun is due to take pride of place in a breathtaking glass-fronted new gallery, currently under construction at the Portsdown Hill Fort. The building project – part funded by a grant of almost £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund – will see the Victorian Fort refurbished sympathetically into a modern visitor attraction, including a new Orienteur Gallery, housing the most spectacular exhibits from the national collection of cannon and artillery.
The Armouries’ Keeper of Artillery Nick Hall said, “The Three-Seven was Britain’s main defence against German bombers during the Second World War. It was our answer to the German 88 – but better! Over 2,000 were built and it fired more rounds in a minute and to a higher ‘ceiling’ of about 32,000 feet.”
Nick added that the mobile guns were usually attached to a field army to give anti-aircraft defence, and thus served widely overseas during WWII, for example in North Africa, Italy and the Mediterranean, and in Northern Europe from D-Day onwards. After the Germans started using their mobile AAs [the ‘88’] against tanks and other ground targets, sometimes and perhaps reluctantly, Three-Sevens were used in a similar way.
The Ack Ack guns were eventually decommissioned in 1959, when they were replaced by guided missiles.
For more details about the Royal Armouries and the national collection housed at Fort Nelson, visit www.royalarmouries.org
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Media contact: Joss Loader, Primary PR Ltd – 01273 388419 or 07838 379599 or email joss@primarypr.co.uk
 
About the fort:

• The Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson houses the national collection of historic cannon and big guns. The museum houses one of the world’s finest collections with over 350 cannon dating back over 600 years and from every corner of the earth. The collection originated at HM Tower of London and has been on display in Hampshire since 1995.
• Fort Nelson also tells the story of the Palmerston Forts, built to protect Portsmouth from a feared French invasion in the 1860’s.
• Fort Nelson is open every day except 24th to 26th December. April to October 10am –5pm (Wed 11am-5pm), November – March 10.30am – 4pm (Wed 11.30-4pm).
• Admission to the Royal Armouries is FREE.
• Admission charges apply to some events.
• Information line: 01329 233734
• Website: www.royalarmouries.org
• Email: fnenquiries@armouries.org.uk
• The Royal Armouries is the national museum of arms and armour with sites at Fort Nelson, Leeds, HM Tower of London and Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
• The Royal Armouries Museum should not be confused with Royal Armouries International plc, the private sector corporate hospitality business.