White Cliffs, Wanstone Battery 'Jane'
With barrels weighing over 100 tons (102 tonnes), the mounting around 70 tons (71 tonnes), and set in approximately 2800 tons (2850 tonnes) of reinforced concrete set deep into the chalk, 'Jane' and 'Clem' were the largest, breech-loaded, longest-range weapons to have ever been installed on the British mainland. Not only could these guns be used against shipping – they were capable of attacking targets on the French coast and for several miles inland.
Throughout the winter of 1941/2, concrete (mixed on site) was laid, the heavily protected magazines constructed, and other infrastructure put in place. Commissioning of the first gun, dubbed ‘Jane’ after 'Just Jane', the raunchy Norman Pett cartoon character that appeared in the Daily Mirror from 1932 to 1959, took place on 20 April 1942.
3551 photos taken in February 2024 with a Sony a7R III and 365 with a DJI Air 2S (by Paul-Samual Armour) and processed in Reality Capture by David Fletcher (@artfletch). With thanks to Jon Barker for access and assistance.
Throughout the winter of 1941/2, concrete (mixed on site) was laid, the heavily protected magazines constructed, and other infrastructure put in place. Commissioning of the first gun, dubbed ‘Jane’ after 'Just Jane', the raunchy Norman Pett cartoon character that appeared in the Daily Mirror from 1932 to 1959, took place on 20 April 1942.
3551 photos taken in February 2024 with a Sony a7R III and 365 with a DJI Air 2S (by Paul-Samual Armour) and processed in Reality Capture by David Fletcher (@artfletch). With thanks to Jon Barker for access and assistance.