7.5 INCH GUNS IN ARUBA

FROM: Volume 11, Issue 2 The Coast Defense Study Group Journal The United States Coast Artillery Command on Aruba and Curaçao in World War II By: William C. Gaines

William C. Gaines wrote the following in this Journal:

"The Netherlands colonial coast artillery manned a battery of three 7.5-inch guns on the island’s northeast coast at Juana Morto. This battery, established early in 1940, test fired its guns on May 17, 1940."

THIS IS A PHOTO OF ONE OF THE GUNS.  THE PHOTO WAS SUPPLIED BY DOLFI KOCK IN ARUBA

DOLFI HAS PROMISED MORE PHOTOS LATER.

In June of 2006 and son, Paul Jensen and myself went looking for these guns or what remained of them.  I remember soon after the war paying a visit to the site while the guns were still in place.  I went with Bruce Kilpatrick and his family and we climbed all over the guns.  Later, when we were older Bruce and I rode or bikes out to Juana Morto, behind Essoville, and the guns were still there.  This time we were alone and we took a couple of the brass instruction plates from the guns.  These cast brass plates had instructions on the operation of the guns.  I asked Bruce about this when I saw in in June, 2006 in Aruba at the reunion and he said he had his plate up until a few years ago.  I remember having my plate when we moved to the States in 1979 but now I have no idea where it is.

THE BACK OF WHAT WAS THE CONTROL AND SIGHTING UNIT FOR THE GUN.

THE FRONT OF THE SIGHTING AND CONTROL BUNKER WITH THE SLIT FOR LOOKING OUT.

THIS IS WHERE THE GUN WAS MOUNTED, BELOW THE FIXED SIGHTING BUNKER.

THIS IS INSIDE THE GUN MOUNT.  THIS ROOM IS LOWER THAN THE GUN TURRET AND THE DOOR LEADS UNDER THE TURRET.

THIS IS THE TOP OF THE TURRET.  THE WALL WITH THE DOOR GOING UNDER THE TURRET CAN BE SEEN IN THIS PHOTO, LOWER LEFT.  THE TURRET IS THE ROUND HOLE, CENTER, RIGHT

THIS IS THE TURRET, THE SHELLS MUST HAVE BEEN FED UP INTO THE GUN FROM BELOW THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE STEEL PLATE.

IN THIS SHOT YOU CAN SEE THE TURRET, WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN STEEL TRACK SET IN THE CONCRETE TO ALLOW THE GUN TO ROTATE AND THE ROOM, UPPER RIGHT OF PHOTO WHERE THE DOOR WAS TO GO UNDER THE GUN.

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE STEEL PLATE IN THE TURRET WITH THE KEY-HOLE TO THE ROOM BELOW.

LOOKING FROM THE GUN TURRET BACK AT THE SIGHTING BUNKER.

THE FOLLOWING SATELLITE PHOTOS FROM GOOGLE EARTH SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE THREE GUN FOUNDATIONS.

NOTE THE GUNS ARE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE REFINERY.  THE SMOKE FROM THE BURNING TANKERS AND THE REFINERY PREVENTED THE MEN MANNING THE GUNS FROM SEEING THE SUBMARINE ON THE NIGHT OF THE ATTACK AND THUS THEY COULD NOT FIRE ON U-BOAT 156.

THE THREE GUN FOUNDATIONS CAN NOW BE SEEN.

THE THREE GUN FOUNDATIONS CAN NOW BE CLEARLY SEEN.

THE ONE GUN FOUNDATION, THE NORTHERLY MOST OF THE THREE, CAN BE SEEN IN THIS SHOT AS WELL AS THE BUNKER.