30.5 cm K 14 (r)
The ship that once carried these guns was launched in 1914 as the "Imperator Alexandr Trety". After the revolution in 1917 she was renamed as "Volya", which means freedom. Early 1918, during the German campaign at the "Crimea", she was captured by the German navy in the Black Sea because the Russian captain refused to scuttle her in deep waters. After WW-1, she was turned over to the "White Fleet" and renamed as the "General Alekseev". As a result of the Whites' Navy collapse, she was interned into the French port Bizerte in Tunesia. This was August 1920. In the late 30's England and France agreed to support Finland in her battle against Russia, so 4 guns were shipped into the freighter "Nina". She was bound for Finland and sailed past the Norwegian coast. The German troops, at this time, had occupied Norway, captured the "Nina" and saw their-well-known-Crimea-guns again. Krupp was ordered to perform an upgrade and to make four turrets, each for one gun. Finally the guns ended on the Channel Island Guernsey in the battery "Mirus". This is the story how 4 guns kept on changing sides during history:
- from Imperial Russia into Free Russia, to Germany,
- then to the Whites' Navy and shortly after to France and
- back again into German hands and at last ..
- on British territory, left at the battery "Mirus" on Guernsey.
| Battery | Location | Turrets | Bunkertype | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirus | Guernsey, Channel Islands | 4 - 1 | Sk |
One of the gunemplacements in the battery "Mirus". (Roy de Bruijn)
One of the huge ammunitionbukers in the battery "Mirus".