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Batterie Pommern, also known as Lange Max, was the world's biggest gun in 1917, during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. The German gun was of type 38 cm SK L/45 "Max" and had a modified design by
Krupp The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krupp ...
compared to earlier German 38 cm gun types. The modification allowed the gun to shoot from Koekelare to
Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
, which is about 50 km away.


Location

Batterie Pommern is located in
Koekelare (
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
) in the neighborhood called Leugenboom. It is part of
Site Lange Max Site Lange Max is a private domain, from the center of Koekelare, Belgium. The domain is located at from the Käthe Kollwitz Museum in Koekelare, from the Vladslo German war cemetery and from Diksmuide. The Site The site is located on an ...
, next to the Lange Max Museum. Today, the immense artillery platform can still be visited.


Construction

The 15inch (38 cm) long range gun, protected by armour, was mounted on a steel bridge having a pivot in front. The rear part of the gun travelled along a circular rail-track in a concrete pit of about 70 feet in diameter. The gun was manoeuvred by means of electric motors. On either side were large shelters in reinforced concrete. In front of and below the platform there was an electric generator group. A large shelter of reinforced concrete on the right was probably the Post of Commandment. There was a dummy gun emplacement further on.


History

On 27 June 1917 the gun fired for the first time. Its target was
Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
where the first shot was a direct hit.
Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
and
Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality ...
were the main targets of the gun. During the
Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...
it played a significant role for the Germans. During the
Interbellum In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relative ...
the Pommern battery was one of the most successful attractions in the battlefield tourism in Belgium. It was featured in the
Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of ...
"L'Yser et la côte belge". Famous visitors to the
Site Lange Max Site Lange Max is a private domain, from the center of Koekelare, Belgium. The domain is located at from the Käthe Kollwitz Museum in Koekelare, from the Vladslo German war cemetery and from Diksmuide. The Site The site is located on an ...
over time include: *
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, around the
Interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relative ...
. *
Hirohito Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
, 124th Emperor of Japan * Margaret Hall *
King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
,
King of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
(10 December 1918). * Prince Edward,
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
, future
King of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
and
Emperor of India Emperor or Empress of India was a title used by British monarchs from 1 May 1876 (with the Royal Titles Act 1876) to 22 June 1948, that was used to signify their rule over British India, as its imperial head of state. Royal Proclamation of 2 ...
(10 December 1918). * Prince George, future
King of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
and
Emperor of India Emperor or Empress of India was a title used by British monarchs from 1 May 1876 (with the Royal Titles Act 1876) to 22 June 1948, that was used to signify their rule over British India, as its imperial head of state. Royal Proclamation of 2 ...
(10 December 1918). *
Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in ...
, French President (9 November 1918).Battlefield tourism on the coast after WWI - VLIZ
/ref> * Prince Leopold, future
King of the Belgians Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's ...
(9 November 1918). * Geert Bourgeois,
Minister-President of Flanders The Minister-President of Flanders ( nl, Minister-president van Vlaanderen) is the head of the Flemish Government, which is the executive branch of the Flemish Region and Flemish Community.See the communities, regions and language areas of Bel ...
(October 2014). *
Eckart Cuntz Eckart is a German surname, and may refer to: * Anselm Eckart (1721–1809), German Jesuit missionary * Carl Eckart * Dennis E. Eckart (born 1950), American lawyer, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives * Dietrich Eckart (1868–192 ...
, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany (8 November 2014). * Royal Thai Embassy to Belgium, (17 January 2015). *
Bart Tommelein Bart Joris Tommelein (born 4 May 1962) is a Belgian politician of Open Vld who was minister in the Bourgeois Government and is the incumbent mayor of Ostend. Career Bart Tommelein was born in Ostend on 4 May 1962. He started in the People's Un ...
, Vice Minister-President and Flemish Minister for Finance, Budget and Energy in the
Bourgeois Government The Bourgeois Government (''Regering-Bourgeois'') was the Flemish Government formed following the 2014 Flemish Parliament election. The cabinet consisted of a centre-right coalition of the nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the Christian D ...
(March 2016). *
Sven Gatz Sven Gatz (born 6 May 1967 in Sint-Agatha-Berchem) is a Flemish Open Vld politician and the current Brussels Minister of Finance, Budget, Civil Service and Multilingualism in the government of the Brussels-Capital Region. From 1999 to 2011 he wa ...
, Flemish Minister for Culture, Youth, Media and Brussels in the
Bourgeois Government The Bourgeois Government (''Regering-Bourgeois'') was the Flemish Government formed following the 2014 Flemish Parliament election. The cabinet consisted of a centre-right coalition of the nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the Christian D ...
(June 2016).


Image gallery

Image:38cmBttrPommern.jpg, 'Long Max' in Koekelare biggest gun of the world in 1917. Image:Lange Max van het Lange Max Museum.png, Long Max (also known as Leugenboom gun) in Koekelare. Image:(Vue_aérienne_verticale_de_Leugenboom_en_Belgique)_-_Fonds_Berthelé_-_49Fi1709.jpg, Picture of Battery Pommern (= 'Long Max' gun) in Koekelare


References

*Raf Seys, Commeine L.: ''Lange Max : het groot kanon van Leugenboom'', Devriendt, Koekelare, 192 p.


External links

* {{coord, 51.1169, N, 2.9823, E, source:wikidata, display=title World War I sites in Belgium Koekelare