The story
The British super-gun "Bruce" (named after Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser-the recently appointed C-in-C Home Fleet) was fired for the first time from the RM Siege Battery area behind St. Margarets at Cliffe, Kent, England, United Kingdom. It achieved a range of 62.5 miles vindicating the predictions of the ballistics experts. Unfortunately after 30 shots the rifling on the inside of the barrel was worn so that the ribbed shells failed to "catch" in the grooves. The result was that "Bruce" was unable to make any further contribution to the war effort.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.