Wielka Brytania / Muzeum
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Fort Nelson, now managed by the Royal Armouries, houses a vast collection of weaponry, many items of which are exemplary of the artillery and field guns used during the Allied invasion. The fort was also considered a defence against enemy attacks on Portsmouth Dockyard.
Fort Nelson, originally commissioned by Lord Palmerston in 1859, was designed to protect Portsmouth Dockyard from invasion by French troops. One of five Portsdown forts, Fort Nelson was used by troops awaiting embarkation during the First World War, and subsequently as an anti-aircraft ammunition store during the Second World War. However, the fort fell largely into disrepair after this time, until it was purchased and renovated by the Royal Armouries and was opened as a museum. The site is of importance not only because of the vast collection of British and German field guns and artillery in its collection, but also because of the various re-enactments and commemorative events that take place each year.
The Allied invasion brought about many technological challenges and demanded a vast plethora of weaponry to oppose German artillery on the Normandy beaches. The museum at Fort Nelson houses and displays many such examples carried by the Allied armies. Of the most infamous weaponry carried by the British infantry are the Sten submachine gun Mk. III, the Bren light machine gun Mk.I and the Enfield No.4 Mk.I rifle. However, the museum is perhaps mostly popular for its artillery hall containing many examples of field guns. The Second World War led to the invention of the 25-pounder which combined power and both an upward and forward direction of fire. It weighed 2 tonnes, had a barrel length of 2.4 metres and a range of 12.1 kilometres. A crew of six operated the gun firing up to six shells a minute and able to swivel the gun on a moving platform. This gun was an important weapon during the Allied invasion, combining power and range to overcome the Atlantic Wall and other German fortifications. The power needed to combat German tanks called for supercharged shells that could damage armour, and so the addition of a muzzle break which dissipated combustion gases decreased the pressure on the barrel and extended its life. It was a simple yet vital piece of equipment that contributed to the Allied invasion.