Taiaroa Head Battery and albatross colony

[nuuumannn]

A few pictures from a visit a few years back.

Remnants from the Channel Battery, fitted with two 64 pdr guns. This was one of the original batteries built on site as a result of the Russian scare of 1885. The network of tunnels for the Channel Battery was demolished in WW2.

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A model of the type of gun from the Channel Battery.

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The observation post for the Saddle Battery, equipped with a single 7-in gun.

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A model of the Saddle Battery gun.

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A 7-inch shell.

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This is the interior of the OP for the Light House Battery. Access is through a series of tunnels, which we'll see later.

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The sighting device.

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Comms for directing the gun.

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The hill is inaccessible to the public because it's a Southern Royal Albatross colony, the only one on a mainland location and the OP serves a more posaic purpose today, as the birds can be observed up close.

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Corridor to the gun pit.

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Contained within is Taiaroa Head's crown jewel, a 6-inch breech-loading Armstrong Disappearing Gun on an Elswick Carriage. Note the range clock.

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Looking up at the turret top that sits flush with the outside surface. The entire unit is turned by turning the big wheels, of which there are two.

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How it works.

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The breech.

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The hinge pin.

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Rifled barrel.

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The pressurisation system for the actuator.

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One of the turret rotating wheels and drive shaft, with teeth visible at its base.

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Types of shell.

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Comms and air freshener (!), with accessway to the magazine.

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The magazine hatch, where shells were hoisted up from below the gun pit.

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The titular light house.

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One of the head's permanent residents.

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More images here: www.flickr.com/photos/147661871@N04/albums/72177720302314947/with/52377911264/

Thanks for looking.

[shorty]

I live just a couple of kilometres down the road from there

[nighthawknz]

Was up there having another look around just the other day... we go out that way for a drive quite regularly... we just live in Dunners...

[nuuumannn]

It's a fascinating place with an intriguing history. There's lots of gun emplacement ruins around Dunedin.

[oj]

What a fascinating find. Most enjoyable.
Explain the use of the "Range clock" please.

[nuuumannn]

Nov 5, 2022 19:45:06 GMT 12 oj said:

What a fascinating find. Most enjoyable.
Explain the use of the "Range clock" please.

Thanks, OJ.

"A Range Clock is an instrument that can indicate a hypothetical range to a target and continuously adjust the presently indicated range by applying a range rate set upon it. It is not unlike a clock that can be set not only for the time of day (range), but also the rate at which time passes (range rate)."

From here: www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Range_Clock