Sea Flame Barrage Pump House - Bishopstone

[maxell]

This Flame Barrage Pump House is located next to marine parade close to Bishopstone train station. Its a rectangular structure with sloping roof.

 

 

There is a large door on the west wall.

 

 

And what was probable a window on the east wall together with three air vents.

 

 

 

 

Inside there are two large metal pipes that face each other and in between these would have been the valve/pump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LeeEnfield]

Great pic's..........

 

Have you heard anything re the pillbox on station roof at Bishopstone; If I remember correctly a few years ago there was some talk of opening it to interested parties.

 

Andy

[maxell]

Great pic's..........

 

Have you heard anything re the pillbox on station roof at Bishopstone; If I remember correctly a few years ago there was some talk of opening it to interested parties.

 

Andy

 

Thanks.

 

I have currently heard nothing about viewing the station pillboxes even after letter writing. I may try again! but if anyone hears anything then do let me know or has any ideas.

[Tunnel_Rat]

Nice little find there, well done.

[berna2vm]

How effective would it have been?

[LeeEnfield]

How effective would it have been?

 

 

Well I for one wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near the flame. I think that most flame 'guns', were far more effective as 'frighteners', than 'normal' equipment.

 

Also, the 'landing craft', the germans had got for opperation sealion, if I remember correctly were converted barges, in guessing of wood construction,.........which could have caused a certain amount of panic if one had been caught within range of this 'bit o kit'.

[berna2vm]

Yes Lee it would have had considerable psychological effect methinks:-).

[LeeEnfield]

Yes Lee it would have had considerable psychological effect methinks:-).

 

 

err yes, the expression scared shi*less comes to mind. :cool2:

 

 

However, I think looking at the way the german forces worked together, these units, along with I suspect most of the pillbox beach defences would have been dealt with by stuka dive bomber, before any attempted landing.

[Enigma]

Quite a lot of these barges were confiscated Dutch riverboats out of metal.

Flames wouldn't have been enormously effective against metal ships I'd guess.

 

However is the beach itself would burn that's another question...

[Pete]

As most of this type of defence were knocked up ad-hoc, I think that they did a great job. How effective they would have been isn't important. Anything that would delay an invading force would have been useful, so as to give time for a concerted effort on behalf of the defenders. Hence "Stop Lines", etc. Had Britain prepared for war earlier, rather than trying to appease the enemy, it would have been interesting to see what they came up with.

Food for thought, eh?

[steveo578]

It is obvious looking at this "flame Barage pump house" that it wasn't intended to be a protected instalation the brick structure wouldn't be able to stop anything significant -even a 8mm Kar 98 bullet would probably penetrate the walls at >100m- assuming the walls were not re-enforced with pilled up earth, however

 

LeeEnfield

......these units, along with I suspect most of the pillbox beach defences would have been dealt with by stuka dive bomber, before any attempted landing.

Do you really think air attack is/was that accurate:??? the pickle barrel myth is just that, better strike aircraft that the JU87b/D Stuka pounded the beaches of France with marginal effect during Dieppe and Normandy only the G model with twin large calibre A/T cannon could have picked off beach instalation assuming they were un-opposed and the G wasn't around for about 3years.

 

Enigma

Quite a lot of these barges were confiscated Dutch riverboats out of metal.

Flames wouldn't have been enormously effective against metal ships I'd guess.

While flame barrage was found to be ineffective- it was difficult to control due wind and currents, the Germans actually live tested :shocked: using the very same converted Dutch river barges and managed to kill and injure many of there own guys- many of the fatalities were due to suffication- it doesn't matter whether you're in a metal or wooden box if the oxygen has been sucked out:(.

 

A major plan for beach defence which is rarely if ever mentioned was the plan to contaminate the strand areas using mustard gas- both by buried cylinders with pipework and shells (remote detonated).

 

I think Pete has got it right -during the 1940 emergency beach defence was to gain time not necessarily to push the enemy into the sea.

 

Steve