UA72344 AUSTRATT FORT COASTAL ARTILLERY SITE TRIPLE 28CM (11-INCH) TURRET CAESAR

Fort in Austratt was a German fortification work from the Second World War. The fort was built in the present-day Norwegian administrative district of Sor-Trondelag, which is located in the central part of the country. The fort at Austratt was erected in 1942 to cover the entrance to the fjord near the city of Trondheim. The main armament of the fort was a single turret ("Caesar") with three 280 mm guns, which was dismantled from the severely damaged Gneisenau. In addition, the fort's armament included a single 47 mm anti-tank gun and 9 20 and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns. About 600-700 forced laborers from the Balkans worked on the construction of the fort - many of them died of exhaustion or were killed. Interestingly, the fort in Austratt did not take part in any major artillery trade during World War II.