The coastal defense battery of Punta Chiappa

The Punta Chiappa battery was built towards the end of the 1930s on the western coast of the Portofino peninsula. It was conceived as an anti-ship system to protect the levante of the golfo di Genova. The site is located in the municipality of Camogli, in the metropolitan city of Genova. It formed part of a coastal defense system alongside the batteries of Arenzano, Monte Moro, and Pegli.

Naval raids in 1940 and 1941 highlighted the deficiencies of the coastal defenses. The 152mm guns at Punta Chiappa were not capable of facing the opposing ships, as they were completely outside the range of the cannons. After the occupation of the site by units of the Wehrmacht and the RSI, it was subsequently reinforced and structurally adapted by the Organization Todt according to the construction criteria of bunkers for potential landings in the north.

The battery was armed with three 152/45 pieces positioned in barbetta on concrete platforms, with logistical services located in some buildings near the platforms. For fire direction and observation, operators used two reinforced concrete bunkers connected by a cave tunnel. Additional cave tunnels connected the logistics rooms to areas likely intended for ammunition storage and personnel shelter. A telemetric bunker was also built on the southern slope of the Portofino mountain at località il Bricco, providing a wide field of view from Capo Mele to the golfo della Spezia.

The installation included a description: 'Spiele nicht mit ein Gewehr, denn es könnt geladen sein', which translates to 'Do not play with a rifle, because it could be loaded'. To complete the battery, some sentries and open positions for light weapons were built to defend the headquarters.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons