130-mm battery on Osmussaar (middle) Fortification

The island of Osmussaar is situated off the north-west coast of Estonia. This 130-mm coastal battery is located, in turn, in the north-western part of the island.

Construction began in 1940, but experienced disruptions. The artillery only arrived a couple days after war broke out and was hastily put in place, with installation completed by 3 July 1941. Since the island’s 180-mm battery only became battle-ready that September, the 130-mm battery and 76-mm air-defence guns were the only firepower on Osmussaar for the first two months of the war. Both ships and aircraft were fired at. In early December, during the evacuation of the island, the artillery was rendered unusable. From 1942-1944 the Germans had their own artillery mounted on the 130-mm gun pits. In autumn 1944 restoration work began on the battery. It has been speculated that the battery was demolished in the 1950s; the exact date is unknown.

Three overgrown gun pits and a partly collapsed dugout are all that remain of the battery.