Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens

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Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens was a reinforced concrete, World War II 90mm coastal gun battery on Fort Pickens, Escambia County, Florida. Battery construction started 7 Apr 1943, was completed 16 Jun 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 7 Jul 1943 at a cost of $ 16,810.85. Deactivated in 1946.

Fort Pickens AMTB Battery Emplacement #1 Remains.
Fort Pickens AMTB Battery Emplacement #2 Remains.
Fort Pickens AMTB Battery Remains.

World War II (1941-1945)

Part of the Harbor Defense of Pensacola.
Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens Magazine Structure.
Battery AMTB Emplacement #1 Mount.

Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 90mm, M1 guns mounted on T-3 fixed carriages and two 90mm, M1 guns mounted on M1A1 mobile carriages. The battery was located 125' outside the Fort Pickens seawall. Two wooden platforms were constructed at the seawall for an elevation height-finder and an elevation director. A single magazine was built into the left flank of Battery Cullum and three other magazines were built in front of old Fort Pickens, all were inside the 13' seawall.



AMTB Front View
AMTB Interior View
AMTB Side View
AMTB Back View

The above photos were taken at Fort Monroe, Battery Parrott

From FM 4-91: "This weapon consists of the 90-mm gun M1 and top carriage M1A1 on the 90-mm gun mount M3. The mount M3 is of the turret type, the shielding being constructed of boiler plates. This boiler plate shield provide fragmentation protection only. No shielding is provided at the rear due to the requirements for service of the piece. A sighting port in the shielding in front permits sighting in direction by the gun pointer."

References:

  • FM 4-91 - 90-MM Gun, Fixed Mount Service of the Piece
  • FM 4-126 - Antiaircraft Artillery, Service of the Piece, 90-mm Antiaircraft Gun
  • TM 9-373 - 90-mm Gun M1 and 90-mm Gun Mount T3 (M3)


Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens Armament (edit list)
Empl
No
Caliber
Type
Barrel
Length
Model Serial
No
Manufacturer Carriage Service
Dates
Notes
1 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 7078 General Motors Fixed, T-3, #211, General Motors 1943-1946 See note 1
2 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 7214 General Motors Fixed, T-3, #252, General Motors 1943-1946 See note 1
3 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 3339 Watervliet Mobile, M1A1, #1552, Watertown 1943-1946 See note 1
4 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 2911 Watervliet Mobile, M1A1, #1127, York 1943-1946 See note 1
Source:
1. RCW Form 1, 30 Nov 1943
2. Coast Defense Study Group, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 80-81
3. NARA RG165, E257 Box 68 - Bolling Smith
Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens Plan
Battery AMTB - Fort Pickens Site Plan


Current Status

Part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore is administered by the National Park Service at Fort Pickens. Concrete gun pads visible. No period guns or mounts in place. One magazine in the left flank of Battery Cullum remains.


Location: Fort Pickens, Escambia County, Florida

Maps & Images

Lat: 30.325735 Long: -87.292417

  • Multi Maps from ACME
  • Maps from Bing
  • Maps from Google
  • Elevation: 18.4167'


GPS Locations:

Sources:

  • Historic Structure Report and Resource Study, Pensacola Harbor Defense Project 1890-1947, Florida Unit, National Park service, March 1982
  • U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Pensacola, (HDPEN-AN-45), 1 Jul 1945, CDSG

Links:

Visited: 25 Apr 2013, 30 Dec 2011, 16 Dec 2009

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