Battery 155 - Fort Pickens
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Battery 155 - Fort Pickens (1942-1942) - Battery 155 - Fort Pickens was a reinforced concrete, World War II 155mm inch coastal gun battery on Fort Pickens, Escambia County, Florida. Battery construction started 27 Jul 1942, was completed 18 Sep 1942 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 26 Oct 1942 at a cost of $ 26,652.25. Deactivated 5 Apr 1945.
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155mm M1918 Gun at [[Fort Morgan (Alabama) -
Battery 155 - Fort Pickens Panama Mount #2 -
Battery 155 - Fort Pickens Panama Mount -
Battery 155 - Fort Pickens During WWII
World War II (1941-1945)
Part of the Harbor Defense of Pensacola. Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with four 155mm M1918 guns mounted on M1918 carriages.
This battery was built as four circular Panama mounts, two in front of Battery Cooper and one on each side of Battery Cooper. The Battery Cooper structure was used and modified as a support structure for Battery 155 - Fort Pickens.
Starting in 1937 four circular concrete pads were planned around Battery Cooper to mount 155mm GPF M1918 guns on mobile M1918 carriages in fixed positions. These four gun positions were designated Battery 155 - Fort Pickens and remained in operation from 26 Oct 1942 until 5 Apr 1945. The Battery Cooper facilities were used for ammunition storage and support facilities. In 1942 generator #1 at Battery Pensacola was removed and reinstalled in Battery Cooper to support the four 155mm GPF guns. A separate 6 commode latrine was built and the B.C. Station was remodeled.
| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 155mm Rifle | 20' | M1918MI | 615 | Dodge | Panama, M1918, #48, Minneapolis | 1942-1945 | See note 1 | |
| 2 | 155mm Rifle | 20' | M1918MI | 763 | Dodge | Panama, M1918, #182, Minneapolis | 1942-1945 | See note 1 | |
| 3 | 155mm Rifle | 20' | M1918MI | 762 | Dodge | Panama, M1918, #55T, Minneapolis | 1942-1945 | See note 1 | |
| 4 | 155mm Rifle | 20' | M1918MI | 791 | Dodge | Panama, M1918, #392, Minneapolis | 1942-1945 | See note 1 | |
| Source: RCW Form 1, 26 Nov 1942, 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 190-191, 212 Note 1: | |||||||||
Current Status
No period guns or carriages in place. All of the Panama mounts are exposed from their original sand foundations but remain in relatively good shape.
Context
Location:
Fort Pickens, Escambia County, Florida
Lat: 30.321° Long: -87.282° Elevation: 20'
Bing, Google,
OldMapsOnline,
USGS, OHM
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:
Gallery
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Battery 155 - Fort Pickens Panama Mount #2 Center -
Battery 155 - Fort Pickens Panama Mount #3 -
Battery 155 - Fort Pickens Panama Mount #4
Related:
2013 Forts Visited, Battery Cooper, Battery Pensacola, CDSG, Coastal Battery Gun List, Coastal Gun Service Dates, Fort Morgan, Fort Pickens, New and Updated Batteries, World War II,