Battery 206 (1943-1948) - Battery 206 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on East Point Military Reservation, Nahant, Essex County, Massachusetts. Battery construction started in 1942, was completed in 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use in 1943 at a cost of approximately $ 250,000.00. Deactivated in 1948.
East Point MR, Battery 206, Gun Emplacement #2 with Damaged Gun Block Apron.
East Point MR, Battery 206, Entrance #1.
East Point MR, Battery 206, Gun Pad #1 Remains with Fire Control Towers in Background.
Battery 206 Gun Emplacements, Emp #1 Left, Emp #2 Right, Boston in the Background.
Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" M1903A2 rapid fire guns mounted on M1 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete magazine and support structure. Power was supplied by internal generators and commercial power.
This particular battery was established at the edge of a rock cliff with the water directly below. Over the life of the battery, erosion took its toll on the cliff face and this resulted in the failure of the front of Gun Emplacement #2 gun block apron. The apron partially collapsed and later fell to the bottom of the cliff.
During World War II Battery 206 was designated Tactical Battery #15 at location 131.
These 6" World War II coastal gun batteries were designed to replace obsolete Endicott Period Batteries. Of the 87 planned only 45 were completed and many of those were not completed until late in the war (1944-1945).
The 6" guns fired a 105 pound armor-piercing projectile with a range of over 15 miles at a rate of up to 5 rounds per minute. The gun crews were protected by a thick shield around the gun. Only six of these guns remain in the world, two at Fort Columbia in Battery 246, two at Fort Pickens in Battery 234, and two at Fort McAndrew in Battery 282 in Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Source: CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 104-105 Note 1: Guns transferred from Watervliet 10 Nov 1943, carriages transferred from Wellman 2 Jun 1943. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA.
Battery 206
East Point MR, Battery 206, Gun Emplacement #2
East Point MR, Battery 206, Gun Emplacement #1
In 1944 the war reserve and battle allowances of ammunition for the battery was:
.jpg)
