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.
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.
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)
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 PlanBattery 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.