Battery AMTB 24 - Fishermans Island (1944-1946) - Battery AMTB 24 - Fishermans Island was a reinforced concrete World War IIAMTB rapid fire 90mm gun battery on Fishermans Island near Fort John Custis, Northampton County, Virginia. Battery construction started 7 Dec 1942, was completed 26 Jan 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 12 Feb 1944 at a cost of $ 6,936.56. Deactivated in 1946.
The AMTB battery at Fishermans Island consisted of two 90mm guns mounted on 90mm M3 gun mounts. Two concrete pads for these guns and an earth covered concrete magazine were placed near Battery 227. The battery had a dual mission of defense against fast enemy motor torpedo boats and enemy aircraft. The effective range of the guns was about 8,000 yards. Each weapon required a crew of 15, 9 men in the gun squad and 6 men in the ammunition squad.
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 24 - Fishermans Island Armament(edit list)
Source: RCW Form 1, 12 Feb 1944, 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, 210
