Battery AMTB 2A - Sullivans Island

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Battery AMTB 2A - Sullivans Island (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB 2A - Sullivans Island was a reinforced concrete World War II rapid fire 90mm gun battery built on old Battery Jasper, Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. AMTB stands for Anti Motor Torpedo Boat. Battery construction started 12 Feb 1943, was completed 28 Mar 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 2 Jul 1943. Deactivated in 1946.

Battery Jasper Gun Emplacement #1 Under Repair
Battery Jasper B.C. Post
Battery Jasper

History

Part of the Harbor Defense of Charleston.
The AMTB battery at Sullivans Island consisted of two 90mm gun mounted on 90mm M3 fixed gun mounts and two mobile 90mm guns on M1A1 mobile carriages. Concrete pads for two fixed guns were laid in front of emplacements 2 and 3 of old Battery Jasper. The two mobile gun positions were laid out in front of emplacements 1 and 4 of old Battery Jasper. 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.


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 2A - Sullivans Island Armament (edit list)
Empl
No 		Caliber
Type 		Barrel
Length 		Model Serial
No 		Manufacturer Carriage Service
Dates 		Notes
1 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 6953 General Motors Pedestal Mount, M3, #131, General Motors 1943-1946
2 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 6832 General Motors Pedestal Mount, M3, #50, General Motors 1943-1946
M 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 3370 Watervliet Mobile M1A1 #1560, Watervliet 1943-1946 Note 1
M 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 3535 Watervliet Mobile M1A1 #1568, Watervliet 1943-1946 Note 1
Source: RCW Form 1, 15 Jun 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
Note 1: One of four mobile gun/carriage sets kept in ordnance storage for use in the four mobile gun positions
Battery AMTB 2A - Sullivans Island Plan


Current Status

No period gun or mounts in place.

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Location: Battery Jasper, Fort Moultrie, Charleston County, South Carolina.

Maps & Images

Lat: 32.7583169 Long: -79.8551935

Sources:

Links:

Visited: 23 Jan 2010


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