Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor

Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor was a reinforced concrete World War II rapid fire 90mm AMTB gun battery on Fort Taylor (2), Florida. Battery construction started and was completed in 1943. Deactivated in 1946. Battery AMTB #5 Emplacement #1 Concrete Pad. Battery AMTB 5 Ready Ammunition Storage. Battery AMTB #5 Emplacement #1 Mounting Ring. History Gun Mounts Recovered During Excavation Part of the Harbor Defense of Key West. The AMTB battery at Fort Taylor (2) consisted of two fixed 90mm guns mounted on 90mm M3 gun mounts and two 90mm mobile guns held in storage. The two mobile 90mm guns and carriages were stored inside Fort Taylor (2). Concrete pads for both fixed guns were laid inside Fort Taylor (2), one in emplacement #2 of Battery Adair and one in the bastion next to Battery Adair. 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 5 Fort Taylor Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 A1 6938 General Motors Pedestal Mount, M3, #121, General Motors 1943-1946 2 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 A1 6943 General Motors Pedestal Mount, M3, #126, General Motors 1943-1946 M 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 3306 Watervliet Mobile Mount, M1A1, #1554, Watertown 1943-1946 M 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 2616 Watervliet Mobile Mount, M1A1, #1129, York 1943-1946 Source: 1. Coast Defense Study Group. 2. 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, 214. 3. Harbor Defenses of Key West, undated, NARA RG165, E257 Box 68 - Bolling Smith. Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor Location Current Status The concrete gun pads remain. No period guns or mounts in place. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort Taylor, Key West, Monroe County, Florida Maps & Images Lat: 24.5477038 Long: -81.8104541 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' Recent Blog Posts: Fort Zachary Taylor at Key West Florida Sources: Links: CDSG Visited: 27 Dec 2009 Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! Battery AMTB 5 Mounting Ring Gun #1