Battery AMTB 963

Battery AMTB 963 (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB 963 was a reinforced concrete World War II AMTB rapid fire 90mm gun battery on Peak's Island Military Reservation, Peak's Island, Cumberland County, Maine. Battery construction started in 1943, was completed in 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use in 1943. Deactivated in 1946. World War II Part of the Harbor Defense of Portland, Maine. There were two AMTB batteries on Peaks's Island Military Reservation. Battery AMTB 963 was on the southeast end of the island and covered the White Head passage. Battery AMTB 964 was located on the northeast end of the island and covered the approach to Hussey Sound. Each AMTB battery at Peak's Island consisted of two 90mm guns mounted on 90mm M3 fixed gun mounts and two 90mm guns mounted on 90mm M1A1 mobile gun mounts. Concrete pads were provided for both fixed guns and often wooden gun platforms were provided for the mobile guns. Two earth covered concrete magazines provided protection for the ammunition. Electric power was provided by M-7 portable generators. 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 or 4.5 miles. 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) Current Status Private property, no period gun or mounts in place but the gun blocks are mostly visible. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Peak's Island, Cumberland County, Maine Maps & Images Lat: 43.653588 Long: -70.18185 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' Sources: U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Portland, Maine, (HDPB-AN-45), 11 Apr 1945, CDSG Links: U.S.A.C.E., Portland, ME Archives Search Report, Findings, Peaks Island Military Reservation Large pdf download CDSG Visited: No