Battery AMTB - Bluff Park

Battery AMTB - Bluff Park (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB - Bluff Park was a reinforced concrete World War II 90mm AMTB gun battery at Bluff Park in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. This battery was a sub-post of Fort MacArthur. Battery construction started June 1943, was completed in September 1943, and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use on 4 May 1944. Deactivated in 1946. Bluff Park Sign Offshore Oil Isands at long Beach View from the Bluff near the Site of Battery AMTB - Bluff Park World War II (1941-1945) Part of the Harbor Defense of Los Angeles. Four Anti Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) batteries were built for the Harbor Defense of Los Angeles during World War II under Job No. FS-8 at a total cost of $76,576.03. All four batteries were constructed between June 1943 and October 1943 and all four were accepted for service on 4 May 1944. Each of the four batteries consisted of two fixed gun emplacements of 90mm M1 guns on M3 pedestal mounts with a heavy shield. Additionally provisions were made for two temporary mobile gun positions at each of the four locations and each position had supporting structures for ammunition storage and a central power source. Two of the AMTB batteries were located on Fort MacArthur, (Battery AMTB - Navy Field & Battery AMTB - Gaffey Bulge) and the other two were located off the main reservation at Terminal Island (Battery AMTB - Terminal Island) and Bluff Park, Long Beach (Battery AMTB - Bluff Park). The dual mission of these AMTB batteries was both to defend the harbor against smaller, faster naval vessels that might evade the larger batteries and to defend against aerial attack. 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 - Bluff Park Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 7056 General Motors Pedestal Mount, M3, #195, F B D 1943-1946 2 90mm Rifle 186.15" M1 5375 Watervliet Pedestal Mount, M3, #164, F B D 1943-1946 Source: RCW Part 1, 5 Dec 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 Battery AMTB - Bluff Park Plan 5 Dec 1944 Current Status No gun or mounts in place. No remains. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Bluff Park in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. The map point is approximate. Maps & Images Lat: 33.762603 Long: -118.161156 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 54' Sources: U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles, (LA-AN-WDC-44), 31 Aug 1944, CDSG Links: Fort MacArthur Museum CDSG Visited: 3 Jan 2013