Battery Putnam

Battery Putnam (1899-1943) - Battery Haldimand Putnam is a concrete Endicott Period Battery located on Fort Worden, Jefferson County, Washington. Named in G.O. 194, 27 Dec 1904, for Colonel Haldiman S. Putnam (Cullum 1767), New Hampshire Volunteers (Captain Corps of Engineers), who was killed while leading a charge on the parapet of Fort Wagner in July, 1863 during the U.S. Civil War. The Battery was begun in Jun 1903, completed 8 Mar 1906 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 21 May 1907 at a total cost of $12,000. The guns were removed in 1946 after World War II. Battery Putnam Rear View Battery Putnam Gun position #1 Endicott Period (1890-1910) Part of the Harbor Defense of Puget Sound. Designed to protect the Admiralty Inlet to Puget Sound from small fast boats and secondarily to provide anti-aircraft protection. Battery Putnam is a small concrete battery housing two 3" M1903 rapid-fire guns on M1903 pedestal mounts separated by a three-room support facility. Each gun position had a separated magazine in the support facility and a storeroom separated the magazines. The rapid-fire 3" guns could fire a 15-pound shell about 6 miles. Battery Putnam Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 3" Rifle 154.5" M1903 23 Watervliet Pedestal, M1903, #14, Watertown 1907-1946 See Note 1 2 3" Rifle 154.5" M1903 24 Watervliet Pedestal, M1903, #15, Watertown 1907-1946 See Note 1 Source: RCW Form 1, Apr 1932, 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 74-75, 217 Note 1: Guns and carriages declared obsolete 18 Oct 1945 and processed for salvage 7 Mar 1946. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Battery Putnam Plan World War II (1941-1945) Battery Putnam was in service until the end of World War II in 1945. In 1946 the gun carriages were sold for scrap and the gun-tubes were put into storage for use as spares at Battery Walker (2). Current Status Part of the Fort Worden State Park Conference Center. The Battery is accessible to the public but all three of the battery room doors were locked or welded shut. No guns or carriages are in place. The mooning scene in the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" was photographed from Battery Putnam. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort Worden State Park Conference Center, Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington Maps & Images Lat: 48.135564 Long: -122.763569 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 97' Sources: Fort Worden Guide, The Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, 2005, page 19 U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project, Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound, (CCA-AN-PS), 12 Aug 1945, CDSG Links: Seacoast Defense Photos Battery Putnam Virtual Tour CDSG Visited: 19 Jul 2008 Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! Battery Putnam Gun Position #2 Battery Putnam Gun Position #1 Mount Battery Putnam Gun Position #2 Mount