Battery 223

Battery 223 (1944-1947) - Battery 223 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Cape May Military Reservation, Cape May County, New Jersey. Battery construction started on 12 Sep 1942, was completed on 23 Jun 1943 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 8 Apr 1944 at a cost of $ 542,000.00. Deactivated in 1947.

Cape May MR, Battery 223 Gun Emplacement #1 Entrance	Cape May MR, Battery 223 Gun Emplacement #2 Entrance
Cape May MR, Battery 223 Exposed

World War II

Part of the Harbor Defense of the Delaware.

Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" T2 rapid fire guns mounted on M3 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. The support structure included six separate shell rooms, two powder rooms, two air compressor/motor generator rooms, a power generating complex, a switchboard room, a plotting room and a latrine.

6" Gun at Fort Columbia Originally at Fort McAndrew, Battery 281, Argentia, NL, Canada

These 6" World War II coastal gun batteries were designed to replace obsolete Endicott Period Batteries. Of the 87 planned only 45 were completed and many of those were not completed until late in the war (1944-1945). The 6" guns fired a 105 pound armor-piercing projectile with a range of over 15 miles at a rate of up to 5 rounds per minute. The gun crews were protected by a thick shield around the gun. Only six of these guns remain in the world, two at Fort Columbia in Battery 246, two at Fort Pickens in Battery 234, and two at Fort McAndrew in Battery 282 in Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

6" Gun Crew

Battery 223 Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	6" Rifle	310"	T2-M1		18	Watervliet	Shielded Barbette, M3, #12, York	1944-1947	See note 1
2	6" Rifle	310"	T2-M1		19	Watervliet	Shielded Barbette, M3, #13, York	1944-1947	See note 1
Source: RCW Form 1, 1 Jan 1945, 4 May 1945, 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 104-105, 208 Note 1: Guns transferred from Watervliet in March 1944, carriages transferred from York 1 Jun 1943. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA

Battery 223 Plan

Korean War

Battery 223 was used as a U.S. Navy radio transmitter station for the Atlantic Fleet during the Korean War. That facility was decommissioned in 1963.

Current Status

This battery is totally exposed except for the gun pads which are now buried. No period guns or mounts in place.

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Location: Cape May Point State Park, Cape May County, New Jersey Maps & Images Lat: 38.9315222 Long: -74.9555433 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 24.5'

Sources:

• U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of The Delaware, (HDDEL-AN-45), 1 Jul 1945, CDSG

Links:

• Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library

Visited: 17 Aug 2010

Battery 223 Picture Gallery

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