Battery Tolles

Battery Tolles (1903-1945) - Battery Cornelius Tolles is a concrete Endicott Period Battery located on Fort Worden, Washington. Named after Bvt. Col. Cornelius W. Tolles, U.S. Volunteers (Capt. U.S. 13th Infantry) who died 8 Nov 1864 from wounds received in action at Newton, Virginia 16 Oct 1864 during the U.S. Civil War. The Battery was begun in Jun 1903, completed in 1906 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 21 May 1907 at a total cost of $104,500. The last of the guns guns were removed in 1945 after World War II.

Battery Tolles-A, Gun Emplacement #1

Battery Tolles-B, Gun Emplacement #2. The modifications can be seen by comparing with the photo on the left.

Battery Tolles History

Battery Corelius Tolles was originally built with four 6" M1903 disappearing guns on M1903 carriages, but two of the guns in emplacements 3 and 4 were removed in 1917 during World War I. In Nov 1936 modifications to gun emplacements 3 and 4 were begun to accommodated the installation of two 6" M1900 guns with M1900 Barbette Carriages. The modifications included raising the gun platform with reinforced concrete pads, installing access stairs and converting a storeroom to a plotting room. The resulting changes to these two emplacements became known as a Battery Tolles-B. The original two disappearing guns were designated Battery Tolles-A.

The two guns and carriages for Battery Tolles-B were obtained from the installation at Willapa bay at Cape Disappointment Washington. These same guns had previously been installed at Battery Freeman on Fort Stevens, Oregon and moved to Willapa Bay in 1917. Modifications to Tolles-B were completed 30 Jun 1937 and transferred 23 Aug 1937. Additional modifications were made to Battery Tolles-B in 1943 that included the installation of an SCR 296 Radar southwest of the battery. The remains of the transmitter building can be see along side the road.

In 1944 the original two 6" disappearing guns in Battery Tolles-A were removed and in 1945 the two 6" guns in Battery Tolles-B were salvaged

Battery Tolles Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	6" Rifle	277"	M1903		66	Watervliet	Disappearing, M1903, #60, Detrick & Harvey	1907-1943	Rounds fired 47
2	6" Rifle	277"	M1903		58	Watervliet	Disappearing, M1903, #59, Detrick & Harvey	1907-1943	Rounds fired 46
3	6" Rifle	277"	M1903		50	Watervliet	Disappearing, M1903, #58, Detrick & Harvey	1907-1917	Rounds fired 36
4	6" Rifle	277"	M1903		39	Watervliet	Disappearing, M1903, #56, Detrick & Harvey	1907-1917	Rounds fired 35
Source: RCW Form 1, Aug 1921, RCB 31 Dec 1909

Battery Tolles-B Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	6" Rifle	310.4"	M1900		8	Watervliet	Barbette, M1900, # 25, Watervliet	1937-1945	Transferred from Willapa Bay 1937
2	6" Rifle	310.4"	M1900		4	Watervliet	Barbette, M1900, # 24, Watervliet	1937-1945	Transferred from Willapa Bay 1937
Source: RCW Form 1, 14 May 1942

Current Status

Part of the Fort Worden State Park Conference Center. The Battery is accessible to the public and the rooms are clean and dry, some graffiti. No guns or carriages are in place.

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Location: Fort Worden State Park Conference Center, Port Townsend, Washington Maps & Images Lat: 48.142351 Long: -122.769985 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 188'

Sources:

• Seacoast Defense Photos
• Fort Worden Guide, The Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, 2005, page 23-24

Links:

Visited: 19 Jul 2008

Battery Tolles Picture Gallery

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