Battery Rodney-Best

Battery Rodney-Best (1900-1942) - Battery Best-Rodney was a reinforced concrete, Endicott Period 12 inch coastal mortar battery on Fort DuPont (1), Delaware. The battery was first named in G.O. 16, 14 Feb 1902 after Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, major general of Delaware Militia, and delegate to the Continental Congress. The battery was administratively split in 1906 with half of the battery retaining the Battery Rodney name and the other half renamed by G.O. 20, 25 Jan 1906, after Maj. Clermont L. Best, Artillery Corps, who served with distinction during the Spanish-American War, and who died 14 Apr 1903. Battery construction started 30 Jul 1897, was completed in August 1899 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 2 May 1900 at a cost of $ 217,721.31. Deactivated in 1942.

Endicott Period

Part of the Harbor Defense of the Delaware.

Originally built as an Endicott Period concrete coastal mortar battery with sixteen 12" M1890MI mortars mounted on M1896 mortar carriages. The battery was built as a single battery with sixteen mortars configured into four mortar pits (A,B,C,D) with four mortars in each pit. Originally named Battery Rodney in 1902, the battery was administratively split in 1906 into two batteries named Battery Best and Battery Rodney, each having two mortar pits (A,B) with four mortars in each.
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Battery Best Plan

File:Fort DuPont Battery Rodney Plan.jpg

Battery Rodney Plan

World War I

The U.S. entry into World War I resulted in a widespread removal of large caliber coastal defense gun tubes for service in Europe. Many of the gun and mortar tubes removed were sent to arsenals for modification and mounting on mobile carriages, both wheeled and railroad. Most of the removed gun tubes never made it to Europe and were either remounted or remained at the arsenals until needed elsewhere. No indication that the remaining eight mortars were considered for overseas deployment or that they were involved in the 1920 disarmament program.

The mortar battery configuration was further complicated when each mortar pit was reduced to two mortars to reduce crowding and manpower requirements. Four mortars were sent in 1914 from Battery Best to Diamond Head Crater in Hawaii and four more were sent to Fort Rosecrans in 1918.

World War II

By the start of World War II, the mortar batteries were obsolete but they remained in place until the first large scale scrap drive of World War II in the fall of 1942. The mortar carriages were ordered scrapped on 4 Nov 1942. The gun tubes were first ordered scrapped on 13 Apr 1943 but that may not have happened until 4 Jul 1945.

Current Status

No period guns or mounts in place.

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Location: Fort DuPont, New Castle County, Delaware Maps & Images Lat: 39.5713508 Long: -75.5814528 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 15.73'

Sources:

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

Links:

Visited: 6 Aug 2010

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