Battery Dynamite (2): Difference between revisions
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Since the gun was experimental, the contractor provided the guns, carriages and the emplacements as well as the considerable amount of machinery necessary to produce the highly compressed air. | Since the gun was experimental, the contractor provided the guns, carriages and the emplacements as well as the considerable amount of machinery necessary to produce the highly compressed air. | ||
The Battery was deactivated in 1902 and the guns and carriages were removed and later salvaged. | The gun was successfully test fired on 8 Dec 1901. The Battery was deactivated in 1902 and the guns and carriages were removed and later salvaged. | ||
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Revision as of 19:40, 9 May 2011
Battery Dynamite (2) (1897-1902) - Battery Dynamite (2) was a reinforced concrete, experimental 15 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Welles, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Deactivated in 1902.
Endicott Period (1890-1910)
Originally built as an experimental concrete coastal gun battery with one 15" M1886 pneumatic dynamite gun mounted on an M1886 Pneumatic carriages. This was a single story battery with the guns located on the same level as the magazines. Shells were moved from the magazine to the gun loading platform by shell cart. No shell or powder hoists were provided. Electrical power was furnished by the emplacement power plant.
The gun was powered by compressed air that drove the explosive shells out of the gun tubes. The explosive used in the shells was dynamite. Dynamite shells could not be used in normal guns because the impact of the propellent firing would trigger the dynamite and the shells would explode while still in the gun tube. Compressed air drove the shells out of the gun tube at a lower velocity and with less impact. Because of the lower pressure and no explosive propellant the gun tubes were very thin and actually required a cantilevered support to keep the gun tube rigid.
Since the gun was experimental, the contractor provided the guns, carriages and the emplacements as well as the considerable amount of machinery necessary to produce the highly compressed air.
The gun was successfully test fired on 8 Dec 1901. The Battery was deactivated in 1902 and the guns and carriages were removed and later salvaged.
| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15" Rifle | 40' | M1886 | unk | Pneumatic Torpedo | Pneumatic, M1886, #unk, Pneumatic Torpedo |
1897-1902 | ||
| Source: CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 184-187 | |||||||||
Current Status
No period guns or mounts in place.
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Location: Fort Welles, Beaufort County, South Carolina Maps & Images Lat: 32.2355 Long: -80.6776 |
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