Battery Hoskins

Battery Hoskins (1921-1946) - Battery Hoskins was a reinforced concrete, Endicott Period 12 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Crockett, Galveston County, Texas. The battery was named after Lt. Leonard C. Hoskins, the first Coast Artillery officer killed in WWI. Battery construction started in Aug 1917, was completed in April 1921 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 27 May 1921 at a cost of $ 304,237.63. Work began on 29 May 1942 on a modernization program to casemate the guns, the work was completed 20 Aug 1944 at a cost of $ 793,462.26. The battery was deactivated in 1946.

Battery Hoskins, Emplacement #1 Front	Battery Hoskins, Emplacement #1 Back Entrance

World War I (1917-1918)

Part of the Harbor Defense of Galveston.

Originally built as an Endicott Period concrete coastal gun battery with two 12" M1895MI guns mounted on M1917 Barbette carriages. The guns were originally mounted on two open 100' concrete circular pads separated by an earth covered concrete magazine. The guns were 420' apart in an All-Round-fire (ARF) configuration.

Battery Hoskins Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	12" Rifle	442.6"	M1895MI	A4	56	Watervliet	Barbette, M1917A2, #10, Watertown	1921-1946	See note 1
2	12" Rifle	442.6"	M1895MI	A4	45	Watervliet	Barbette, M1917A2, #11, Watertown	1921-1946	See note 1
Source: RCW Form 1, Apr 1923, Oct 1945, CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1 pages 154-155 Note 1: Guns transferred from Watervliet to Fort Crockett 24 Jan 1918. Carriages transferred from Watertown to Fort Crockett in June and July 1918

Battery Hoskins Plan 1925

World War II (1941-1945)

In 1942 a decision was taken to upgrade Battery Hoskins because the open gun pads provided an easy target for enemy planes. The plan included casemating the guns and connecting the casemates through the magazines to create a unified earth covered battery. The electrical system was upgraded to 440 volt AC from the original DC system and commercial power was made available as an alternate source. Air conditioning was added and additional operational rooms were built. The modifications were completed 20 Aug 1944 but there is some evidence that the battery was operational in 1943.

Battery Hoskins Plan 1945

Current Status

The battery is directly in front of the San Luis Hotel and Conference Center and is closed to the public. The casemates can be seen from the seawall highway and the rear entrances to each casemate can be viewed from each side. No period guns or mount

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Location: Fort Crockett, Galveston County, Texas Maps & Images Lat: 29.2720037 Long: -94.8182157 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 18' 2"

Sources:

• U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Galveston, (HD-G-ANN-45), 15 Mar 1944, CDSG

Links:

• CDSG

Visited: 12 Nov 2009

Battery Hoskins Picture Gallery

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  Battery Hoskins, Emplacement #1 Front
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  Battery Hoskins, Emplacement #2 Front
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  Battery Hoskins, Emplacement #2 Front
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  Battery Hoskins, Emplacement #2 Rear Entrance