Battery 203

Battery 203 (1945-1948) - Battery 203 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Peak's Island Military Reservation, Peak's Island, Cumberland County, Maine. Renamed Battery Cravens after Colonel Richard K. Cravens. Battery construction started in 1942, was completed 1944 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use in 1945. Deactivated in 1948.

World War II

Part of the Harbor Defense of Portland, Maine.

Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" M1905-A2 rapid fire guns mounted on M1 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered, reinforced concrete magazine and support structure. Power was supplied by internal generators and commercial power.

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 203 Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
?	6" Rifle	302.9"	M1905	A2	23	Watervliet	Shielded Barbette (SBC), M1, #52, York	1945-1948	See note 1
?	6" Rifle	302.9"	M1905	A2	26	Watervliet	Shielded Barbette (SBC), M1, #53, York	1945-1948	See note 1
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 104-105 Note 1: Exact assignment of guns and carriages to emplacements is not known. Gun transferred from Watervliet 25 Feb 1943, carriages transferred from York 3 Mar 1943. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA

File:Peak's Island MR Battery 203 Plan.jpg

Battery 203 Plan

Current Status

Private property, house built on top of the magazine/support structure, no period guns or mounts in place.

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Location: Peak's Island, Cumberland County, Maine Maps & Images Lat: 43.661431 Long: -70.178628 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....'

Sources:

• U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Portland, Maine, (HDPB-AN-45), 11 Apr 1945, CDSG

Links:

• U.S.A.C.E., Portland, ME Archives Search Report, Findings, Peaks Island Military Reservation Large pdf download
• CDSG

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