Battery Long: Difference between revisions
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Battery Long was completed and the battery accepted for service in 1927. Originally, the battery mounted two M1919 16-inch guns, one MII and one MIII, both on open (surface-mounted) M1919 barbette carriages. There was considerable indecision by the Army about whether Battery Long should receive 12-inch (like Battery Gardner at Fort Ruckman) or 16-inch guns, and in fact both Battery Long and Battery Gardner had both types of base rings built into their concrete work. This was a single story battery with the guns located on the same level as the common magazine between them. | Battery Long was completed and the battery accepted for service in 1927. Originally, the battery mounted two M1919 16-inch guns, one MII and one MIII, both on open (surface-mounted) M1919 barbette carriages. There was considerable indecision by the Army about whether Battery Long should receive 12-inch (like Battery Gardner at Fort Ruckman) or 16-inch guns, and in fact both Battery Long and Battery Gardner had both types of base rings built into their concrete work. | ||
This was a single story battery with the guns located on the same level as the common magazine between them. Shells and powder charges were moved from the magazine to the gun loading platform along a 3' narrow gauge ammunition track that encircled each gun emplacement. The central magazine had two powder rooms and two shell rooms for each gun emplacement with a total capacity of about 145 shells and 572 powder charges per emplacement. Electrical power was furnished by the emplacement power plant in the central magazine. | |||
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Revision as of 12:05, 10 July 2011
Battery Long (1927-1948) - Battery Long was a reinforced concrete, Endicott Period 16 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Duvall, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Named for Colonel Frank S. Long. Deactivated in 1948.
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World War I (1917-1918)
Part of the Harbor Defense of Boston, Massachusetts.
Battery Long was completed and the battery accepted for service in 1927. Originally, the battery mounted two M1919 16-inch guns, one MII and one MIII, both on open (surface-mounted) M1919 barbette carriages. There was considerable indecision by the Army about whether Battery Long should receive 12-inch (like Battery Gardner at Fort Ruckman) or 16-inch guns, and in fact both Battery Long and Battery Gardner had both types of base rings built into their concrete work.
This was a single story battery with the guns located on the same level as the common magazine between them. Shells and powder charges were moved from the magazine to the gun loading platform along a 3' narrow gauge ammunition track that encircled each gun emplacement. The central magazine had two powder rooms and two shell rooms for each gun emplacement with a total capacity of about 145 shells and 572 powder charges per emplacement. Electrical power was furnished by the emplacement power plant in the central magazine.
| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16" Rifle | 826.8" | M1919 | MII | 3 | Watervliet | Barbette, M1919, #6, Watertown | 1927-1948 | See note 1 |
| 2 | 16" Rifle | 826.8" | M1919 | MIII | 9 | Watervliet | Barbette, M1919, #1, Watertown | 1927-1948 | See note 2 |
| 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 172-173, 207 Note 1: Gun transferred from Watervliet 5 Jun 1924, carriage transferred from Watertown 5 Jun 1924. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Note 2: Gun transferred from Watervliet 24 Mar 1924, carriage transferred from Watertown 14 Mar 1924. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA | |||||||||
World War II (1941-1945)
Before the beginning of World War II construction started on Battery Long to casemate both of its surface-mounted 16" guns. The construction was completed in 1942. It appears that Battery Long's guns were only fired on two occasions, in August and September, 1942. On the first occasion, the Boston Globe reported that 3,000 residents of Hull were evacuated during the test firing (to avoid the possibility of injury to them). The second firing lead to the reported evacuation of only 2,000.
Battery Long was a part of the Harbor Defenses of Boston plan throughout World War II. After the war ended in 1945 the battery was declared surplus. The guns and carriages were processed for salvage in 1948.
Current Status
Destroyed and built over. No period guns or mounts in place.
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Location: Spinnaker Island, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Maps & Images Lat: 42.300571 Long: -70.896674 |
Sources:
- U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Boston, Massachusetts, (HDB-AN-45), 31 Jan 1945, CDSG
Links:
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