Battery Townsley: Difference between revisions
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{{HDSanFrancisco}} Battery Townsley and [[Battery Davis (2)]] at [[Fort Funston]] were two 16" batteries planned to guard the entrance to San Francisco harbor. | {{HDSanFrancisco}} Battery Townsley and [[Battery Davis (2)]] at [[Fort Funston]] were two 16" batteries planned to guard the entrance to San Francisco harbor. | ||
Battery Townsley was a casemated battery with two naval [[:Category:16" Rifle MarkII-M1|MarkII-M1]] 16" guns mounted on long range Barbette M1919 M5 carriages, each capable of shooting a 2,100 pound, armor-piercing projectile 25 miles out to sea. The guns and their associated ammunition magazines, power rooms, and crew quarters were covered by dozens of feet of concrete and earth to protect them from air and naval attack. The central traverse magazine, in addition to the two casemated guns, included two separate magazines, several storerooms and a power room. A large reserve magazine was built about 2500 feet southeast of gun emplacement #1 on the reverse slope of the battery, not visible from the sea. The reserve magazine construction began June 1938, was completed 1 Jul 1940 and was accepted for service 24 Jul 1940 at a cost of $52,950. Total cost of the battery including the reserve magazine, | Battery Townsley was a casemated battery with two naval [[:Category:16" Rifle MarkII-M1|MarkII-M1]] 16" guns mounted on long range Barbette M1919 M5 carriages, each capable of shooting a 2,100 pound, armor-piercing projectile 25 miles out to sea. The guns and their associated ammunition magazines, power rooms, and crew quarters were covered by dozens of feet of concrete and earth to protect them from air and naval attack. The central traverse magazine, in addition to the two casemated guns, included two separate magazines, several storerooms and a power room. A large reserve magazine was built about 2500 feet southeast of gun emplacement #1 on the reverse slope of the battery, not visible from the sea. The reserve magazine construction began June 1938, was completed 1 Jul 1940 and was accepted for service 24 Jul 1940 at a cost of $52,950. Total cost of the battery including the reserve magazine, PSR (Plotting, Spotting & Radio Rooms), BC station and real property improvements rose to $1,007,500 by 1940. | ||
Test firings in 1940 with live ammunition proved the range to be over 30 miles. | Test firings in 1940 with live ammunition proved the range to be over 30 miles. | ||
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</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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'''Sources:''' | '''Sources:''' | ||
* {{Kent}}, page 216 | * {{Kent}}, page 216 | ||
'''Links: ''' | '''Links: ''' | ||
* [http://www.pbase.com/jamartini/townsley_galleries&page=1 John Martini's Website] | * [http://www.pbase.com/jamartini/townsley_galleries&page=1 John Martini's Website] | ||
Revision as of 19:26, 27 November 2012
Battery Townsley (1940-1948) - Battery Townsley is a reinforced concrete World War II 16" gun battery located on Fort Cronkhite, Marin County, California. Named after Major General Clarence P. Townsley, a World War I veteran and superintendent of the United States Military Academy. Battery construction was begun in Jan 1938, completed 1 Jul 1940 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 24 Jul 1940 at a total cost of $595,000. Deactivated in 1948 after World War II.
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World War II (1941-1945)
Part of the Harbor Defense of San Francisco. Battery Townsley and Battery Davis (2) at Fort Funston were two 16" batteries planned to guard the entrance to San Francisco harbor.
Battery Townsley was a casemated battery with two naval MarkII-M1 16" guns mounted on long range Barbette M1919 M5 carriages, each capable of shooting a 2,100 pound, armor-piercing projectile 25 miles out to sea. The guns and their associated ammunition magazines, power rooms, and crew quarters were covered by dozens of feet of concrete and earth to protect them from air and naval attack. The central traverse magazine, in addition to the two casemated guns, included two separate magazines, several storerooms and a power room. A large reserve magazine was built about 2500 feet southeast of gun emplacement #1 on the reverse slope of the battery, not visible from the sea. The reserve magazine construction began June 1938, was completed 1 Jul 1940 and was accepted for service 24 Jul 1940 at a cost of $52,950. Total cost of the battery including the reserve magazine, PSR (Plotting, Spotting & Radio Rooms), BC station and real property improvements rose to $1,007,500 by 1940.
Test firings in 1940 with live ammunition proved the range to be over 30 miles.
| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16" Rifle | 68' | MarkII-M1 | 87 | U.S. Navy | Barbette, M2, #15 | 1940-1948 | See note 1 | |
| 2 | 16" Rifle | 68' | MarkII-M1 | 88 | U.S. Navy | Barbette, M2, #16 | 1940-1948 | See note 2 | |
| Display Guns | |||||||||
| 2 | 16" Rifle | 68' | MarkVII | 386 | Naval Gun Factory | None yet | 2012 | See note 3 | |
| Source: CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1 page 176-177 Note 1: Carriage shipped 16 Jan 1939, gun shipped 7 Aug 1939 Watertown CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Note 2: Carriage shipped 2 Jun 1939, gun shipped Jun 1939 Watertown. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Note 3: Gun arrived at the Battery on 1 Oct 2012 from US Navy Weapons Station, Hawthorne, Nevada. | |||||||||
Current Status
Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Partly restored but without guns or carriages. On 1 Oct 2012 a surplus 16" Naval MarkVII gun was delivered on site for use as a display gun (pictures below).
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16" MarkVII Gun Enroute to Battery Townsley - Front Trailer View -
16" MarkVII Gun Enroute to Battery Townsley - Muzzle View -
16" MarkVII Gun Enroute to Battery Townsley - Rear Trailer View -
16" MarkVII Gun Enroute to Battery Townsley - Paused below the Battery
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Location: Battery Townsley is located one ½ mile up from the Fort Cronkhite parking lot. Maps & Images Lat: 37.8362253 Long: -122.5440574 |
Recent Blog Posts:
Sources:
- Kent, Matthew W., Harbor Defenses of San Francisco - A Field Guide 1890 to 1950, Copyright 2009, Blurb, ISBN 978-1-61584-163-9, page 216
Links:
Visited: 26 Nov 2012, 19-20 Aug 2009
Battery Townsley Picture Gallery
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Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |
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Battery Townsley Gun Emplacement #2 -
Battery Townsley Gun Emplacement #1 -
Battery Townsley Power Room Entrance -
Battery Townsley Radiator Room Entrance -
Battery Townsley Gun Emplacement #1 Entrance -
Battery Townsley Gun Emplacement #1 Gun Crew Board -
Battery Townsley Gun Emplacement #2 Entrance -
Battery Townsley Gun Emplacement #2 Interior
