Battery AMTB - Navy Field

Battery AMTB - Navy Field (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB - Navy Field was a reinforced concrete World War II 90mm gun battery on Fort MacArthur, California. AMTB stands for Anti Motor Torpedo Boat. Battery construction started Jun 1943, was completed Sep 1943 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 4 May 1944. Deactivated in 1946.

90mm AMTB Gun on M3 Mount, image courtesy Fort MacArthur Museum

Battery AMTB - Navy Field History

Part of the Harbor Defense of Los Angeles.

Four Anti Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) batteries were built for the Harbor Defense of Los Angeles during World War II under Job No. FS-8 at a total cost of $76,576.03. All four batteries were constructed between June 1943 and October 1943 and all four were accepted for service on 4 May 1944.

Each of the four batteries consisted of two fixed gun emplacements of 90mm M1 guns on M3 pedestal mounts with a heavy shield. Additionally provisions were made for two temporary mobile gun positions at each of the four locations and each position had supporting structures for ammunition storage and a central power source. Two of the AMTB batteries were located on Fort MacArthur, (Battery AMTB - Navy Field & Battery AMTB - Gaffey Bulge) and the other two were located off the main reservation at Terminal Island (Battery AMTB - Terminal Island) and Bluff Park, Long Beach (Battery AMTB - Bluff Park).

The dual mission of these AMTB batteries was both to defend the harbor against smaller, faster naval vessels that might evade the larger batteries and to defend against aerial attack.

AMTB Front View	AMTB Interior View	AMTB Side View	AMTB Back View
The above photos were taken at Fort Monroe, Battery Parrott From FM 4-91: "This weapon consists of the 90-mm gun M1 and top carriage M1A1 on the 90-mm gun mount M3. The mount M3 is of the turret type, the shielding being constructed of boiler plates. This boiler plate shield provide fragmentation protection only. No shielding is provided at the rear due to the requirements for service of the piece. A sighting port in the shielding in front permits sighting in direction by the gun pointer." References: FM 4-91 - 90-MM Gun, Fixed Mount Service of the Piece FM 4-126 - Antiaircraft Artillery, Service of the Piece, 90-mm Antiaircraft Gun TM 9-373 - 90-mm Gun M1 and 90-mm Gun Mount T3 (M3)

Battery AMTB - Navy Field Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	90mm Rifle	50 Cal	M1		7175	General Motors	Pedestal Mount, M3, #241, F B D	1943-1946
2	90mm Rifle	50 Cal	M1		5114	Watervliet	Pedestal Mount, M3, #139, F B D	1943-1946
Source: RCW Part 1, 5 Dec 1944, Coast Defense Study Group, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 80-81

Battery AMTB - Navy Field Plan 5 Dec 1944

Current Status

No gun or mounts in place

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Location: Fort MacArthur, Navy Field, Los Angeles County, California Maps & Images Lat: 33.71667 Long: -118.285412 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 67'

Sources:

• U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles, (LA-AN-WDC-44), 31 Aug 1944, CDSG

Links:

• Fort MacArthur Museum
• CDSG

Visited: No

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