Battery 233

Battery 233 (1944-194?) - Battery 233 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort McRee, Escambia County, Florida. Battery construction started 1 Apr 1943, was completed 15 Oct 1943 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 5 Jun 1944 at a cost of $ 284,498.83. Deactivated in 194?.

Fort McRee, Battery 233 Emplacement #2 Gun Pit	Fort McRee, Battery 233 Emplacement #1 Gun Pit
Fort McRee, Battery 233 Emplacement #2 Entrance

World War II (1941-1945)

Part of the Harbor Defense of Pensacola. Originally planned as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" T2-M1 rapid fire guns mounted on M4 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. The Battery was completed in 1943 and transferred for service in June 1944 with the carriages mounted but without the gun tubes in place. The gun tubes did not arrive and the Battery was deactivated without ever being armed.

In 1944 a 50' combined B.C. Station and 15' C.R.F. Station was built on a tower for Battery 233. The facility was accepted for service 20 Jun 1944 at a cost of $ 13,853.00. The tower has since collapsed and the concrete BC Station and the CRF Station are on the ground behind the battery.

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  Similar B.C.-C.R.F Tower at Battery 234
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  Battery 233 Collapsed BC & CRF Station Tower
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  Battery 233 Collapsed BC Station Interior
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  Battery 233 Rear Entrance
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  Battery 233 Interior Generator Room
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  Battery 233 Interior Plotting and Spotting Rooms
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  Battery 233 Generator & Air Conditioning Exhaust Vents
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  Battery 233 Emplacement #1 Entrance

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 233 Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	6" Rifle	302.9"	T2-M1		Unk	Unk	Shielded Barbette (SBC), M4, #55, Watertown	1944-194?	See note 1
2	6" Rifle	302.9"	T2-M1		Unk	Unk	Shielded Barbette (SBC), M4, #56, Watertown	1944-194?	See note 1
Source: RCW Form 1, June 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 104-105, 211. Note 1: Carriages transferred from Watertown September, October 1943. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA

Battery 233 Plan

Current Status

Part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Perdido Key. Open access to all of the Fort McRee area but Battery 233 is locked up so there is normally no internal access to the interior rooms. The interior rooms are currently empty but have significant graffiti. There are drop-offs inside and flashlights should be use inside. Normal access is by boat but it is possible to hike along Perdido Key to the site. The fort is about five miles from the end of the nearest park road. No period guns or mounts in place.

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Location: Site of Fort McRee, Perdido Key, Escambia County, Florida Maps & Images Lat: 30.3256009 Long: -87.3170051 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 27.02'

Sources:

Links:

• NPS - Fort McRee
• Explore Southern History - Fort McRee
• CDSG

Visited: 26 Apr 2013

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