Battery White (2)

Battery White (2) (1919-1942) - Battery White (2) was a reinforced concrete, Taft Period 12 inch coastal mortar battery on Fort Rosecrans, San Diego County, California. Named Battery John White in G.O. 15, 1916, after Colonel John V. White. Battery construction started 8 Nov 1915, was completed 19 Aug 1919 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 19 Aug 1919 at a cost of $ 144,200.00. Deactivated in 1942. Battery White Upper Data Booth Battery White Shell Gallery Entrance with Overhead Rails Battery White Main Gallery Entrance, Leads to Upper Level Taft Period Part of the Harbor Defense of San Diego. Battery White Overbuilt Mortar Pit Originally built as a Taft Period concrete coastal mortar battery with four 12" M1890MI mortars mounted on M1896MI mortar carriages divided into two mortar pits (A-B) with two mortars in each pit (1-2). The two mortar pits are separated in this battery. Each mortar pit had a data booth at the rear that conveyed azimuth and elevation information to the gun crews and directed the firing. The data booth was attached to the plotting room. In front of the mortar pits was a concrete magazine that stored the shells and powder. The magazine was protected by a thick covering of earth. Shells and powder were wheeled from the magazine to the mortar loading platforms on shot carts. Battery White (2) Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes A1 12" Mortar 141.125" M1890MI 3 Builders Mortar, M1896MI, #76, Robert Poole 1919-1942 See note 1 A2 12" Mortar 141.125" M1890MI 27 Bethlehem Mortar, M1896MI, #83, Robert Poole 1919-1942 See note 1 B1 12" Mortar 141.125" M1890MI 9 Builders Mortar, M1896MI, #56, Robert Poole 1919-1942 See note 1 B2 12" Mortar 141.125" M1890MI 4 Builders Mortar, M1896MI, #87, Robert Poole 1919-1942 See note 1 Source: RCW Form 1, 19 Aug 1919, CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 3rd Edition - PDF, CDSG ePress, McLean, VA, 2012, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 140-142 Note 1: Guns transferred 21 Dec 1916 & mounted 31 Dec 1917, scrapped 17 Dec 1943, guns & carriages from Battery Rodney, Fort DuPont (1), carriages ordered salvaged 5 Nov 1942 Battery White Plan World War II The mortars were obsolete at the beginning of World War II and the first major scrap drive of the war in 1942 saw them scrapped. The guns and carriages were listed for disposal 3 Nov 1942. Current Status Active U.S.Navy installation. No period guns or mounts in place. The mortar pits have been repurposed. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: U.S. Navy Base, Point Loma, San Diego County, California Maps & Images Lat: 32.6831371 Long: -117.2416516 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: Pit A = 149.70', Pit B = 129.65' Sources: U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of San Diego, (HDSD-AN-45), 1 Jul 1945, CDSG Links: CABRILLO: The Guns of San Diego Historic Resource Study, NPS CDSG Visited: 2 Oct 2014 Battery White (2) Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!