Battery 237

Battery 237 (1943-1946) - A World War II era Battery built in 1943 as a reinforced concrete coastal artillery battery on Fort Rosecrans, San Diego County, California. Later named Battery Woodward for Colonel Charles G. Woodward, who had commanded Fort Rosecrans as a captain in 1906-1907. Construction began 4 Mar 1943 and was completed 29 Oct 1943. The Battery was turned over for service 31 Aug 1944 at a cost of $ 255,912.24. Deactivated in 1946. Battery 237 History Part of the Harbor Defense of San Diego. Established to protect the entrance to San Diego Harbor. Battery 237 was a battery of two, 6" rapid fire Barbette mounted guns on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. Battery 237 was built late in the war and was intended to replace the two former Marine batteries, Battery Gillespie and Battery Zeilin. 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 237 Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 6" Rifle 302.9" M1903 A2 40 Watervliet Barbette M1, #103, Watertown 1943-1946 See note 1 2 6" Rifle 302.9" M1903 A2 55 Watervliet Barbette M1, #109, Watertown 1943-1946 See note 1 Source: RCW Form 1, 4 Jan 1945, CDSG, 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 Note 1:Guns transferred 28 Jul 1943, carriages transferred 2 Jun 1943. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Battery 237 Plan Current Status Active Navy military installation. No public access. No guns or carriages in place. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort Rosecrans, San Diego County, California Maps & Images Lat: 32.700382 Long: -117.254087 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 321' (Gun Mounts) See Also: Fort Rosecrans Harbor Defense of San Diego Sources: U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of San Diego, (HDSD-AN-45), 1 Jul 1945, CDSG National Park Service -Fort Rosecrans Links: CDSG Visited: 2 Oct 2014