Battery 227

Battery 227 (1943-1965) - Battery 227 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort John Custis, Northampton County, Virginia. Battery construction started 15 Apr 1942, was completed 31 Oct 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 12 Nov 1943 at a cost of $ 271,352.12. Deactivated in 1965. World War II (1941-1945) Part of the Harbor Defense of Chesapeake Bay. Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" M1905A2 rapid fire guns mounted on M1 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. 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 227 Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 6" Rifle 310" M1905 16 Watervliet Barbette, M1, #58, York 1943-1965 See note 1 2 6" Rifle 310" M1905 21 Watervliet Barbette, M1, #59, York 1943-1965 See note 1 Source: RCW Form 1, 29 May 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, 210 Note 1: CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Battery 227 Plan Current Status No period guns or mounts in place. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort John Custis (Fishermans Island), Northampton County, Virginia Maps & Images Lat: 37.0979322 Long: -75.9764001 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 17' Sources: U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Chesapeake Bay, (HDCB-AP-45), 1 Nov 1945, CDSG Links: North American Forts - Battery 227 #1 North American Forts - Battery 227 #2 CDSG Visited: area 26 Jul 2010 Battery 227 Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!