Battery 228

Battery 228 (1943-NA) - Battery 228 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort John Custis, Northampton County, Virginia. Battery construction started on 1 Sep 1942, was completed on 30 Nov 1943 and was transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 12 Nov 1943 at a cost of $ 230,937.68. The battery was never armed. World War II (1941-1945) Part of the Harbor Defense of Chesapeake Bay. Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery for two 6" rapid fire guns mounted on M4 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. The carriages were mounted but the guns were never provided. 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 228 Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 6" Rifle 309.9" T2-M1 ??? Unknown Shielded Barbette, M4, #20, Wellman 1943-NA See note 1 2 6" Rifle 309.9" T2-M1 ??? Unknown Shielded Barbette, M4, #19, Wellman 1943-NA 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, 209 Note 1: CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Battery 228 Plan Current Status No period guns or mounts in place. Access restricted and entrances buried by the Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, Northampton County, Virginia Maps & Images Lat: 37.1319113 Long: -75.953604 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: Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library Visited: 26 Jul 2010 Battery 228 Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!