Battery Guenther

Battery Guenther (1917-1942) - A concrete Endicott Period mortar battery built at Fort Canby between Jun 1918 and May 1922 and transferred for service 30 Jun 1922. Battery Guenther was named for Brig. Gen. Francis L. Guenther a U.S. Civil War veteran who died 5 Dec 1918. The Battery was deactivated in 1942.

Battery Guenther History

A concrete Endicott Period mortar battery protecting the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean approaches. Originally armed with four, 12" M1890MI mortars on A.R.F., M1896MI Carriages, two in each of two mortar pits. Each pair of mortars required about 30 men to operate. All four of the mortars at Battery Guenther were moved from Battery Clark at Fort Stevens and a 6" gun was moved from Battery Harvey Allen at Fort Canby.

The each of the mortars at Battery Guenther were test fired twice in Apr 1922 with shot weighing 1,046 pounds each. The battery was the last seacoast mortar battery built in the United States.

Battery Guenther was deactivated in 1942. The mortars and carriages were salvaged in 1943.

**Battery Guenther Armament** (edit list)
Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model	Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
A-1	12" Mortar	129.25"	M1890MI	29	Builders	Mortar, M1896MI, #124, Am. Hoist & D. Co.	1921-1942	From Battery Clark
A-2	12" Mortar	129.25"	M1890MI	35	Builders	Mortar, M1896MI, #123, Am. Hoist & D. Co.	1921-1942	From Battery Clark
B-1	12" Mortar	129.25"	M1890MI	48	Watervliet	Mortar, M1896MI, #119, Am. Hoist & D. Co.	1921-1942	From Battery Clark
B-2	12" Mortar	129.25"	M1890MI	34	Watervliet	Mortar, M1896MI, #120, Am. Hoist & D. Co.	1921-1942	From Battery Clark
Source: CDSG

Current Status

The battery is not accessible to the public except for by permission of the Coast Guard. The battery is in excellent condition structurally but has been modified as a haunted house and has Halloween themed graffiti. Mortar emplacements #2 and #4 are overgrown. The rooms are dry with the exception of the oil room and truck and tool rooms in pit #2. All rooms were filled with clutter and some of them are not accessible. No period guns or carriages are in place.

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Location: Battery located at Fort Canby (Cape Disappointment State Park) on the property of the U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment.

Maps & Images

Lat: 46.28093 Long: -124.054667

Multi Maps from ACME
Maps from Bing
Maps from Google
Elevation: 29'

Sources:

Links:

Visited: 26 Jun 2009