Battery Howe (1)
Battery Howe (1) (1893-1920) - Battery Howe is a concrete Endicott Period 12" mortar battery located on Fort Winfield Scott, California. Named after Col. Albion P. Howe, 4th U.S. Artillery, who served in the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War. The Battery was begun in 1893, completed in 1895 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 1 Jun 1900 at a total cost of $144,247.15. All mortars were removed by 1920, possibly in 1918 during World War I.
Battery Howe (1) History
Part of the Harbor Defense of San Francisco.
Originally built with sixteen 12" M1886 and M1886M rifled mortars on M1891 mortar carriages in a concrete battery with four mortar pits (A-D). In 1902 mortar pits C and D were renamed Battery Wagner and pits A and B retained the Battery Howe name.
Each of the mortars was capable of firing a seven hundred pound shell eight miles.
| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 43 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 22, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| A-2 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886 | 29 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 26, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| A-3 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 38 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 21, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| A-4 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 39 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 23, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| B-1 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 47 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 51, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| B-2 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 46 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 40, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| B-3 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 44 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 45, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| B-4 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 35 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 47, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 | |
| C-1 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886 | 8 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 34, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| C-2 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886 | 6 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 32, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| C-3 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886 | 7 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 33, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| C-4 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886 | 5 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 31, Builders | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| D-1 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 40 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 51, Robert Poole | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| D-2 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 42 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 40, Robert Poole | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| D-3 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 36 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 45, Robert Poole | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| D-4 | 12" Mortar | 129" | M1886M | 53 | Builders | Mortar M1891, 47, Robert Poole | 1900-1920 | See note 1 & 2 | |
| Source: RCW Form 1, 1 Mar 1920, RCB 31 Dec 1903, RCB 31 Dec 1909, CDSG Note 1: Mortars and carriages were ordered scrapped in accordance with Ordnance Dept. Instructions, 26 May 1920. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA Note 2: Re-designated part of Battery Wagner (1) 1906. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA | |||||||||
Current Status
No guns or carriages are in place. Only mortar pit A is visible today the other three are buried.
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Location: Fort Winfield Scott, California Maps & Images Lat: 37.802222 Long: -122.471944 |
Sources:
- Coast Defense Study Group, Press, Digital Library, Forums
- Angelfire
- California Military Museum
- National Park Service
Links:
Visited:
Battery Howe (1) Picture Gallery
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