Battery 221
Battery 221 (1944-1948) - Battery 221 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Miles, Delaware. Named in G.O. 5, 11 Jun 1942, Battery Herring for Ltc. Ralph E. Herring, U.S. Coast Artillery Corps, US Army. Battery construction started on 15 Jan 1942, was completed on 31 Aug 1943 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 4 Mar 1944 at a cost of $ 181,300. Deactivated in 1948.
World War II
Part of the Harbor Defense of the Delaware.
Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" M1903A2 rapid fire guns mounted on M1 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure.
 |
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. |
 |
Current Status
No period guns or mounts in place. Sand cover gone and concrete structure fully exposed. Not open to the public and fenced off.
|
{"selectable":false,"width":"500"} |
Location: Fort Miles, Delaware Maps & Images Lat: 38.7653733 Long: -75.0829268 |
Sources:
Links:
Visited: 3 Aug 2010
Battery 221 Picture Gallery
|
Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |