Battery 155 - Fort Morgan
Battery 155 - Fort Morgan (1942-1944) - Battery 155 - Fort Morgan was a temporary, World War II, 155mm coastal gun battery on Panama mounts. Located on Fort Morgan (1), Baldwin County, Alabama. Battery construction was completed in 1942. Deactivated in 1944.
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World War II
Part of the Temporary Harbor Defense of Mobile, Alabama.
Originally built as a temporary World War II coastal gun battery with two 155mm M1918 rapid fire guns mounted on M1918 Mobile Carriages emplaced on circular Panama mounts. One of these emplacements was on top of bastion four on the old brick fort, the top of this bastions had been leveled when Battery Duportail was built. The second Panama mount was placed near the salient angle of the northwest covered way. Three like guns and carriages were emplaced in field positions.
Battery 155 - Fort Morgan was originally formed from elements of Battery F and G of the 50th Coast Artillery from Camp Pendleton, Virginia. Eight officers and one hundred ninety one enlisted men arrived by train at Fort Barrancas on 7 Apr 1942 with their equipment and proceeded to Fort Morgan (1) by truck convoy. The Temporary Harbor Defense of Mobile was established there on 10 Apr 1942.
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| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 155mm Rifle | 240" | M1918 | M1 | 176 | ? | Mobile, M1918, #?, ? | 1942-1944 | Panama Mount |
| 2 | 155mm Rifle | 240" | M1918 | M1 | 802 | ? | Mobile, M1918, #?, ? | 1942-1944 | Panama Mount |
| 3 | 155mm Rifle | 240" | M1918 | M1 | 828 | ? | Mobile, M1918, #?, ? | 1944-1944 | From Pascagoula Field Emplacement |
| 4 | 155mm Rifle | 240" | M1918 | M1 | 863 | ? | Mobile, M1918, #?, ? | 1944-1944 | From Pascagoula Field Emplacement |
| Source: CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 190-191 | |||||||||
Current Status
No period guns or mounts in place. One Panama mount remains visible atop Bastion #4.
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Location: Fort Morgan, Baldwin County, Alabama Maps & Images Lat: 30.227702 Long: -88.023287 |
Sources:
- Gaines, William, Temporary Harbor Defenses in the Southern Defense Command: 1942-1944, The Coast Defense Journal, Vol 16 Issue 1, page 4-38
Links:
Visited: 23 Dec 2011
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