Battery 205
Battery 205 (1944-NA) - Battery 205 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Foster (1), Gerrish Island, York County, Maine. Battery construction started 10 Nov 1942, was completed 8 Sep 1944 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for conditional use 8 Sep 1944 at a cost of $ 265,079.00. Never armed or activated.
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World War II
Part of the Harbor Defense of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery for two 6" T2-M1 rapid fire guns mounted on M4 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete magazine and support structure. Power was supplied by internal generators and commercial power. The battery was conditionally accepted on 8 Sep 1944 with the carriages in place but without any gun tubes. The gun tubes were never delivered and the battery was never operational.
A six story square concrete observation tower was built for this battery to house the BC station and operations functions. The top two floors were to contain a command post and an operations post. The tower was placed about 250' to the left of gun emplacement #2. The tower was accepted for service on 19 May 1943 at a cost of $ 10,630.00.
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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. |
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| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6" Rifle | 309.9" | T2-M1 | ? | Watervliet | Shielded Barbette (SBC), M4, #9, Watertown |
1944-NA | See note 1 | |
| 2 | 6" Rifle | 309.9" | T2-M1 | ? | Watervliet | Shielded Barbette (SBC), M4, #10, Watertown |
1944-NA | See note 1 | |
| Source: RCW Form 1, 15 Sep 1944, CDSG, 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 Note 1: No gun tubes delivered. Carriages transferred from Wellman 19 Aug 1943. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA | |||||||||
Current Status
Part of Fort Foster City Park, Gerrish Island, York County, Maine. No period guns or mounts in place.
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Location: Fort Foster City Park, Gerrish Island, York County, Maine Maps & Images Lat: 43.066113 Long: -70.686947 |
Sources:
- U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project, Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (CCA-P-PCC), 1945, CDSG
Links:
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Battery 205 Picture Gallery
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