Battery Louis R. Burgess
Battery Louis R. Burgess (1942-1948) - Battery Louis R. Burgess was a reinforced concrete, World War II 8 inch coastal gun battery on Salt Lake Military Reservation, Honolulu County, Hawaii. This battery was constructed using a U.S. Navy twin gun turret removed from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. The originally known as Battery Salt Lake and renamed in G.O. 96, March 1946, after Colonel Louis R. Burgess, who died on 17 Dec 1938. Battery construction started on 10 March 1942, was completed in October 1942. Reduced to a caretaker status in December 1945 and processed for salvage in 1948.
World War II (1941-1945)
Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with four 8" Mark IX M2 Navy guns mounted in two turrets removed from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. The battery mounted two turrets each with two guns. Both guns in a turret traversed and elevated together.
Construction began on 10 March 1942 on a leased 88.42 acre military reservation and it was completed in October 1942. The guns were proof fired in October 1942 and falling rock resulted in the hillsides being coated with gunite to suppress the rock falls. The completed work at Battery Salt Lake was finally accepted 31 Dec 1943.
The Battery and the military reservation were renamed in March 1946 for Colonel Louis R. Burgess.
The battery was reduced to caretaker status in December 1945 and processed for salvage in 1948
| Empl No |
Caliber Type |
Barrel Length |
Model | Serial No |
Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8" Rifle | 449" | Mark IX M2 | 516 | ? | Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory | 1942-1948 | See note 1 | |
| 2 | 8" Rifle | 449" | Mark IX M2 | 510 | ? | Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory | 1942-1948 | See note 1 | |
| 1 | 8" Rifle | 449" | Mark IX M2 | 518 | ? | Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory | 1942-1948 | See note 1 | |
| 2 | 8" Rifle | 449" | Mark IX M2 | 517 | ? | Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory | 1942-1948 | See note 1 | |
| 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 118-119 Note 1: The actual assignment of specific serial numbered guns to positions is unknown and the assignments here are arbitrary. | |||||||||
Current Status
Some limited remains, no period guns or mounts in place.
|
{"selectable":false,"width":"500"} |
Location: Salt Lake Military Reservation, Honolulu County, Hawaii Maps & Images Lat: 21.348778 Long: -157.917097 |
Sources:
- Grobmeier, Alvin H., Officers of the U.S. Army and Others in Honor of whom Coast Artillery Forts and Batteries in Hawaii Have Been Named, CDSG News, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Nov. 1992), pp. 66-67
- Lewis, E.R. and Kichner, D.P., The Oahu Turrets, Warship International, 1992, Issue 3, pp. 273-301
Links:
Visited: No
Battery Louis R. Burgess Picture Gallery
|
Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |