Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor

Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor (1943-1946) - Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor was a reinforced concrete World War II rapid fire 90mm AMTB gun battery on Fort Taylor (2), Florida. Battery construction started and was completed in 1943. Deactivated in 1946.

Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor History

Part of the Harbor Defense of Key West.
The AMTB battery at Fort Taylor (2) consisted of two fixed 90mm guns mounted on 90mm M3 gun mounts and two 90mm mobile guns held in storage. The two mobile 90mm guns and carriages were stored inside Fort Taylor (2). Concrete pads for both fixed guns were laid inside Fort Taylor (2), one in emplacement #2 of Battery Adair and one in the bastion next to Battery Adair. The battery had a dual mission of defense against fast enemy motor torpedo boats and enemy aircraft. The effective range of the guns was about 8,000 yards. Each weapon required a crew of 15, 9 men in the gun squad and 6 men in the ammunition squad.

The above photos were taken at Fort Monroe, Battery Parrott

From FM 4-91: "This weapon consists of the 90-mm gun M1 and top carriage M1A1 on the 90-mm gun mount M3. The mount M3 is of the turret type, the shielding being constructed of boiler plates. This boiler plate shield provide fragmentation protection only. No shielding is provided at the rear due to the requirements for service of the piece. A sighting port in the shielding in front permits sighting in direction by the gun pointer."

References:

FM 4-91 - 90-MM Gun, Fixed Mount Service of the Piece
FM 4-126 - Antiaircraft Artillery, Service of the Piece, 90-mm Antiaircraft Gun
TM 9-373 - 90-mm Gun M1 and 90-mm Gun Mount T3 (M3)

**Battery AMTB 5 Fort Taylor Armament** (edit list)
Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates
1	90mm Rifle	186.15"	M1	A1	6938	General Motors	Pedestal Mount, M3, #121, General Motors	1943-1946
2	90mm Rifle	186.15"	M1	A1	6943	General Motors	Pedestal Mount, M3, #126, General Motors	1943-1946
M	90mm Rifle	186.15"	M1		3306	Watervliet	Mobile Mount, M1A1, #1554, Watertown	1943-1946
M	90mm Rifle	186.15"	M1		2616	Watervliet	Mobile Mount, M1A1, #1129, York	1943-1946
Source: 1. Coast Defense Study Group. 2. Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 80-81, 214. 3. Harbor Defenses of Key West, undated, NARA RG165, E257 Box 68 - Bolling Smith.

Current Status

The concrete gun pads remain. No period guns or mounts in place.

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Location: Fort Taylor, Key West, Monroe County, Florida

Maps & Images

Lat: 24.5477038 Long: -81.8104541

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Sources:

Links: CDSG

Visited: 27 Dec 2009