Battery 218

Battery 218 (1944-1958) - Battery 218 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Wadsworth (1), Richmond County, New York. Battery construction started 22 Oct 1942, was completed 24 Apr 1943 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 22 Apr 1944 at a cost of $ 203,277.00. Deactivated in 1958. World War II Part of the Harbor Defense of Southern New York. Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery for two 6" rapid fire guns mounted on Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. Never armed. 6" Gun at Fort Columbia Originally at Fort McAndrew, Battery 281, Argentia, NL, Canada 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. 6" Gun Crew Battery 218 Plan Current Status No period guns or mounts in place. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort Wadsworth, Richmond County, New York Maps & Images Lat: 40.598904 Long: -74.0583658 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' Sources: Links: CDSG Visited: 15 Aug 2010 Battery 218 Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!