Fort Williams: Difference between revisions

This 3-inch battery was built in 1903 and completed in 1905. It was built to protect the minefield with its two rapid fire pedestal mounted guns. The battery was named in 1904 and was fully electric. Power was supplied by the 1907 central power station. On top of the battery is the secondary minefield observation station which was used in conjunction with the Mine Casement nearby to locate mine to be detonated. It is the only example of plaster and stucco construction in good condition. n 1920 a CRF Station was added next to the battery. t was the only battery at Fort Williams to remain active through WWII. During WWII it was used in conjunction with the HECP to fire upon unfriendly ships that may not be welcome into the harbor. The guns were removed after the war ended in 1945.

The guns of the 10-inch and 6-inch batteries were to be sent to France during WWI. Of all the guns to be sent only on actually made it to France and it was from Battery Garesche. In the 1920s concrete observation station were added at Kitty Point near officers row. A disappearing searchlight was added behind Battery Garesche. In 1920 a protected switchboard bunker was built next to the 1907 central power station.

The remaining large caliber batteries were all deactivated by 1944 and Battery Blair was the last to be test fired right after Pearl Harbor in 1941. The shock of the fired 14 shells blew out garage doors at the lighthouse and around the neighborhoods nearby. The only gun battery added to Fort Williams was Battery AMTB 961. During WWII Fort Williams was the control hub of Portland Harbor. It housed the HECP and HDCP on top of Kitty Point inside one of the 1920 observation stations. The mine casement at Fort Williams was used during WWII but after the mine tramway was destroyed by a storm in 1938 the planting was moved to Fort Preble. The mine casement served mines 1-8 in Portland Harbor while the larger mine casement at [[Peaks Island MR]] served mine groups 9-24. Mine explosive and shell storage was at [[Fort McKinley]] inside a warehouse and abandoned batteries. The fort was designated Location 160 at the beginning of WWII and was manned by the 240th Coast Artillery from 1939-1945.

Construction began in 1943 on this 90mm fixed gun battery. There were two fixed guns and two mobile guns. Two magazines were built along with two generator buildings. A Battery Commanders Station was built in between the magazines. The guns had a range of 4.5 miles and were for sinking high speed boats. 30 men were needed for the operation of the two fixed guns. The area where the magazines were located is still visible on some Ariel images.

In 1941 it was decided that the old "H" station built in the 1920s would become the new HECP. The facility was described to be very small so in 1942 Battery Sullivan was gas-proofed and had its magazines air-conditioned. The battery would become the Harbor Defense Command Post and the Anti Aircraft Intelligence Service Command Post. It was proposed that they build a completely new structure but no action was ever taken.