List of disappearing gun installations

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This is a list of disappearing gun installations. These are artillery installed behind fortification walls with mechanisms that lift the gun for firing and then retract it to protection. These were installed, especially in coastal defenses, from the 1860s until as late as 1923, and were in service as late as the beginning of World War II.

Contents

Guns in retractable turrets within the Maginot Line and the Atlantic Wall that are sometimes termed "disappearing guns", [1] are not included.

The locations of some still-existing installations may be seen in linked OSM or Google maps.

On land

10-inch disappearing gun at Fort Casey, Washington State, USA Fort Casey 07.jpg
10-inch disappearing gun at Fort Casey, Washington State, USA

Afloat

Listed here are ships having guns with mechanisms active with firing; not listed are gunboats where guns could be lowered merely to lower the ships' center of gravity.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Wint</span> WW2-era fort in the Philippines

Fort Wint was part of the harbor defenses of Manila and Subic Bays built by the Philippine Department of the United States Army between 1907 and 1920 in response to recommendations of the Taft Board prior to the non-fortification clause of the Washington Naval Treaty. Fort Wint was located on Grande Island at the entrance of Subic Bay, approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of Manila Bay. The fort was named for Brigadier General Theodore J. Wint. As specified in the National Defense Act of 1935, this was one of the locations where coastal artillery training was conducted. A battery of the 60th Coast Artillery (AA) was stationed here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Manila Bay</span> 1898 battle during the Spanish–American War

The Battle of Manila Bay, also known as the Battle of Cavite, took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish–American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Contraalmirante Patricio Montojo. The battle took place in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and was the first major engagement of the Spanish–American War. The battle was one of the most decisive naval battles in history and marked the end of the Spanish colonial period in Philippine history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Hancock, New Jersey</span> Former United States Army fort

Fort Hancock is a former United States Army fort at Sandy Hook in Middletown Township, New Jersey. The coastal artillery base defended the Atlantic coast and the entrance to New York Harbor, with its first gun batteries operational in 1896. The fort served from then until 1950 as part of the Harbor Defenses of New York and predecessor organizations. Between 1874 and 1919, the adjacent US Army Sandy Hook Proving Ground was operated in conjunction with Fort Hancock. It is now part of Fort Hancock Memorial Park. It was preceded by the Fort at Sandy Hook, built 1857–1867 and demolished beginning in 1885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disappearing gun</span> Artillery piece mounted so as to descend behind a parapet for loading

A disappearing gun, a gun mounted on a disappearing carriage, is an obsolete type of artillery which enabled a gun to hide from direct fire and observation. The overwhelming majority of carriage designs enabled the gun to rotate backwards and down behind a parapet, or into a pit protected by a wall, after it was fired; a small number were simply barbette mounts on a retractable platform. Either way, retraction lowered the gun from view and direct fire by the enemy while it was being reloaded. It also made reloading easier, since it lowered the breech to a level just above the loading platform, and shells could be rolled right up to the open breech for loading and ramming. Other benefits over non-disappearing types were a higher rate of repetitive fire and less fatigue for the gun crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Miley Military Reservation</span>

The Fort Miley Military Reservation, in San Francisco, California, sits on Point Lobos, one of the outer headlands on the southern side of the Golden Gate. Much of the site is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, while the grounds and buildings that were converted into the San Francisco VA Medical Center are administered by the Veterans Health Administration of the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16-inch/50-caliber M1919 gun</span> Coastal Artillery

The 16 inch gun M1919 (406 mm) was a large coastal artillery piece installed to defend the United States' major seaports between 1920 and 1946. It was operated by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. Only a small number were produced and only seven were mounted; in 1922 and 1940 the US Navy surplussed a number of their own 16-inch/50 guns, which were mated to modified M1919 carriages and filled the need for additional weapons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Michie</span>

Fort Michie was a United States Army coastal defense site on Great Gull Island, New York. Along with Fort H. G. Wright, Fort Terry, and Camp Hero, it defended the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound as part of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound, thus defending Connecticut's ports and the north shore of Long Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun</span> Naval and Heavy Field Gun

The BL 6-inch gun Mark VII was a British naval gun dating from 1899, which was mounted on a heavy travelling carriage in 1915 for British Army service to become one of the main heavy field guns in the First World War, and also served as one of the main coast defence guns throughout the British Empire until the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BLC 15-pounder gun</span> British light field gun

The Ordnance BLC 15-pounder gun was a modernised version of the obsolete BL 15-pounder 7 cwt gun, incorporating a recoil and recuperator mechanism above the barrel and a modified quicker-opening breech. It was developed to provide Territorial Force artillery brigades with a reasonably modern field gun without incurring the expense of equipping them with the newer 18-pounder. It is the gun that writers usually mean by "15-pounder gun" in World War I, but can be confused with the earlier Ordnance QF 15-pounder Ehrhardt or Ordnance BL 15-pounder, both of which fired the same shell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun</span> Naval gun

The BL 9.2-inch Mk IX and Mk X guns were British breech loading 9.2-inch (234 mm) guns of 46.7 calibre, in service from 1899 to the 1950s as naval and coast defence guns. They had possibly the longest, most varied and successful service history of any British heavy ordnance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 9.2-inch Mk I – VII naval gun</span> Naval gun

The BL 9.2-inch Mk I–VII guns were a family of early British heavy breechloading naval and coast defence guns in service from 1881 to the end of World War I. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 10-inch Mk I – IV naval gun</span> Naval gun

The BL 10 inch guns Mks I, II, III, IV were British rifled breechloading 32-calibre naval and coast defence guns in service from 1885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 5-inch gun Mk I – V</span> Naval gun

The BL 5-inch guns Mk I – Mk V were early British 5-inch rifled breechloading naval guns after it switched from rifled muzzle-loaders in the late 1870s. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants. The 5-inch calibre was soon discontinued in favour of QF 4.7-inch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12-inch gun M1895</span> Coastal artillery

The 12-inch coastal defense gun M1895 (305 mm) and its variants the M1888 and M1900 were large coastal artillery pieces installed to defend major American seaports between 1895 and 1945. For most of their history they were operated by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. Most were installed on disappearing carriages, with early installations on low-angle barbette mountings. From 1919, 19 long-range two-gun batteries were built using the M1895 on an M1917 long-range barbette carriage. Almost all of the weapons not in the Philippines were scrapped during and after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3-inch gun M1903</span> Rapid-fire seacoast gun

The 3-inch gun M1903 and its predecessors the M1898 and M1902 were rapid fire breech-loading artillery guns with a 360-degree traverse. In some references they are called "15-pounders" due to their projectile weight. They were originally emplaced from 1899 to 1917 and served until shortly after World War II. These 3-inch guns were placed to provide fire to protect underwater mines and nets against minesweepers, and also to protect against motor torpedo boats. In some documentation they are called "mine defense guns". The 3-inch guns were mounted on pedestal mounts that bolted into a concrete emplacement that provided cover and safety for the gun's crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10-inch gun M1895</span> Coastal artillery

The 10-inch Gun M1895 (254 mm) and its variants the M1888 and M1900 were large coastal artillery pieces installed to defend major American seaports between 1895 and 1945. For most of their history they were operated by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. Most were installed on disappearing carriages, with early installations on barbette mountings. All of the weapons not in the Philippines were scrapped during World War II. Two of the surviving weapons were relocated from the Philippines to Fort Casey in Washington state in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14-inch gun M1907</span> Coastal artillery

The 14-inch Gun M1907 (356 mm) and its variants the M1907MI, M1909, and M1910 were large coastal artillery pieces installed to defend major American seaports between 1895 and 1945. They were operated by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. Most were installed on single gun disappearing carriages; the only installation with four guns in twin turrets was built at the unique Fort Drum in Manila Bay, Philippines. All of the weapons not in the Philippines were scrapped when World War II brought about a general upgrade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6-inch gun M1897</span> *coastal artillery *field gun

The 6-inch gun M1897 (152 mm) and its variants the M1900, M1903, M1905, M1908, and M1 were coastal artillery pieces installed to defend major American seaports between 1897 and 1945. For most of their history they were operated by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. They were installed on disappearing carriages or pedestal mountings, and during World War II many were remounted on shielded barbette carriages. Most of the weapons not in the Philippines were scrapped within a few years after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Barry</span>

Fort Barry is a former United States Army installation on the West Coast of the United States, located in the Marin Headlands of Marin County, California, north of San Francisco. Opened 116 years ago in 1908, the fort was part of the Coast Artillery Corps and operated throughout the 20th century, before its closure and eventual transfer to the National Park Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Defenses of Argentia and St. John's</span>

The Harbor Defenses of Argentia and St. John's was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command in World War II. It was part of Newfoundland Base Command, established as a result of the 1940 Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom. It coordinated the US Army coast defenses of Naval Station Argentia and the port of St. John's, Newfoundland from January 1941 to 8 September 1945. These included coast artillery at Fort McAndrew in Argentia and Fort Pepperrell in St. John's.

References

  1. Britannica's War on Land, including its page 62, for one source
  2. "6 Inch BL Disappearing Guns". Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. "Rare gun barrel surfaces in Wellington". Radio New Zealand. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  4. Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays at the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. website
  5. 1 2 Gallery of American Seacoast Artillery and Fortifications (from the Coast Defense Study Group website. Accessed 2016-12-17.)
  6. "The mystery of the 'disappearing gun'" (video with subtitles, 1 min, 50 secs). BBC News. 4 May 2019.
  7. D. Quarmby, Casemate (Fortress Study Group), 84, 2009, pp17-18
  8. List of all US coastal forts and batteries at the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. website
  9. Chappell, Gordon. "Fort Barry". Historic California Posts. California State Military Museum . Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  10. Report. United States Army Office of the Chief of Engineers. 1901. p. 21.
  11. Congressional Edition. Vol. 4534. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1903. p. 1393.