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Battery 201 (1944-1946) - Battery 201 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Cape Elizabeth Military Reservation, Cumberland County, Maine. Battery construction was essentially completed in 1944 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for conditional use without being armed. Deactivated in 1946.
 Battery 201 Center Entrance |
 Battery 201 Emplacement #2 Entrance with Gas Proof Doors |
 Battery 201 Gun Emplacement #1 |
 Battery 201 Gun Emplacement #2 |
Part of the Harbor Defense of Portland, Maine.
Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery for two 6" rapid fire guns mounted on M4 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete magazine and support structure. Power was supplied by internal generators and commercial power.
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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.
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Battery 201 Armament (edit list)
Empl
No
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Caliber
Type
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Barrel
Length
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Model
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Serial
No
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Manufacturer
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Carriage
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Service
Dates
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Notes
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| ?
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6" Rifle
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?"
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Unknown
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?
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Unknown
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Shielded Barbette (SBC),
M4, #63, Watertown
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1944-1946
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See note 1
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| ?
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6" Rifle
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?"
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Unknown
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?
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Unknown
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Shielded Barbette (SBC),
M4, #64, Watertown
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1944-1946
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See note 1
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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 104-105
Note 1: Exact assignment of the M4 carriages to specific emplacements could not be determined. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA
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Current Status
Part of Two Lights State Park, Cumberland County, Maine. No period guns or mounts in place.
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Location: Two Lights State Park, Cumberland County, Maine.
Maps & Images
Lat: 43.55955 Long: -70.204901
- Multi Maps from ACME
- Maps from Bing
- Maps from Google
- Elevation: 52' (gun platform)
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Recent Blog Posts
Sources:
- U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Portland, Maine, (HDPB-AN-45), 11 Apr 1945, CDSG
Links:
Visited: 15 Jun 2012
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