Battery Kimble
Battery Kimble (1922-1943) - Battery Kimble was a reinforced concrete, World War I 12 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Travis (2), Galveston County, Texas. The battery was named after Major Edward R. Kimble, U.S. Corps of Engineers, who died 9 Apr 1918, from wounds received in action in northern France during World War I. Battery construction started Aug 1917, was completed Apr 1922 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use May 1922 at a cost of $ 310,237.63. Deactivated in 1943. World War I (1917-1918)Part of the Harbor Defense of Galveston. Originally built as a World War I concrete coastal gun battery with two 12" M1895MI-A4 guns mounted on M1917-A2 Barbette carriages. This was a single story battery with the guns located on open concrete gun pads on the same level as the common magazine and support structure between them. The common magazine and support structure was an earth covered reinforced concrete building that contained shell rooms, powder rooms, a power plant, plotting rooms and personnel facilities. Shells were moved from the magazine to the gun loading platform by shot carts. No shell or powder hoists were provided or needed. The two guns were mounted on circular concrete pads with sunken gun pits. The guns and gun crews were completely in the open with no protection from incoming fire or from aircraft. The M1917 carriage and the sunken gun pit allowed a gun elevation of 35 degrees, giving the gun a range of over 16 miles.
World War II (1941-1945)Many batteries similar to Battery Kimble were casemated during World War II to better protect them from aircraft attack. Battery Kimble was one of the few not casemated and in 1943 both of Battery Kimble's guns and carriages were transferred to Battery 520 at Marshall Military Reservation in South Carolina. Current StatusPart of Fort Travis Seashore Park, a Galveston County Park. No period guns or mounts in place.
Sources: Links: Visited: 15 Dec 2011, 12 Nov 2009
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