Battery Langdon

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Battery Langdon (1917-1945) - Battery Langdon was an open pad reinforced concrete, World War I 12 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Pickens, Escambia County, Florida. The battery was named in G.O. 13, 27 Mar 1922 after Brigadier General Loomis L. Langdon (Cullum 1650), who served in the Third Seminole War and the U.S. Civil War, and who died 7 Jan 1910 in New York City. Battery construction started 1 Apr 1917, was completed 17 May 1921, and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 3 Mar 1923 at a cost of $ 309.486.32. The battery was casemated in 1942-1943 to protect it from aircraft and long-range ship bombardment. Deactivated in 1947.

Battery Langdon Casemate #1
Battery Langdon Casemate #2

World War I (1917-1918)

Part of the Harbor Defense of Pensacola.

Originally built as a World War I concrete coastal gun battery with two 12" M1895MI-A4 guns mounted on M1917-A2 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.

The battery was not completed until February 1923 but the armament was not mounted until early summer 1923 and was finally test-fired on 8 Aug 1923.

Battery Langdon Armament (edit list)
Empl
No
Caliber
Type
Barrel
Length
Model Serial
No
Manufacturer Carriage Service
Dates
Notes
1 12" Rifle 442.56" M1895MI A4 14 Bethlehem Barbette, M1917-A2, #19, Robert Poole 1923-1947 See note 1
2 12" Rifle 442.56" M1895MI A4 62 Watervliet Barbette, M1917-A2, #25, Watertown 1923-1947 See note 2
Source: RCW Form 1, 30 Jun 1925, 1 Jul 1944, CDSG, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 154-155, 212
Note 1: Gun transferred from Watervliet 17 Jul 1918, carriage transferred from Robert Poole 5 Apr 1919. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA
Note 2: Gun transferred from Watervliet 16 Jul 1918, carriage transferred from Watertown 17 Jan 1919. CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA
Battery Langdon Open Pad Plan.


World War II (1941-1945)

At the beginning of World War II a decision to casemate, most of the 12" open pad Barbette mounted batteries were taken to protect the guns and crews from long-range ship and aircraft bombardment. Battery Langdon was selected to be casemated and work was begun 1 Nov 1942. The casemates and supporting magazine structure were massive reinforced concrete structures with 10' thick walls and 17' thick overhead concrete ceilings. The central structure between the two casemates housed shell and powder rooms as well as plotting rooms and fire control infrastructure. The casemates were completed on 31 July 1943 and accepted for service on 21 Jun 1943 at a cost of $ 623,818.80. In 1947. The Harbor Defenses of Pensacola were declared surplus in May 1947 and the guns and carriages of Battery Langdon were scrapped during June and July 1947.

Battery Langdon Casemated Plan


Current Status

No period guns or mounts in place and there are locked steel doors preventing public entry to the Battery rooms.


Location: Fort Pickens, Escambia County, Florida

Maps & Images

Lat: 30.31853 Long: -87.262505

  • Multi Maps from ACME
  • Maps from Bing
  • Maps from Google
  • Elevation: 14.72'


GPS Locations:

Sources:

  • Historic Structure Report and Resource Study, Pensacola Harbor Defense Project 1890-1947, Florida Unit, National Park service, March 1982
  • U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Pensacola, (HDPEN-AN-45), 1 Jul 1945, CDSG

Links:

Visited: 8 Oct 2021, 16 Dec 2009

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