Battery Louis R. Burgess

Battery Louis R. Burgess (1942-1948) - Battery Louis R. Burgess was a reinforced concrete, World War II 8 inch coastal gun battery on Louis R. Burgess Military Reservation, Honolulu County, Hawaii. This battery was constructed using a U.S. Navy twin gun turret removed from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. Originally known as Battery Salt Lake on Salt Lake Military Reservation and renamed Battery Louis R. Burgess on Louis R. Burgess Military Reservation in G.O. 96, March 1946, after Colonel Louis R. Burgess, who died on 17 Dec 1938. Battery construction started on 10 March 1942, was completed in October 1942. Reduced to a caretaker status in December 1945 and processed for salvage in 1948. World War II (1941-1945) Part of the Harbor Defense of Pearl Harbor. Originally built as a World War II concrete coastal gun battery with four 8" Mark IX M2 Navy guns mounted in two turrets removed from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. The battery mounted two turrets each with two guns. Both guns in a turret traversed and elevated together. Construction began on 10 March 1942 on a leased 88.42 acre military reservation and it was completed in October 1942. The guns were proof fired in October 1942 and falling rock resulted in the hillsides being coated with gunite to suppress the rock falls. The completed work at Battery Salt Lake was finally accepted 31 Dec 1943. The Battery and the military reservation were renamed in March 1946 for Colonel Louis R. Burgess. The battery was reduced to caretaker status in December 1945 and processed for salvage in 1948 Battery Louis R. Burgess Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 8" Rifle 449" Mark IX M2 516 ? Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory 1942-1948 See note 1 2 8" Rifle 449" Mark IX M2 510 ? Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory 1942-1948 See note 1 1 8" Rifle 449" Mark IX M2 518 ? Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory 1942-1948 See note 1 2 8" Rifle 449" Mark IX M2 517 ? Turret, ?, #?, Naval Gun Factory 1942-1948 See note 1 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 118-119 Note 1: The actual assignment of specific serial numbered guns to positions is unknown and the assignments here are arbitrary. Current Status Some limited remains, no period guns or mounts in place. Location: Salt Lake Military Reservation, Honolulu County, Hawaii Maps & Images Lat: 21.348778 Long: -157.917097 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: Turret #1 = 198', Turret #2 = 179' Sources: Grobmeier, Alvin H., Officers of the U.S. Army and Others in Honor of whom Coast Artillery Forts and Batteries in Hawaii Have Been Named, CDSG News, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Nov. 1992), pp. 66-67 Lewis, E.R. and Kirchner, D.P., The Oahu Turrets, Warship International, 1992, Issue 3, pp. 273-301 Links: CDSG Visited: No