Battery Guenther

 (1918-1942) - A concrete mortar battery built at Fort Canby between Jun 1918 and May 1922 and transferred for service 30 Jun 1922. Battery Guenther was named for Brig. Gen. Francis L. Guenther, a U.S. Civil War veteran who died 5 Dec 1918.



World War I (1917-1918)
Battery Guenther was a concrete Taft Period mortar battery protecting the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean approaches.

Originally armed with four, 12" M1890MI mortars on A.R.F., M1896MI Carriages, two in each of two mortar pits. Each pair of mortars required about 30 men to operate. All four of the mortars at Battery Guenther were originally from Battery Clark at Fort Stevens (1).

Each of the mortars at Battery Guenther was test fired twice in Apr 1922 with shot weighing 1,046 pounds each. This battery was the last seacoast mortar battery built in the United States.



World War II (1941-1945)
Battery Guenther was deactivated in 1942. The mortars and carriages were salvaged in 1943.

Current Status
The battery is not accessible to the public except for by permission of the Coast Guard. The battery is in excellent condition structurally but has been modified as a haunted house and has some Halloween themed graffiti. Mortar emplacements A-2 and B-1 are overgrown. The rooms are dry with the exception of the oil room and truck and tool rooms in Mortar Pit B. There is some overgrowth in the mortar pits. All rooms are being used as storage and as such filled with clutter. Some of the rooms are not accessible. No period guns or carriages are in place.

Recent Blog Posts:
 * Battery Guenther Visit Blog Post

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