Battery Osgood-Farley

 (1916-1944) - Battery Osgood-Farley was a reinforced concrete Taft Period 14" gun battery located on Fort MacArthur, Los Angeles County,California. The Battery was constructed as a single two gun battery but each gun emplacement was designated as a separate battery. Gun emplacement #1 was named for Brigadier General Henry Brown Osgood Jr and gun emplacement #2 was named for Brigadier General Joseph Pearson Farley . Battery construction started 15 Sep 1916, was completed 10 Oct 1919 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 10 Oct 1919 at a total cost of $211,427.  Battery declared surplus in 1944.

World War I (1917-1918)
Battery Osgood-Farley was a reinforced concrete Taft Period gun battery with two, M1910, 14" guns mounted on M1907MI disappearing carriages. The battery was constructed between 1916-1919 and accepted for service in 1919. Gun # 2 was mounted on 30 Jun 1917 and gun # 1 was mounted on 31 Jul 1923. These 14 inch guns had a range of 14 miles with a 1,515 lb projectile.

This was a single story battery with the guns located on the same level as the magazines. Shells were moved from the magazine to the gun loading platform by shell trucks. The magazines are located in a central traverse that is directly connected by galleries to the gun pits. The gun pits were not casemated but the magazines were in a reinforced concrete structure covered with earth and sand. No shell or powder hoists were needed or provided. Electrical power was furnished by the emplacement power plant and commercial power.

Practice firings caused significant damage in the surrounding communities as those communities grew over the years. Battery Osgood's gun was practice fired 116 times and Battery Farley's gun was fired 121 times.

World War II (1941-1945)
Battery Osgood-Farley was considered obsolete at the beginning of World War II because of its disappearing carriages and lack of protective casemates. It was kept in operation pending the completion of the modernization program's 16" batteries. The Battery was declared surplus in 1944 and the guns were scrapped sometime after 1946.

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Current Status
Must See! This Battery is in good condition and in use by the Fort MacArthur Museum since 1985. No period guns or mounts in place. The power room has been restored and the generator sets are both operational. The upper level Battery Commander's Station (BC or BCS) has been almost fully restored lacking only the azimuth instrument and it is connected to the lower plotting room which is currently being restored. The museum has a fine collection of vintage military vehicles and an operational searchlight aircraft tracking system.

See Also:
 * Fort MacArthur
 * Harbor Defense of Los Angeles

Sources:

Links: 
 * Fort MacArthur Museum