Battery Ash

 (1902-1942) - Battery Ash was a reinforced concrete Endicott Period 12 inch gun battery on Fort Worden, Jefferson County, Washington. Named in G.O. 194, 27 Dec 1904, after Bvt. Ltc. Joseph Penrose Ash, U.S. Army (Capt., 5th U.S. Cavalry) who was killed during the U.S. Civil War at the Battle of Todds Tavern, Virginia, 8 May 1863. Battery construction started in 1898, was completed in 1900 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 16 Jun 1902. Deactivated in 1942.



Endicott Period (1890-1910)
Complicating the swap of the 10" gun and the 12" gun was the fact that the 12" gun carriage was one of only three Altered Gun Lift (AGL) carriages in existence, with a unique double bolt mounting ring. Both emplacements were modified to accept the new gun mounts and the guns were swapped. At some point, the 12" AGL carriage broke down and the decision was made to replace it with a standard 12" M1892 carriage. On 10 Dec 1908 Watertown shipped the 12" M1892 carriage #9 to Fort Worden and it was modified to fit the bolt pattern of the AGL emplacement (the inner circle of bolts was cut down and the carriage holes were redrilled). The parts from the broken AGL were retained as spares for the other two AGLs that happened to be installed at Fort Flagler in Battery Wilhelm. See Berhow page 146 for a discussion of this topic.

There are discrepancies in the record keeping and the serial numbers of the AGL carriages (both Fort Flagler and Fort Worden thought they had #2 and the gun cards do not contain the serial number) probably indicating they were poorly marked or not marked at all.



On 31 Mar 1915, a B.C. Station was added to the building behind Battery Ash that contained the plotting room, tool room and latrine.

World War II (1941-1945)
On 24 Oct 1942 the guns and carriages were ordered salvaged and they were removed in early 1943.

Current Status
No gun or mounts in place.

Sources:
 * , page 146

Links: 
 * Battery Ash Virtual Tour