Battery Montgomery (2)

 (1904-1948) - Battery Montgomery (2) was a reinforced concrete, Endicott Period 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Monroe, Hampton City, Virginia. The battery was named in G.O. 78, 25 May 1903, after Maj. Lemuel P. Montgomery, 39th U.S. Infantry, who was killed 27 Mar 1814, in action at Horse Shoe Bend, Alabama. Battery construction started 17 Sep 1901, was completed in May 1903 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 30 Jun 1904 at a cost of $ 24,000.00. Deactivated in 1948.

Endicott Period
Originally built as an Endicott Period concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" M1900 guns mounted on M1900 pedestal carriages. This was a two-story gun battery with the guns located on the upper level and a common magazine and shell room on the lower level. Two manual Hodges back delivery shell hoists moved the projectiles from the magazine level to the gun loading level. The battery had two C.R.F. stations, one on each flank.



World War I
On 6 Feb 1917 the transfer of Battery Montgomery guns and carriages was authorized to an emergency battery at Cape Henry. On 18 Jul 1918, the guns and carriages were reported as having been transferred. In February 1919 two different sets of guns and carriages were transferred back to Battery Montgomery from Cape Henlopen and Cape May.

World War II
The two 6" guns of Battery Montgomery (#39 & #41) were transferred to Watervliet on 22 Nov 1941. It is unclear which guns were emplaced during the remainder of World War II. The battery is shown on the 1 Nov 1945 HD Supplement as lined out, probably indicating that it had been deactivated after the previous edition of the HD Supplement. In that same supplement, the battery is shown as active on the Tabulation of Seacoast Armament (dated 15 Nov 1943) as Tactical Battery #17 with two 6" guns M1900 on M1900 mounts. The supplement also shows the ammunition allowance for the battery as follows:

Current Status
This battery has been destroyed and no trace remains.

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