Battery Valleau

 (1907-1917) - Battery John Valleau is a concrete Endicott Period Coastal Battery located on Fort Casey (1), Whidbey Island, Island County, Washington . Named in G.O. 194, 27 Dec 1904, after 1st Lt. John Valleau, 13th U.S. Infantry,who was killed in an assault on Queenstown Heights, Upper Canada, 13 Oct 1812, during the War of 1812. The Battery was begun October 1903 and completed March 1907 and transferred to the Coast Artillery 22 May 1907 at a cost of $92,125. All four guns were transferred from the Battery in 1917.

History
Battery Valleau was designed to protect both the Straight of Juan De Fuca and the Admiralty Inlet to Puget Sound.

Originally built with four, 6" M1905 rifles mounted on M1903 disappearing carriages in two separate batteries connected at an angle to one another. Each of these batteries is a two story battery with two guns located on the upper level and the magazines and service rooms on the lower level. On the lower level of each battery a common shell room and a common powder room serve both gun positions. Electrical power was provided from either the plant at Battery Moore, the central power plant or commercial power. No shell or powder hoists were provided.



World War I
The four 6" guns at Battery Valleau were listed for service overseas on 27 Aug 1917 and by 18 Jul 1918 they had been transferred. The guns were actually transferred 31 Dec 1917 to Watervliet Arsenal, three of them were actually shipped to France (#18, #21, #22). These three guns were all returned to the U.S. after the end of the war and all three were reused in World War II batteries. The fourth gun, #22, did not make it overseas and was not reused in World War II.
 * #18 - Battery 213, Fort Burnside, Narrangansett Bay
 * #20 - Battery 239, Fort Emory, San Diego
 * #21 - Battery 227, Fishermans Island, Chesapeake Bay

Battery Valleau was not rearmed after the end of World War I and the carriages were all scrapped 26 May 1920.

Current Status
The battery was clean and dry when visited. No guns or carriages were in place.

Sources:

Links: 
 * Battery Valleau Virtual Tour