Battery Greene-Edgerton

 (1898-1942) - Battery Greene-Edgerton was a reinforced concrete, Endicott Period 12 inch coastal mortar battery on Fort Adams (1), Newport County, Rhode Island. The battery was initially named Battery Greene in G.O. 43, 4 Apr 1900, after MG Nathaniel Greene, Continental Army, a distinguished citizen of Rhode Island, who exercised important command under General Washington and in the Carolinas during the Revolutionary War. In 1906 the battery was administratively split into two batteries. The new half of the battery was named in G.O. 20, 25 Jan 1906, after Ltc. Wright P. Edgerton, professor, United States Military Academy, who died 24 Jun 1904. Battery construction started in September 1896, was completed in June 1898 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use in May 1898 at a cost of $ 63,350.00. Deactivated in 1942.

Endicott Period
Originally built as an Endicott Period concrete coastal mortar battery with fifteen 12" M1890MI mortars and one 12" M1890 mortar, all mounted on M1896MI mortar carriages. The mortars were arranged into four mortar pits, each pit having four mortars. In 1906 the battery was administratively split into two batteries, each with two mortar pits. Pits A and B stayed as Battery Greene, pits C and D became pits A and B of Battery Edgerton. These two batteries were single story batteries with the magazines and the guns on the same level. The magazines were located in front of the guns behind concrete walls. Shells and powder were wheeled from the magazine using shell carts.

Telephone data booths were placed at the rear of each mortar pit to transfer azimuth and elevation information from the plotting room to the gunners. The firing data was written on black boards with chalk and then hoisted out of the data booth into the view of the gunners who changed the mortar settings and fired on command.





World War I
Early in 1918 a single mortar and carriage were shipped from Battery Edgerton to Sandy Hook Proving Ground (SHPG) to determine if they could be mounted on railway cars for use overseas. In May 1918 seven more mortars were shipped back to Morgan for modification. Each of the four mortar pits was left with the front two emplacements empty and the two rear emplacements armed. This was a planned reduction in most of the coastal mortar batteries that reduced crowding and manpower in the pits when the mortars were salvoed. The front carriages were removed and the front emplacements were filled with concrete in 1925.

World War II
The salvage of the remaining armament was approved on 14 Nov 1942 during the first large scale scrap drive of World War II.

Current Status
No period guns or mounts in place. Mortar pits used for storage. No public access.

Sources:

Links: