Battery 242

Battery 242 (1944-1948) - A World War II era Battery built in 1944 as a reinforced concrete Coastal Artillery Battery on the Bolsa Chica Military Reservation of Fort MacArthur. Named after Maj. Harry J Harrison 10 Jun 1946. Decommissioned in 1948.

Battery 242 History

Part of the Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles.

Battery 242 was a battery of two, 6" rapid fire Barbette mounted guns on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure. Decommissioned in 1948.

6" Gun at Fort Columbia Originally at Fort McAndrew, Battery 281, Argentia, NL, Canada

These 6" World War II coastal gun batteries were designed to replace obsolete Endicott Period Batteries. Of the 87 planned only 45 were completed and many of those were not completed until late in the war (1944-1945). The 6" guns fired a 105 pound armor-piercing projectile with a range of over 15 miles at a rate of up to 5 rounds per minute. The gun crews were protected by a thick shield around the gun. Only six of these guns remain in the world, two at Fort Columbia in Battery 246, two at Fort Pickens in Battery 234, and two at Fort McAndrew in Battery 282 in Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

6" Gun Crew

Battery 242 Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	6" Rifle	309.9"	T2-M1		28	Watervliet	Barbette, M4, #11, Wellman	1944-1948
2	6" Rifle	309.9"	T2-M1		29	Watervliet	Barbette, M4, #12, Wellman	1944-1948
Source: Coast Defense Study Group Notes: Serial numbers may not be in the correct gun positions

Battery 242 Plan

Current Status

Battery destroyed to make way for a housing development

---

{"selectable":false,"width":"500"}

Location: former Bolsa Chica Military Reservation 20 miles south of Fort MacArthur, California Maps & Images Lat: 33.7098469 Long: -118.0505419 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: '

Sources:

• Fort MacArthur Museum, Battery #242
• Coast Defense Study Group, Press, Digital Library, Forums

Links:

• Coast Defense Study Group, Press, Digital Library, Forums

Visited: 1 Feb 2009

Battery 242 Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!