Battery 221

Battery 221 (1944-1948) - Battery 221 was a reinforced concrete, World War II 6 inch coastal gun battery on Fort Miles, Delaware. Named in G.O. 5, 11 Jun 1942, Battery Herring for Ltc. Ralph E. Herring, U.S. Coast Artillery Corps, US Army. Battery construction started on 15 Jan 1942, was completed on 31 Aug 1943 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use 4 Mar 1944 at a cost of $ 181,300. Deactivated in 1948.

World War II

Part of the Harbor Defense of the Delaware.

Originally built as an World War II concrete coastal gun battery with two 6" M1903A2 rapid fire guns mounted on M1 Shielded Barbette Carriages (SBC) placed on either side of an earth covered reinforced concrete support structure.

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

The Battery Herring support structure was taken over by the United States Navy in 1962 and the sand and earth cover of the battery was removed. The Navy operated the facility until 30 Sep 1981.

Battery 221 Armament (edit list)

Empl No	Caliber Type	Barrel Length	Model		Serial No	Manufacturer	Carriage	Service Dates	Notes
1	6" Rifle	310"	M1903	A2	42	Watervliet	Barbette, M1, #98, Wellman	1944-1948	See note 1
2	6" Rifle	310"	M1903	A2	4	Watervliet	Barbette, M1, #99, Wellman	1944-1948	See note 1
Source: RCW Form 1,1 May 1944, Coast Defense Study Group, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 104-105, 208 Note 1: CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA

File:Fort Miles Battery 221 Plan.jpg

Battery 221 Plan

Current Status

No period guns or mounts in place. Sand cover removed by Navy and concrete structure fully exposed. Not open to the public and fenced off.

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Location: Fort Miles, Delaware Maps & Images Lat: 38.7653733 Long: -75.0829268 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 42'

Sources:

Links:

• Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library
• Fort Miles - Battery Herring

Visited: 3 Aug 2010

Battery 221 Picture Gallery

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