World War II brought the last era of coastal fortification in the United States. New, long range guns, with protection from heavier shells and overhead protection from air attack were the hallmarks of these fortifications. Most were finished late in the war, and were only manned for a brief period of time.
This tower contained the battery commanders station for Battery 234 on the lower level. The upper level housed a coincidence range finder as a backup to the base end stations, which normally provided the data which allowed range to be calculated.
Battery 234 was a six-inch, long range gun battery. The battery consisted of two shield guns, with a "Central Traverse Magazine", which held ammunition, generators, the plotting station, and other facilities. The mound to the right of the gun is the magazine for this battery.Continue
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