Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Fort Rosecrans: Battery Charles
Humphreys
(Battery Construction No. 238)
Example of the 6-inch
rifle used at Battery Charles Humphreys.
Battery Humphreys
by Justin M. Ruhge
In February 1942, work began on the first
of three 6-inch batteries, referred to as Construction No. 238.
V. R. Dennis of San Diego won the contract in the amount of $128,000.
This battery of two 6-inch rapid fire guns on barbette mounts
protected by 2-inch steel shields was located on top of Point
Loma above the new lighthouse. The design was similar to those
already described for the 6-inch batteries in the Bay Area.
The actual guns were Model M1903A2 Nos.
1 and 101 manufactured by the Watervliet Arsenal. The carriages
were barbette Nos. 100 and 101 manufactured by the Wellman Engineering
Company.
Battery Humphreys was named in honor of
Captain Charles Humphreys, Fort Rosecrans' first Commanding Officer.
The battery was completed on October 14,
1943.
An aerial photograph
of Battery Humphreys Under Construction in May 1942. U.S. Navy,
Code 0273, LRO 110-04-67, San Diego
Completed Battery
Humphreys, 1945. Note two 6-inch Guns with shields. Photograph
courtesy of the Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego.
Two Photographs of
Battery Humphreys, 1995. Courtesy of The U.S. Navy, San Diego.
BCN-200-Series
Battery Layout
An Artist's
Rendering of a Standard Two Gun 6-Inch Battery Showing Layout
Details. Artwork by Gerald W. Butler.
Taken From of 1940 by Robert D. Zink, The Six-Inch
Part of the Modernization Program,Coast Defense Study Group Journal, Vol. 8, No.
2, pgs. 21-39, May 1994.
