Historic California Posts, Camp,
Stations and Airfields
Fort Winfield Scott: Battery Lancaster
Battery Lancaster.
Image provided by Chuck Woffard
Battery Lancaster
by Gordon Chappell, Regional Historian,
Pacific West Region, National Park Service
Beginning at the Golden Gate Bridge toll
plaza and extending southward along the bluffs at the northwestern
edge of the Presidio of San Francisco are five post-Endicott
Board (1885) seacoast defense batteries. They include some of
the earliest Endicott-type artillery defenses of San Francisco
Bay. When begun, and for some time after completion, these batteries
remained unnamed, and during construction were known simply by
emplacement numbers assigned by the New York Board of Engineers
in preparing the first Endicott-type plan for San Francisco Bay
in 1890. The defenses of San Francisco were nationally second
in priority, preceded only by those of New York Harbor. Sequentially
the first five emplacements were to be five 10-inch guns mounted
on the bluff above Fort Point. These were never built.
Northernmost of the complex of batteries
were emplacements 6, 7 and 8, which now have been almost entirely
covered by the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza, built many years
later. Here were three 12-inch breechloading rifled guns on Buffington-Crozier
so-called 'disappearing' carriages, which rotated backwards and
downwards with the recoil of the gun so that it could be reloaded
behind protection of earthworks and concrete from low trajectory
enemy naval gunfire. (There were no aircraft then.) Emplacement
No. 3 was the first of this battery to be constructed, and it
was commenced in 1896, being completed two years later. Emplacements
Nos. I and 2 were begun in 1898 and finished in 1900. Four 15-inch
Rodman guns of Battery West had to be removed and their emplacements,
dating from the 1870s, were destroyed to accommodate construction
of the two later The 12-inch breechloading rifles were all manufactured
by the Watervliet Arsenal. One, probably in Emplacement No. 3,
was Model 1888 Mark I No. 40, and the others were Model 1895
Numbers 5 and 6. The carriage in emplacement 3 was the Model
1896 and was manufactured by the Moran Engineering Company and
given serial number 25. The other Buffington-Crozier carriages
were manufactured by Robert Poole & Sons, and were serial
numbers 6 and 7. Emplacement 3 was transferred to the artillery
in June 1899 and the other two in April 1900. (These later emplacement
numbers were numbers in each individual battery, rather than
in the overall plan.) The battery was named on February 14, 1902
in honor of Lt. Colonel James M. Lancaster, 3rd Artillery, who
died at Fort Monroe, Virginia, in 1900. Battery Lancaster was
unusual in that it was the only major rifle battery on the south
shore of the Golden Gate that bore directly on the narrowest
part of the strait, and a major concern during its construction
was that it was vulnerable to flanking fire due to the topography,
so the traverses were carried well back and the road behind the
battery led through tunnels beneath two of them. Battery Lancaster
was determined obsolete by the end of World War I and its guns
were removed in 1918. Planning was already in progress for a
bridge across the Golden Gate, although construction did not
begin until January 5, 1933, and Battery Lancaster's empty emplacements
were soon incorporated beneath the bridge toll plaza.
Battery Lancaster
by Justin Ruhge
Northernmost of the complex of batteries
were three 12-inch breech-loading rifled guns on Buffington-Crozier
carriages. Work began in 1896 and completed in 1900 on the three
gun emplacements. In the process, four 15-inch Rodman guns of
Battery West had to be removed and their emplacements destroyed.
The new guns were manufactured by the
Watervliet Arsenal. One was model 1888, Mark I No. 40, and the
others were Model 1895 numbers 5 and 6. One carriage was Model
1896 serial No. 25 manufactured by the Morgan Engineering Co.
The two other Buffington-Crozier carriages were manufactured
by Robert Poole and Sons as serial No. 6 and 7. These guns were
transferred to the heavy artillery by April 1900.
This battery was named on February 14,
1902 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel James M. Lancaster, 3rd Artillery,
who died at Fort Monroe, Virginia, in 1900.
Battery Lancaster was unusual in that
it was the only major rifled battery on the south shore of the
Golden Gate that bore directly on the narrowest part of the strait.
A major concern during its construction was that it was vulnerable
to flanking fire due to the topography, so the concrete traverses
were carried well back and the road behind the battery led through
tunnels beneath two of them. These were the first of the new
concrete emplacements that surrounded each of these new types
of guns.
Battery Lancaster became obsolete after
World War I. Its guns were removed in 1918. By then plans were
already in progress for a bridge across the Golden Gate. Battery
Lancaster's empty concrete emplacements made perfect foundations
for the Toll Plaza of the Golden Gate Bridge where a portion
of this battery can still be seen today.
Battery Lancaster's
Number 2 Gun and crew
Battery Lancaster
by Chuck Wofford
This battery was named in GO 16 February
14 1902 in honor of Lt Col James Lancaster, 3rd US Artillery,
who died at Fort Monroe in February 14 1900, was a graduated
from West Point 1862, 2nd lieu-tenant 3rd Artillery, June 17
1862. 1st Lieutenant, 24th June 1864, Regimental Adjutant March
28th to September 24th 1867. Brevet Captain March 13 1865 for
good conduct and gallant service during the war. Captain 3rd
Artillery, March 20 1879. Major of Artillery 4th Artillery October
29 1896, also fought in the Civil War. Born in Kentucky. Appointed
from Kentucky.
Ordnance
This Endicott era battery had three 12-inch
guns, the one in Emplacement #3 was a Model 1888 M1 #40, and
the others were Models 1895 # 5 and 8. This battery was the most
northernmost of the complex of the batteries of Fort Scott. The
12-inch breech loading rifles were manufactured by the Waterviliet
Arsenal.
These gun mounted on the carriages in
emplacement #3 was a model 1896 # 23 and was manufactured by
the Moran Engineering Company. The other two were Buffington-Crozier
carriage and were manufactured by Robert Poole & Sons, Model
1897, # 6 and 7 these two carriages had two motors mounted on
them, one for traversing and one for elevating depressing and
retracting.
Ammunition Service
The movement of ammunition must be very
rapid and it is the duty of the Engineer Department to so design
it emplacement that each and every step of the ammunition service
may be performed with such speed that the ammunition can be carried
to the breech of the gun at least as rapidly as it can be loaded
into the gun and fired. The ammunition supply for this battery
was stored in the shell room which was 11'-6" x 26 there
were 2 this size and one 12' X 31' and held 443 The size of the
powder magazine was 14'-6" X 26', there two this size and
one 5 X 17 and held 2000. The battle allowance for this battery
was 200, and it's war reserve was 200.
Construction
As with any battery is to be built in
any Engineer district, as much information as may be necessary
is sent to the district officer. Appropriation were approved
September 12 1896 for the 3rd emplacement in this battery, and
construction began October 1896, with the grading for the storage
of rock and cement and the removal of a Rodman, and a work road
was graded, using 81 yd of rock. Excavation for the magazine
and platforms, were starting on the 6th with the removal of over
13,256 cubic yards of sand and dirt for emplacement #3 for this
battery was approved September 12 1896, and construction began
in October 1896, with the clearing and grading of the site. An
estimate of the cost for emplacement #2 and #3 was submitted
in August 1899. Work was commenced the following month and was
uninterruptedly until practically completed in the spring of
1899. This was done under the appropriation for gun and mortar
batteries made by the act approved June 6 1896 and allotment
of $168.000.00 was made for continuing work in the SFHD,
The excavation was making good progress.
Emplacement 1 and 2 with the removal of 47,344 cu. yds of dirt
and sand, The forms are being constructed as the excavation is
in progress, the timber used in making the forms is dressed lumber
will be used.
When the forms are finished all the reinforcing
is put into the forms in there place including the iron and steel,
in the form of I beams for reinforcing ceilings, and in columns
for supporting ceilings, for reinforcing concrete deformed steel
bars were used, this battery had over 129,265 lbs of reinforcing
in it.
At this time the concrete is poured into
the forms. After the concrete work was finished, sand was added
to the front and flanks of the battery. In this battery they
used 95,430 cu. yd of concrete in emplacement #1 and #2 and 4,751
cubic yards in emplacement #3.
One of the last thing done in the construction
of this battery is the using of sand on the front and flanks
of the lower floor of batteries, with the exception is the blast
apron, which is made of concrete, and immediately in front of
the gun, they had to be laid very carefully, or the would be
blown away, there was over 11247 cu. yds of fill used in this
battery.
The guns and carriages had not been received
as of yet, but the battery was finished in 1900, with the exception
of the floor of the dynamo room was laid in July 1899; aprons
were built, one base ring set, and latrines finished in August,
and the other base ring was set in October. The backfill for
terreplein # 7 was made and the concrete terreplein and the steps
leading to the guns were in and the top finished and the backfill
for terreplein # 6 was begun, the backfill over the magazines
was completed and a considerable part of the cut necessary for
field of fire was made, the grading in the rear of the emplacement
was begun, fireplaces were placed in various rooms, by October
1899 the battery was considered to be complete except for electricity.
and transferred on April 1900, this was for gun emplacement #1
and 2. fill was 4,245 cubic yards, and was finished in a short
time, except for electric lights and wiring all the engineering
work was done, and finished in 1898.
This battery was 365' across the front,
and 150' deep, there was 115' between the guns, it also had a
Guard Room that was 10' X 20' on the west side of emplacement
#3, there was a Plotting Room, that was 12' X 17' and the Tool
Room, which was 12' X 14' and a large passageway 10' X 32, theses
rooms were between emplacement #3 and #2, also there was an Oil
Room, which was 11'-6" X 19'-6", there was also and
Generator Room was 12' X 17' and an Engine Room which was 12'
X 17'.
Finally in February 1899, the mounting
of the gun was completed and the emplacement turned over to the
commanding officer June 15 1899, on April 27 1900 Empts 1 &
2 were turned over to the commanding officer, at a cost of $75,500.00
for #1 & 2 and $ 107.409.00 for # 3 and 1 & 2 Battery
Saffold.
Power
This battery was electrician around December
of 1900, it required 7.6kw for lights, and 23.5 kw for the motors
for the hoist, and carriages it also supplied power to the following
-B/5 Lanchaster-F/7 Scott-F/6 Scott - Torpedo Storehouse- Cable
Tank, Two Loading Rooms and the Latrine. The feeder from the
plant and branch feeders to the various panel boxes at the battery,
were in the hoist room in emplacement 3, the panel will be abandoned
and the routing of the cable of the new emplacement switchboard
to distributed to all stations. In 1902 in accordance with orders
from the Chief of Engineers conduits for electric wires were
laid in #6 and #7 running from rooms in the emplacement to the
gun platforms. The wires supply motors, placed on the gun carriage,
to maneuver the guns both in azimuth and vertical circle. These
two installations were made one by the General Electric Co. and
the other by Sprague Electric Co. (not yet finished) for the
purpose of comparative tests. The only portion of the work done
by the Engineering Dept was concerned was the laying of the conduit.
The work was completed at the flowing cost, $375.00.
Miscellaneous
This battery was connected to water and
sewer, and had a syphon latrine, it's date transmission was by
telephone and speaking tube, and was vented by a 4" terra
cotta vent from the magazine terminating at the traverse wall.
Trunnion elevation in the battery #1=178.4 #2= 184.4 #4= 194.3,
datum M.L.L.W.
The greater part of this battery was destroyed
in the 1930s by the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge which
touches land precisely in the middle of the former battery. Portion
of the outer emplacement may still be seen today and portions
of the underground magazine still exist. Emplacement #3 was the
first of this battery to be construction and it commenced in
1896 and completed two years later, Emplacement # 1 and 2 were
started in 1898 and finished in 1900.
Battery Lancaster was un-usual in that
it was the only major rifle battery on the South shore of the
Golden Gate that bore directly on the narrowest part of the strait,
and a major concern during it construction was that it was so
vulnerable to flanking fire due to the topography, so the traverses
were carried well back and the road behind the battery led through
a tunnel beneath two of the emplacements.
Fire Control
The artillery having reported that one
of the observing stations for the type B Lewis depression range
finder for emergency use did not embrace the field of view required
the construction of a supplementary station from the funds allotted
the from the two 12 inch gun emplacement was authorized by the
Chief of Engineers November 10 1900. The station was completed
in January, at a cost of $245.69. It also had a B.C. and B.
Abandonment
Its guns were declared obsolete and dismounted
in 1943, this battery was salvaged by the commanding general,
Fort Winfield Scott and sub post under directive contained in
Secret Letter, office of the Chief of Ordnance file 00-400.93/28(S)
SPOFX5 to the service command dated Jan 23 1946. subject "Salvage
of Obsolete Armament". It saw service from 1898 to 1943.
The battery is still in good condition, was in it this year.
Battery Lancaster
(Presidio Army Museum Collection)
How does
a Disappearing Gun Disappear?
When a lever is pulled, a lead counterweight
drops and the aimed barrel rises to the firing position. After
the gun is fired, its recoil drops the gun below the parapet.
This feature made the gun invisible to enemy ships and protected
the crew during loading. But, while it was an effective weapon
against ships, it had no protection from what its designer could
not have foreseen, the airplane. Batteries designed after World
War I were casemated, providing their crews a large degree of
overhead protection. Below are some rare color photographs showing
the battery's gun in action.
Report of
Completed Works - Seacoast Fortifications
