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103-718: Fort Trumbull is a massive granite fort near the mouth of the Thames River in New London, Connecticut , managed as Fort Trumbull State Park by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection . The original fort was built in 1777 and named for Governor Jonathan Trumbull . The present fortification was built between 1839 and 1852. It lies adjacent to the Coast Guard Station New London . In 1775, Governor Jonathan Trumbull recommended building

206-481: A U.S. Navy submarine base , and the Electric Boat submarine shipyard are located on the river at New London and Groton. USS  Nautilus was launched into the river on January 21, 1954 from Electric Boat, becoming the world's first nuclear-powered submarine . In addition to the submarine bases, a US Navy Magnetic Silencing Facility is also installed within the mouth of the river. Two historic forts overlook

309-772: A brevet brigadier general in the U.S. Army) designed the larger forts and key features of most of the smaller forts, such as the Totten casemate , which allowed a good field of fire with a minimal embrasure size. By the end of the Third System in 1867, 42 forts covered the major harbors along the coastline. While most of the forts were completed, several of the forts—mostly in New England—were still under construction. A few of these forts, such as Fort Preble, Fort Totten, and Fort Constitution, were readied for armament even though they were far from complete. The Corps of Engineers listed

412-455: A coastal defense system that was equal to any other nation. The rapidity of technological advances and changing techniques increasingly separated coastal defenses (heavy) from field artillery (light). Officers were rarely qualified to command both, requiring specialization. As a result, in 1907, Congress split Field Artillery and Coast Artillery into separate branches, creating a separate Coast Artillery Corps (CAC), and authorized an increase in

515-478: A committee to study coast defense needs, and appropriated money to construct a number of fortifications that would become known as the First System. Twenty significant forts at 13 harbors were approved for construction, mostly with traditional low-walled structures with low sloped earthworks protecting wood or brick walls. The conventional wisdom was that soft earth would cushion the effect of cannon fire against

618-475: A defense against naval attack than a strategic offensive weapon. However, planes like the Boeing B-17 , which evolved as defensive weapons, turned out to have excellent offensive capacity as well. In the early 1920s several types of weapons, mostly those with only a few deployed, were withdrawn from Coast Artillery service. This was probably to simplify the supply situation. The only widely deployed type withdrawn

721-847: A few batteries at each harbor. Following the infamous and tragic explosion and sinking of the new battleship USS  Maine on 15 February, an Act of Congress a month later of 9 March 1898 authorized the construction of batteries that could be rapidly armed at numerous East Coast locations. It was feared that the Spanish fleet would bombard US ports. Completion of Endicott batteries and refurbishment or redeployment of 1870s batteries were also included. The 1870s-type batteries were armed with Civil War-era Rodman guns and Parrott rifles, along with some new weapons: 21 8-inch M1888 guns (slated for incomplete Endicott forts) on modified 1870s Rodman gun carriages. New batteries were also begun for eight 6-inch Armstrong guns and 34 4.72-inch Armstrong guns , purchased from

824-507: A few of the 6-inch guns and none of the 5-inch guns were returned to the coast defenses after the war. Most of the 6-inch guns were stored until remounted in World War II, and the 5-inch guns were declared obsolete and scrapped circa 1920. A large-scale program to mount 12-inch mortars along with 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch guns and some other weapons as railway artillery was partially implemented during and shortly after World War I, with

927-963: A few years as modern emplacements for them were completed. Army leaders realized that heavy fixed artillery required different training programs and tactics than mobile field artillery. Prior to 1901 each of the seven artillery regiments contained both heavy and light artillery batteries. In February 1901, with the Endicott program well under way, the Artillery Corps was divided into two types: field artillery and coast artillery. The previous seven artillery regiments were dissolved, and 30 numbered companies of field artillery (commonly called batteries) and 126 numbered companies of coast artillery (CA) were authorized. 82 existing heavy artillery batteries were designated as coast artillery companies, and 44 new CA companies were created by splitting existing units and filling their ranks with recruits. The company-based organization

1030-401: A fire direction tower were also mounted on its upper surface. The 25-to-36-foot-thick (7.6 to 11.0 m) fortress walls protected extensive ammunition magazines, machine spaces, and living quarters for the 200 man garrison. The extensive level of fortification was not typical of the period, but driven by the exposed location. Although the design predated concerns about defense from air attack,

1133-607: A fortification at the port of New London to protect the Connecticut government's seat. The fort was built on a rocky point of land near the mouth of the Thames River on Long Island Sound ; it was completed in 1777 and named for Governor Trumbull, who served from 1769 to 1784. It was attacked in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War and was captured by British forces under the command of Benedict Arnold . Benedict Arnold had betrayed his country by this time, and he

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1236-692: A large-scale modernization program of harbor and coastal defenses in the United States, especially the construction of modern steel bar- reinforced concrete fortifications of more formidable defenses and the installation of large caliber breech-loading artillery and mortar batteries. Typically, Endicott period projects were not fortresses, but a system of well-dispersed emplacements with a few large guns in each location. The structures were usually open-topped concrete walls protected by earthworks berms and embedded in their deep trench sloping walls. Many of these featured disappearing guns , which sat protected behind

1339-531: A limited time in which to fire at passing enemy ships. To build these tall forts, walls had to be built of masonry , but be very thick in order to withstand the pounding of cannon fire. Despite the goal of building multi-tiered forts, only a few of these were completed, notably Castle Williams in New York Harbor. Most completed Second System forts generally resembled First System forts, with a one-tier star fort supplemented by water batteries. The Second System

1442-536: A massive $ 127 million dollars construction program of breech-loading cannons with rifled / grooved barrels for firing pointed shells (rather than old-fashioned cannon balls), mortars, floating batteries, and submarine mines for some 29 locations on the U.S. coastlines (East, South and West). Most of the new Board's recommendations were adopted by the President, the Congress and the two military executive departments. This led to

1545-468: A massive structure roughly resembling a concrete battleship. It was the only true sea fort of the Endicott and Taft programs. The fort was topped with a pair of armored steel gun turrets, each mounting two 14-inch (356 mm) M1909 guns ; this model was specially designed for Fort Drum and was not deployed elsewhere. Four 6-inch (152 mm) M1908 guns on M1910 pedestal mounts in casemates were also equipped. Searchlights, anti-aircraft batteries, and

1648-501: A minor but increasingly important factor in World War I , and the threat prompted changes to coastal defenses in the 1920s and 1930s. Demonstrations in the 1920s by U.S. Army General Billy Mitchell showed the vulnerability of warships to air attack; this illustrated the use of aircraft for seacoast defense against ships, but also the vulnerability of defenses against air power. In the isolationist United States, bombers were seen as more of

1751-401: A mock laboratory furnished to resemble a 1950s era office facility. The park also offers a large fishing pier and is a site for concerts and other special events. The main fort is open to the public and has an elevator to access the upper portions of the fort. Thames River (Connecticut) The river has provided important harbors since the mid-17th century. It was originally known as

1854-512: A need for improved coastal defense systems. In 1885, 22nd (& 24th) President Grover Cleveland (1837-1908, served 1885-1889 / 1893-1897), in his first term appointed a joint Army, Navy, and civilian board, headed by his U.S. Secretary of War William Crowninshield Endicott , (1826-1900, served 1885-1889), known as the Board of Fortifications . The findings of the board illustrated a grim picture of existing defenses in its 1886 report and recommended

1957-403: A signal, drove their bayonets up to the muzzles of their pieces into the breasts of all that were taken, except one or two who made their escape. After massacring the living they insulted the dead, by actions too horrid to mention --- the bodies were arranged alongside of each other for the purpose, and, to shew contempt to Col. Ledyard, they singled out a Negroe to place next to him. Never

2060-792: A ten-week period, due to the Eight-eight fleet war scare with Japan. These guns were operated by the Marines until circa 1910, when the Coast Artillery Corps' modern defenses centered on Fort Wint on Grande Island were completed. One of the most extreme fortresses of the early 20th century was Fort Drum in Manila Bay of the Philippines . Originally a barren rock island, it was leveled by U.S. Army engineers between 1910 and 1914 and then built up with thick layers of steel-reinforced concrete into

2163-674: A vegetable garden to help feed the soldiers at Fort Trumbull. Smith was born in New Hampshire in 1803 and enlisted in the Army on January 27, 1827, at age 23. He was wounded in action at the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican War . He was allowed to serve on active duty in the Army until he died in 1879 at age 76. He was the oldest enlisted man to serve on active duty in the United States Army in

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2266-580: The Amphitrite class , while the ocean-going navy was slow to make the transition to steel hulls and armor plating. An improvement on the monitor concept was the coastal battleship, such as the Indiana class of the 1890s. As a result of the Spanish–American War and the subsequent acquisition of territories of Hawaii and its chain of islands in the central Pacific Ocean and the Philippines islands in

2369-456: The Armistice , due to shipping priorities. The mortars and 8-inch guns were on trainable mounts, thus were suitable for use as coast defense weapons; the other weapons were returned to the forts after the war. Sources indicated that up to 91 12-inch mortars and 47 8-inch guns were retained as railway coast defense weapons through World War II, with most of the 8-inch guns deployed and almost all of

2472-680: The Atlantic coast . Before independence from Britain, the colonies bore cost and responsibilities for their own protection. Urgency would wax and wane based on the political climate in Europe . Most defenses were artillery protected by earthworks , as protection from pirate raids and foreign incursions. In the American colonies and the United States, coastal forts were generally more heavily constructed than inland forts, and mounted heavier weapons comparable to those on potential attacking ships. Though seldom used,

2575-443: The Battle of Groton Heights . The British were finally able to enter the fort, and militia commander Lieutenant-Colonel William Ledyard offered his sword to Loyalist officer Major Bromfield as a token of surrender. According to contemporaneous accounts, Bromfield took the sword from Ledyard and drove it through him, and Arnold's men proceeded to show no quarter to the remaining American troops. Eighty-five militiamen were killed, and

2678-709: The Montalembert concept, with many guns concentrated in tall, thick masonry walls, and the Vauban concept, with layers of low, protected-masonry walls. Most Third System forts had at least two tiers of cannon; the First and Second System forts often had only one tier. Construction was generally overseen by officers of the Army's Corps of Engineers . Smaller works guarded less significant harbors. U.S. Army engineer officer Joseph Totten and former French engineer officer Simon Bernard (commissioned

2781-612: The Pequot River after the Pequot Indians who dominated the area. Other early names for the river have included Frisius, Great, Great River of Pequot, Little Fresh, New London, and Pequod. The town was officially named New London in 1658 and the estuary river was renamed Thames after the River Thames in London , England . The United States Coast Guard Academy , Connecticut College ,

2884-525: The Spooner Act of 1902. The Taft Program fortifications differed slightly in battery construction and had fewer numbers of guns at a given location than those of the Endicott Program. Due to the rapid development of dreadnought battleships , a new 14-inch gun was introduced in a few locations and improved models of other weapons were also introduced. By the beginning of World War I, the United States had

2987-474: The anti-aircraft mission in that war. A number of 5-inch and 6-inch guns were withdrawn from coast defenses and remounted on wheeled carriages for use on the Western Front , with about 72 6-inch (possibly including some Navy guns) and 26 5-inch guns shipped to France. However, due to the Armistice , none of the units equipped with repurposed coast defense guns completed training in time to see action. Only

3090-401: The coast defense command . The larger vessels, called " mine planters ", were civilian crewed until the creation of the U.S. Army Mine Planter Service (AMPS) and Warrant Officer Corps to provide officers and engineers for these vessels in 1918. The mine component was considered to be among the principal armament of coastal defense works. When the Coast Artillery Corps was disestablished and

3193-647: The torpedo service and for other harbor defenses. Prior efforts at harbor defense construction had ceased in the 1870s . Since that time, the design and construction of heavy ordnance in Europe had advanced rapidly, including the development of superior breech-loading and longer-ranged cannon, making U.S. harbor defenses obsolete. In 1883, the United States Navy began a new construction program and class of steel-hulled, steam-powered propeller warships with rotating gun turrets with an emphasis on offensive rather than defensive vessels. These factors combined to create

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3296-577: The 19th century. Sergeant Smith is buried in the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery in Groton. In the late 1800s, Fort Trumbull was modified to accommodate 15-inch and 10-inch Rodman smoothbore guns and 8-inch converted rifles. Two 8-inch converted rifles are still in a restored firing position at Fort Trumbull. After the Civil War, Fort Trumbull was improved by having more modern artillery pieces installed. In

3399-517: The 5-inch guns had been sent to France for use on field carriages. Additionally, approximately 72 6-inch guns withdrawn from coast defenses for field service were not immediately remounted; these were eventually remounted on long-range carriages in new batteries during World War II . Except in a few cases, none of these weapons were directly replaced. On 9 June 1925 the Coast Defense Commands were redesignated as Harbor Defense Commands via

3502-523: The British ships offshore was memorialized by Francis Scott Key , a Baltimore lawyer who witnessed the ferocious attack from one of the vessels, and put down his thoughts watching the barrage—which failed to either destroy the fort or subdue its defenders—in a four-stanza poem, which became known as The Star-Spangled Banner and later became America's national anthem. In some cases even incomplete forts (some with fake wooden cannon barrels painted black pointed out

3605-424: The Civil War, but were impractical for open-ocean service and offensive action abroad. They were, however, ideally suited for coastal and harbor defense with their shallow draft and large guns. Postwar, Civil War-era monitors were dispersed to important major American harbors, including San Francisco on the west coast. From the 1870s to the 1890s , larger and more powerful breastwork monitors were produced, such as

3708-540: The Civil War. Except for the 20-inch Rodmans, of which only three Army weapons were built, the following list includes only widely deployed weapons. See Siege artillery in the American Civil War for more information. After the war, construction for several new Third System forts began in New England . These were to be built of stone rather than brick, and designed to accommodate the large-bore cannon developed during

3811-661: The Coast Artillery Corps to 170 numbered companies. In 1907, the Artillery School at Fort Monroe became the Coast Artillery School, which operated until 1946, and in 1908, the Chief of Artillery became the Chief of Coast Artillery. In an exercise in 1907 at Subic Bay , Philippines, a U.S. Marine battalion of the Advanced Base Force commanded by Major Eli K. Cole emplaced forty-four heavy guns for coast defense in

3914-859: The Coast Guard) in 1910 for use as the Revenue Cutter Academy, which was renamed the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1915. The academy moved to its current location about two miles up the Thames River in 1932. Fort Trumbull served as the Merchant Marine Officers Training School from 1939 to 1946 and trained over 15,000 of the Merchant Marine officers who served during the Second World War. One of

4017-541: The Corps of Engineers to create a military academy at West Point, New York . One of the driving forces for establishing the new academy was the need to divorce the United States from its reliance on foreign engineers. In 1807–8, new concerns over a possible war with Great Britain prompted President Thomas Jefferson to renew fortification programs; this has come to be known as the Second System. One event that foreshadowed war

4120-492: The First System and Second System little was prepared to resist the British in the coming War of 1812 . However, no First System or Second System fortress was captured by the British. The British succeeded in entering Chesapeake Bay by capturing a fort on Craney Island near Norfolk and bypassing the area's two other forts. The invasion of Baltimore was prevented by Fort McHenry and supporting forts and troops. These included shoreline batteries at Forts Babcock and Covington to

4223-599: The Merchant Marine officers trained there was actor Jack Lord , who is best known for playing Steve McGarrett on the popular TV series Hawaii Five-O in the 1960s and 70s. The Fort was the site of a satellite campus of the University of Connecticut from 1946 to 1950, educating war veterans attending college under the GI Bill . During World War II, Fort Trumbull hosted an office of Columbia University 's Division of War Research, which developed passive sonar systems. By 1946, this

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4326-556: The U.S. soldiers had sabotaged the guns and ordnance to prevent use by the Japanese. Ironically, even without the guns, the Japanese in Fort Drum were among the last holdouts when U.S. forces recaptured the Philippines in 1945. Mines as we know them today were frequently referred to as torpedoes in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The self-propelled torpedo as we know it was derived from

4429-490: The United Kingdom to provide some modern quick-firing medium-caliber guns, as none of the Endicott Program's 6-inch or 3-inch batteries had been completed. Field artillery , primarily 5-inch siege guns and 7-inch siege howitzers, was also deployed, mostly in the southeastern states of Georgia and Florida . Many of these batteries were not completed until 1899, after the war was over, and the 8-inch guns were withdrawn within

4532-594: The United States Seacoast defense was a major concern for the United States from its independence until World War II . Before airplanes , many of America's enemies could only reach it from the sea, making coastal forts an economical alternative to standing armies or a large navy . Substantial fortifications were built at key locations, especially protecting major harbors. Seacoast defense also included submarine minefields , nets and booms , ships, and, later, airplanes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers played

4635-487: The War of 1812, Congress appropriated over $ 800,000 for an ambitious seacoast defensive system which was known as the Third System. A Board of Engineers for Fortifications, appointed by President James Madison , visited potential sites and prepared plans for the new forts. The Board's original 1821 report established the policy which would remain in place for most of the 19th century. The original report suggested 50 sites, but by 1850

4738-416: The artillery branches merged in 1950, some of the mine planter vessels were transferred to the U.S. Navy and redesignated as Auxiliary Minelayers (ACM/MMA). These weapons were emplaced between 1895 and 1905. Only widely deployed weapons are listed. Most except the mortars, 3-inch guns, and some 6-inch guns were on disappearing carriages , with barbette carriages (also called pedestal carriages) used for

4841-443: The assailants, (Major Montgomery being killed) enquired who commanded the garrison? Colonel Ledyard informed him that he had had that honour, but was unfortunate in being obliged to surrender it, at the same time delivered up to him his sword, and asked for quarter for himself and people; to which the infamous villain replied, "ye rascals, I give you quarters," and then plunged the sword into his body. The inhuman banditti, taking this as

4944-459: The bay was effectively replaced by dispersed earthworks and low-walled fortifications nearby on Alcatraz Island , Angel Island , the Marin Headlands , and Fort Mason . Following the war, work on masonry forts ended in 1867, leaving several incomplete. Robert Fulton used the term "torpedo" to describe an underwater explosive device in 1805. Samuel Colt experimented with electrical firing of

5047-529: The board had identified nearly 200 sites for fortification. The Army built forts at 42 of these sites, with several additional sites containing towers or batteries. The forts were originally intended to mount mostly 42-pounder (7 inch or 178 mm) seacoast guns; however, due to a shortage of these weapons many 32-pounder (6.4 inch or 163 mm) seacoast guns and 8-inch (203 mm) and 10-inch (254 mm) columbiads were mounted instead. The main defensive works were often large structures, based on combining

5150-476: The central role in constructing fixed defenses, but all of the armed forces participated. Designs evolved and became obsolete with changes in the technology available to both the attacking forces and the defenders. The evolution of the U.S. seacoast defense system is generally identified among several "systems", which are somewhat defined by the styles used, but more so by the events or trends which periodically stimulated new funding and construction. The division of

5253-455: The concept of the mine, with early submarines and torpedo boats evolving as defensive weapons in the 1890s to deliver torpedoes against attacking fleets. During early development, it was not clear whether submarines and torpedo boats would be in the purview of the Army or the Navy, since the Army was responsible for the use and development of stationary minefields and other fixed coastal defenses. As

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5356-510: The design proved to be exemplary for that purpose. After the outbreak of war in the Pacific on 7 December 1941, Fort Drum withstood heavy Japanese air and land bombardment as it supported U.S. and Filipino defenders on Bataan and Corregidor until the very end on 6 May 1942. The fortress was among the last U.S. posts to hold out against the Japanese and did not surrender until ordered by superiors after Corregidor had been overrun, but not until

5459-595: The early 1900s, several more modern Endicott era fortifications were built to defend Long Island Sound as the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound , including Fort Mansfield in Watch Hill, Rhode Island , Fort H.G. Wright on Fishers Island , and Fort Michie on Great Gull Island . Fort Trumbull served as the headquarters of these forts until it was turned over to the Revenue Cutter Service (later renamed

5562-460: The early forts into the First and Second Systems was made by later historians, and appears officially in an 1851 report by Chief Engineer Joseph Totten , probably the most prolific builder of masonry forts in American history. After the 1940s, it was recognized that fixed fortifications were obsolete and ineffective against aircraft and missiles. At the beginning of the American Revolutionary War , many coastal fortifications already protected

5665-547: The embrasures) were sufficient to deter attack from the sea. But, undefended and unfortified, Washington, D.C. , the national capital, was burned after the land militia forces were routed at the Battle of Bladensburg northeast of the capital in Prince George's County, Maryland . Washington had one fort, which the British bypassed, Fort Washington on the Potomac River just below Alexandria, Virginia , whose commander ordered

5768-436: The facility at Fort Trumbull was finally closed in 1996, marking the end of almost a century and a half of Fort Trumbull's service as a federal military facility. After a redevelopment period lasting several years, Fort Trumbull was opened as a state park in the year 2000. Exhibits include informative markers, cannon and artillery crew displays, and gun emplacements. The interior features restored 19th-century living quarters and

5871-709: The famous precedent-setting USS  Monitor ironclad warship of the Battle of Hampton Roads harbor in Virginia of March 1862, during the Civil War), as well as a future type of class for coastal warfare ships which closely followed her design by Swedish inventor John Ericsson (1803-1889), the term "monitor" also encompassed more flexible breastwork monitors which had a modest armored superstructure and were thus more seaworthy. These also featured modern rifled breech-loading guns. These post-1862 monitor-style ships of steel and iron were used extensively in offensive roles during

5974-491: The far western Pacific, off the coast of Asia in 1898. By the following early 1900s , the expanded American Navy under 26th President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919, served 1901-1909), was committed to a Blue-water navy fleet of ocean-going steel battleships and cruisers and ceased building monitors; however, some of the older vessels remained in naval service up to World War I in combat-prepared roles, and as training or auxiliary vessels thereafter. The Endicott Program

6077-520: The former being a perceived if not actual threat to U.S. harbors. This concern caused an increase in the use of mines and nets, and demand for superior artillery. However, as the war progressed it became more clear that the enemies did not have the resources to bring the war across the Atlantic, and progress diminished along with concerns. Curiously, despite the rise of air power in World War I , it received little consideration in U.S. coast defense design until

6180-448: The fort as "an irregular enclosed work of masonry and sod, mounting 18 heavy guns [with] a brick barracks for one company". The present fortification replaced the older fort, and was built between 1839 and 1852 as a five-sided, four-bastion coastal defense fort. It could accommodate 42 guns on the seacoast fronts, 10 additional guns in two flanking batteries outside the fort, and flank howitzers in bastions for close-in defense. The new fort

6283-552: The forts from northeast to southwest, then to the Pacific Coast. The same order is used here for the new-construction forts of the Third System: In addition, several towers and batteries were constructed in support of the forts or at lesser harbors. First and Second System forts were renovated during the system as well, and readied for the larger cannon prevalent during that period. Again, changes in technology affected design;

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6386-459: The forts of each Artillery District. Most of the Endicott fortifications were constructed from 1895 through 1905. As the defenses were constructed, each harbor or river's installations were controlled by Artillery Districts, renamed Coast Defense Commands in 1913 and Harbor Defense Commands in 1925. By the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April 1898, the Endicott Program had completed only

6489-639: The forts were a deterrent. During the Revolution, additional forts were built by both sides, usually to meet specific threats. Those built by Patriot forces were called Patriot batteries. When the United States gained independence in 1783, the seacoast defense fortifications were in poor condition. Concerned by the outbreak of war in Europe in 1793, the Congress created a combined unit of " Artillerists and Engineers " to design, build, and garrison forts in 1794, appointed

6592-401: The forts were also rearmed with these weapons. All of the larger Parrott rifles had burst frequently during the war, so few of these were retained in service after the war. Also during the 1870s, a number of new projects were started to include large caliber mortars and submarine mines . However, the facilities for the mortars and mines were never completed, and funding for the new fortifications

6695-485: The harbour, the alarm guns fired on the present occasion were considered by the country around us the salutes of prizes or other vessels belonging to the port. He however arrived the 6th inst. about five o, and at seven o' landed about 2500 men, half on each side of the river. At 8 o' the militia mustered in parties of 8 or 10, and annoyed the enemy until about 100 of them came up and disputed their way to Fort Trumbull; their great superiority obliged our people to yield to them

6798-625: The higher velocity ordnance of new rifled cannons crushed and penetrated the masonry walls of Third System forts. Severe damage was inflicted to forts on the Atlantic Coast during the Civil War . For example, Fort Sumter in South Carolina was bombarded into surrender by Confederate batteries in 1861, and reduced to rubble during Union efforts towards its recapture. In 1862 Fort Pulaski in Georgia

6901-429: The installation and operation of the controlled mine fields from the Corps of Engineers; these were planted to be under observation, remotely detonated electrically, and protected by fixed guns. With that responsibility the Coast Artillery began to acquire the vessels required to plant and maintain the mine fields and cables connecting the mines to the mine casemate ashore, organized as a "Submarine Mine Battery" within

7004-431: The late 1770s, a French engineer, the Marquis de Montalembert , advocated a major change in the design of fortresses to address these problems. His design protected a fort's gunners by placing most of them in covered casemate walls with openings for the guns. By stacking rows of casemates in high walls more guns could be mounted along shorter walls. This was particularly important for seacoast fortifications, which had only

7107-542: The late 1930s, probably due to the emergence of Japanese aircraft carriers as a threat. In response to the rapid improvements in dreadnought battleships , approximately 14 two-gun batteries of 12-inch guns on a new M1917 long-range barbette carriage began construction in 1917, but none were completed until 1920. Due to their experience and training with large guns, the Coast Artillery operated all U.S. Army heavy artillery ( 155 mm gun and up) in World War I, primarily French- and British-made weapons. They also acquired

7210-477: The magazine blown when the passing British fleet appeared nearby, after the British had already occupied Washington. The present Fort Washington was built on the site of the destroyed Fort Washington in the early 1820s as part of the Third System. Among the many important and historic documents lost in the British burning of the Library of Congress were the plans to the first Fort Washington (begun as Fort Warburton) and other Second System forts. In 1816, following

7313-477: The mortars held in reserve. During World War I, the U.S. Navy implemented a more successful program that delivered five 14"/50 caliber railway guns to France in time to support the final Allied offensives. However, these weapons' mountings were not suitable for coast defense and they were retired after that war. A new 14-inch (356 mm) gun and improved versions of some Endicott period weapons were introduced from 1905 to 1918, supplementing rather than replacing

7416-587: The mouth of the river at New London harbor, now Connecticut State Parks : Fort Griswold on the eastern Groton Heights , and Fort Trumbull on the New London side. The Harvard-Yale Regatta is held annually in New London. New London's Sailfest is an annual event which includes OpSail , a gathering of large sailing vessels including the Coast Guard training ship USCGC  Eagle . Preston Groton [REDACTED] US 1 Seacoast defense in

7519-631: The need for heavy fixed artillery for then modern seacoast defense was noted in 21st President Chester A. Arthur 's Second Annual Message to the Congress (later known as the State of the Union address, after 1913), as follows: I call your attention to the recommendation of the Secretary and the board that authority be given to construct two more cruisers of smaller dimensions and one fleet dispatch vessel , and that appropriations be made for high-power rifled cannon for

7622-439: The others were severely wounded, taken prisoner, or managed to escape. After capturing both forts, Arnold's troops burned New London and returned to their ships. An account of the battle published in a Philadelphia newspaper follows: - Extract of a letter from New London, dated Sept. 12. Arnold had long promised to visit New London and the neighbouring towns on the sea shore, and the enemy having frequently appeared in sight of

7725-489: The possession of the fort. Col. Ledyard, with about 76 other brave fellows, retreated to the fort on Groton side, which they determined resolutely to defend. The next assault was upon this fort, where they were repulsed several times by a bravery unequalled, for about three hours. A flag was then sent, demanding a surrender of the fort, accompanies by a threat of giving no quarters in case of refusal. The commandant consulted with his brave garrison, who refused to submit. The action

7828-594: The previous weapons. The 14-inch guns were emplaced in the new harbor defenses of Los Angeles , Hawaii , the Panama Canal , and Manila Bay in the Philippines. A one-off 16-inch gun M1895 (406 mm) was also deployed on a disappearing carriage on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal in 1914; this was the first 16-inch gun in U.S. service. Only widely deployed seacoast weapons are included in this list. Airplanes were

7931-559: The progress on the Endicott Board's program. Most of the changes recommended by this board were technical; such as adding more searchlights , electrification (lighting, communications, and projectile handling), and more sophisticated optical aiming techniques. The board also recommended fortifications in territories acquired from Spain: Cuba and the Philippines , as well as Hawaii , and a few other sites. Defenses in Panama were authorized by

8034-469: The range and potential uses of submarines and torpedo boats grew, it became more apparent that these were naval vessels, and both surface- and submarine-delivered torpedoes were an important aspect of naval coastal defense strategies. However, self-propelled torpedoes were not included in the Army's coastal defenses. Shore-launched Whitehead compressed air driven torpedoes were the first deployed, in Europe. Submarines and airplanes became more important, with

8137-480: The remainder. Although some harbor defenses in less-threatened locations were disarmed following World War I (some of these retained minefields), many of these weapons remained in service until superseded by 16-inch guns and scrapped during World War II . In 1905, after the experiences of the Spanish–American War , President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a new fortifications board, under Secretary of War William Howard Taft . They updated some standards and reviewed

8240-631: The roof of the fort. Additional " water batteries " (located near the waters the forts protected) outside the forts provided more firepower. Four of the First System forts were rebuilds of colonial forts, Fort Constitution in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Fort Independence in Boston, Massachusetts, Fort Wolcott in Newport, Rhode Island, and Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia. Lacking trained engineers to supervise

8343-425: The stream. The prize brig Hope, laden with provisions, happily escaped the general conflagration, altho' the fire from the shore several times caught the awning which covered her quarter deck, and went out --- several vessels in full blaze passed within two and three feet of her; ten lay within forty yards, and consumed to the wateredge, but Providence directed she should escape, and a very fortunate one it was, as there

8446-455: The torpedo. During the Civil War, these underwater mines became an important supplementary defense measure. The Confederacy , without a large navy to protect its harbors, relied on mines extensively to deter attacks by Union ships. Electrically fired torpedoes , later termed mines, controlled from mine casemates ashore were developed during and after the Civil War as part of coastal defenses. Numerous types of seacoast artillery were used in

8549-572: The walls, and that low walls presented less exposure to projectiles. Walls were laid out at angles to each other to form a system of bastions , resembling a star layout , so that enemy forces could not mass against the bottom of a wall beneath the vertical field of fire from the wall; defenders on any wall could see and fire on the base of the adjacent walls. The angled walls also reduced the chance for more destructive straight-on hits from cannonballs. Most First System forts were relatively small, and with some exceptions mounted only one tier of cannon , on

8652-426: The walls, but could be raised to fire. With a few exceptions early in the program, These Endicott-style forts had no significant defenses against an amphibious land attack. Controlled mine fields were a critical component of the defense, and smaller guns were also employed to protect the mine fields from enemy naval minesweeping vessels . An extensive Coast Artillery fire control system was developed and provided for

8755-474: The war. However, in 1867 money for masonry fortifications was cut off, and the Third System came to a close. The vulnerability of masonry to rifled cannon and large-caliber smoothbore cannon and fewer concerns for invasion led to the construction of well-dispersed masonry-revetted earthen fortifications with brick-lined magazines, often located near Third System forts. These were typically armed with 15-inch Rodman guns and 8-inch converted rifles ; in some cases,

8858-401: The weapons withdrawn from less-threatened forts and from spares. A general program to reduce mortars from four per pit to two per pit created a surplus of these weapons. The cramped pits created difficulties in reloading; a two-mortar pit had roughly the same rate of fire as a four-mortar pit. Despite a large-scale effort, of all these weapons only three 8-inch guns were delivered to France before

8961-555: The west, Fort Look-Out (or the Six-Gun Battery) on the peninsula to the rear in the west, a temporary naval battery across the Patapsco channel to the east at Lazaretto Point , and sunken ships blocking the channels on either side of Fort McHenry, along with 20,000 militia dug in on the east side of the town at "Loudenschlager's Hill" (later "Hampstead Hill" in today's Patterson Park ). The intense all-night bombardment of Fort McHenry by

9064-441: The work, Secretary of War Henry Knox hired a number of European engineers. Although some fine forts were constructed, for the most part enthusiasm and funding waned and little work was completed. Most of the partially finished earthworks and wooden structures deteriorated before they were needed to defend against the British in 1812 . In 1802, Congress separated the artillerists and engineers into separate corps and directed

9167-406: Was briefly commanded by John F. Reynolds , who rose to the rank of major general and was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. From 1863 to 1879, Ordnance Sergeant Mark Wentworth Smith was assigned to Fort Trumbull and served as the caretaker of Fort Griswold, which was an un-garrisoned sub-post of Fort Trumbull across the Thames River in the town of Groton. Among other duties, he maintained

9270-545: Was built under the supervision of Army engineer George Washington Cullum , who later served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York. During the American Civil War , Fort Trumbull served as an organizational center for Union troops and headquarters for the 14th US Infantry Regiment . Here, troops were recruited and trained before being sent to war. Fort Trumbull

9373-836: Was consolidated with Harvard University 's Underwater Sound Laboratory at Fort Trumbull. A result of this work was that Fort Trumbull was the location for the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory from 1946 to 1970, which developed sonar and related systems for US Navy submarines. In 1970, the Sound Laboratory was merged with the Naval Underwater Weapons Systems Center (NUWS) to form the Naval Underwater Systems Center (NUSC) in Newport, Rhode Island . Work continued at both locations until

9476-399: Was cut off by 1878, leaving much of the program unfinished. By the 1880s most of the earthen fortifications were in disrepair. Though coastal defense was generally within the purview of the U.S. Army , the U.S. Navy became more involved in the late 19th century with coastal defense ships , generally called monitors . These monitors were turreted ironclad warships (inspired and named by

9579-536: Was distinguished from the First System by greater use of Montalembert's concepts and the replacement of foreign engineers by American ones, many of them recent graduates of the new United States Military Academy superintended by Major Jonathan Williams , who not only instructed the new engineers in new ideas of coastal defense, but also designed and constructed a prototype, Castle Williams on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Again, several fine forts were produced, but generally projects went unfinished, and between

9682-493: Was for flexibility, as each harbor defense command was differently equipped and a task-based organization was needed. The Coast Artillery would alternate between small unit and regimental organization several times over its history. The head of the Artillery Corps became the Chief of Artillery in the rank of brigadier general with jurisdiction over both types of artillery. Circa 1901 the Coast Artillery took responsibility for

9785-734: Was forced to surrender after only 30 hours of bombardment with rifled cannon, primarily large-caliber Parrott rifles . Many of the larger smoothbore cannon (32-pounder and up) were rifled and equipped with breech bands to support larger powder charges and extend their effective range during the Civil War. This process is referred to as "banded and rifled". During the Civil War, naval officers learned that their steamships and ironclad vessels could run past Confederate-held Third System forts with acceptable losses, such as at Mobile Bay . The urgencies of war required that new forts or improvements be constructed quickly and at low cost. Partially completed Third System forts were finished, but new construction

9888-401: Was largely implemented 1895–1905. As Endicott facilities were constructed in each harbor defense area, the previous coastal defenses were usually abandoned. Only widely deployed weapons are listed. The larger Parrott rifles had shown a tendency to burst during the war, so only a few were retained in service after the war, in emplacements that took advantage of their long range. As early as 1882,

9991-407: Was mostly wood-revetted earthworks. Frequently earthworks were built near a Third System fort in order to supplement its firepower, but often they were stand-alone fortifications. In some cases, cannon from masonry forts were dispersed to earthen bunkers where they were better protected. The fortification of San Francisco Bay is a good example, where the typical Third System Fort Point at the mouth of

10094-419: Was no other supply of provisions in town. – The Pennsylvania Gazette , September 26, 1781 The fort was repaired around 1808, then redesigned and rebuilt in 1812 to meet changing military needs under the second system of US fortifications . First, a redoubt was built at the site to defend against a possible British attack. Secretary of War Henry Dearborn 's report on fortifications for December 1811 describes

10197-466: Was serving as a brigadier general in the British Army when he led a raid on Groton and New London, Connecticut, on September 6, 1781. Two bodies of troops were landed on either side of the mouth of the Thames River and marched towards Fort Trumbull in New London and Fort Griswold in Groton. Fort Trumbull fell after slight resistance, but about 150 Connecticut militiamen made a stand at Fort Griswold in

10300-486: Was the Chesapeake–Leopard affair . One common weakness among the typical low-walled open bastion or star forts was exposure to enemy fire, especially to new devices designed to explode in mid air and rain shrapnel down on the gunners. Gun emplacements which were at an angle to the sea were vulnerable to a solid shot running parallel to the wall taking out a row of guns and gunners with one enfilading shot. In

10403-537: Was the 3-inch M1898 Driggs-Seabury gun with masking parapet (simplified disappearing) mounts, at least 111 of which had been emplaced. The disappearing function had already been disabled due to interfering with aiming the gun, and the weapon had an alarming tendency for the piston rod to break on firing. Others included 6-inch Armstrong guns (9 guns), all three types of 4.72-inch Armstrong guns (34 guns), 4-inch/40 caliber Navy Driggs-Schroeder guns (4 guns), and all models of 5-inch guns (52 guns). Twenty-six of

10506-401: Was then renewed, when the flag staff was unfortunately shot away; notwithstanding which the defence was gallantly continued until about five or six hundred of the enemy having forced the pickets had entered through the breach. At this time there were but four of the garrison killed, and it was thought prudent to submit, to preserve the lives of the remainder. The officer who at this time commanded

10609-454: Was there more distress in any place than there is here at present; there are 50 widows within 8 miles of Groton fort . Before their departure, which was in the evening of the same day they landed, they burnt all the shipping that could not get up Norwich river, among which were several rich prizes lately arrived, with their cargoes, some of which were stored and the rest on board the vessels – about 40 sail, all on fire, were floating up and down

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