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Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 9:58 pm
by Kyler
While I may not be active on the forums any more, I still check in on the latest post for anything interesting. Still when I visit a location with naval history, I always like to share my photographs with others.

The pictures below come from Fort Pickens, Florida, USA. Fort Pickens was another masonary coastal defense fort built to protect Pensacola Bay in the 1830's. The fort was completed in 1834 primarily using slave labor from New Orleans, LA. Fort Pickens was held by Union Forces for the entire U.S. Civil War. This allowed Pensacola Bay to be essentially useless for the entire war.

In the 1880's, Fort Pickens like for Fort Morgan & Gaines had new quick firing gun batteries built. In 1890, Bastion D at the fort was destroyed in an magazine explosion. Over the next few decades parts of the original & new batteries were demolished. The last were finally retired during World War 2. Fort Pickens is the only Coastal Fort that still has modern quick firing guns on sight.

The first set of pictures are of Battery Langdon. This location sits about a mile east of the fort and was home to two 12in QF guns. These were the largest QF guns at the fort and were removed in 1914 for use as rail artillery in World War I.

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Re: Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:03 pm
by Kyler
Battery Cooper was 6in QF Disappearing Gun Battery. This is the only battery with a Disappearing gun left. The weapon is not original to the fort, but was donated from the Smithsonian Museum.

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Re: Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:07 pm
by Kyler
Battery Worth was home to 4 12inch Mortars. The observation tower of Battery Worth is the highest point for the entire fort.

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Re: Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:13 pm
by Kyler
Battery 234 was incomplete by the beginning of World War 2. It was used as the sighting & plotting center for the rest of the guns at the Fort until decommissioned. The batteries still active were buried under sand and brush planted to better conceal their locations. This sight includes two unknown types of QF 6in Guns that were installed by the Parks Service. Behind the battery is a observation tower that is steel and reinforced concrete.

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Re: Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:17 pm
by Kyler
Batteries Cullum, Sevier, Von Swearingen, Payne, & Truman are all batteries located at the mouth of Pensacola Bay. Most of the batteries used 4.7 QF guns to protect the entrance from mine sweepers. None of these guns survive on site.

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Re: Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:29 pm
by Kyler
Fort Pickens itself is in different states of disrepair. Bastion D was completely destroyed and other sections were demolished to varying degrees. This actually allows anyone to see the different ways the fort was actually built. Also the QF battery is in better condition then Fort Morgan's which includes ammunition handling equipment.

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Re: Fort Pickens, Florida, USA (Coastal Defense Fort)

Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 1:10 am
by frontkampfer
Great shots! Thanks for sharing!