Fort Wool's Endicott Batteries and World War I-- Part 6

ENDICOTT BATTERIES

In 1885, the Endicott board met and determined that the coastal defenses of the U.S. needed to be updated.  As a result, all but a small part of Fort Wool's  western end of the fort were demolished to make room for what eventually became five batteries.  

As funding became available they were constructed starting in 1905  Fort Wool's armament was of relatively smaller-caliber, rapid-firing guns because Fort Monroe  had the bigger guns.  The three-inch guns were primarily emplaced to protect underwater mine fields from minesweepers.  Some of the mines, still called torpedoes at the time were stored at Fort Wool.

WORLD WAR I

In 1917 and 1918, all but two of the six-inch guns at Fort Wool  were removed to potentially be sent to the Western front in Europe.  The remaining guns were shifted to Battery Gates.

During both wars, submarine nets  were stretched across the harbor from Fort Monroe to Fort Wool.

--Old Secesh

Eight Unusual Civil War Weapons

From the History Channel. I'm just listing them. The site has pictures and information. I was aware of most. (* something I didn't know much about.)

1. Hand Grenades*

2. Rockets (used by blockaders to signal the arrival of blockade-runners and to celebrate victories)

3. Machine Guns

4. Landmines (an extensive network at Fort Fisher)

5. Underwater Mines (used extensively by the Confederacy)

6. Calcium Floodlights* (I'm just learning about them.)

7. Hot Air Balloons

8. Winans Steam Gun*

Learning Stuff All the Time. --Old Secesh