May 2014 - Coast Defense Study Group
Transcription
May 2014 - Coast Defense Study Group
CDSGNewsletter The The Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. — May 2014 Chairman’s Message Norm Scarpulla Over the last three months, we learned of the death of two longtime CDSG members, Bill Gaines and Phil Sims. Bill was one of our earliest members and a frequent contributor to the Journal. Because of his work in naval ship design, Phil had unique insight into the relation of coast artillery and warship armament. We will miss them both. In February, we implemented our new website (same address: CDSG.org). The photos on the homepage are stunning, and we now have the ability to accept credit cards and PayPal for memberships, books, and clothing. Our 2014 annual conference will be in San Diego and Los Angeles this October. The details and signup are included with this Newsletter. Please plan to attend to see the fortifications and meet other members. Because of the need to reserve buses at San Diego, and due to security at US Navy controlled sites, you need to sign up early; don’t delay. In March, we completed our financial audit, and the audit report and financial statement are included with this Newsletter. The CDSG continues to be financially strong. However, the number of individual memberships is down from 387 at the end of 2009 to 359 last year. We need to recruit new members. When you visit a fort or a military event, be an ambassador for the CDSG. Wear a CDSG shirt, hat, or patch. Talk to people about the organization and point them to our website, CDSG.org. Can you recruit one new member in 2014? Each year, we elect one new director to replace the director who is finishing his or her third year. Mike Fiorini’s term ends September 30. With this Newsletter, you will find the ballot for the election of a new director. We have two fine candidates, Alex Hall and Alfred Chiswell. Please mail in your vote by July 15. Remember that this is a volunteer organization. We need members to write articles for the Journal and Newsletter. Even a short report about a visit to a fort is useful. And we need site representatives. A site representative does not need to be the expert about the fort or coast artillery, but rather he or she needs to maintain contact with the site owner or manager and be the conduit for communication both ways. * * * * * CDSG Meeting and Tour Calendar Please advise Terry McGovern of any additions or changes at tcmcgovern@att.net 2014 CDSG Annual Conference October 1 - 5, 2014 Los Angeles /San Diego HDs Mike Fiorini, mrfiorini@comcast.net 2015 CDSG Annual Conference April 2015 Delaware River HD Chris Zeeman, c_zeeman@hotmail.com 2016 CDSG Annual Conference September 2016 Tampa Bay & Key West Charles Bogart, cmabogart@aol.com Proposed CDSG Special Tour June 2015 Panama Canal Zone Terry McGovern, tcmcgovern@att.net Proposed CDSG Special Tour June 2016 Defenses of Switzerland Terry McGovern, tcmcgovern@att.net Other Meetings and Tours July 2014 FORTE CULTURA Pilot Tour Germany-Austria-Italy Hans-Rudolf Neumann, hrv.neumann@t-online.de August 2014 Czech Association for Military History Tour Maginot Line in the Alps Vladimir Kupka, kupkav@sazka.cz San Diego and Los Angeles October 1 – October 5, 2014 August 30 - September 6, 2014 ECCOFORT Reg. Association Tour Pula & Croatia Hans-Rudolf Neuman, hrv.neumann@t-online.de Registration fee will be $195 which includes our bus in San Diego, handouts, site fees, lunches, the banquet on Friday night, and other expenses. Extra banquet tickets will cost $45. A registration form is attached to this newsletter or it can be printed from the September 5 - 8, 2014 Fortress Study Group Annual Conference East Anglia Alistair Graham Kerr, bill_clements@btinternet.com CDSG 2014 Conference The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 2 September 2014 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Festungsforschung Annual Meeting Koln (Cologne) Andreas Kupka, anja.reichert@uni-trier.de May 2015 Council on America's Military Past New Orleans, Louisiana Marylou Gjernes, mgjernes@earthlink.net September 18 - 22, 2014 Association Saint-Maurice d'Etudes Militaries Tour Maginot Line & Verdun Maurice Lovisa, president@www.asmem.ch August/September 2015 ECCOFORT Reg. Association Tour Verona/Italy Hans-Rudolf Neuman, hrv.neumann@t-online.de October 11, 2014 Stiching Menno van Coehoorn Tour Zaltbommel, Netherlands Frits van Horn, president@asmem.ch September 11-15, 2015 Association Saint-Maurice d'Etudes Militaries Tour Hamburg, Germany Marc Girard, president@www.asmem.ch October 17, 2014 International Fortress Council Annual Meeting Portsmouth, UK Luc Fellay, lucfellay@bluewin.ch October 2015 International Fortress Council Annual Meeting Antwerp, Belgium Luc Fellay, lucfellay@bluewin.ch November 8, 2013 Czech Association for Military History Annual Meeting Prague, Czech Republic Vladimir Kupka, kupkavladimir@email.cz May 2016 Fortress Study Group Overseas Tour Menorca/Majorca TBA, casemate@fsgfort.com February 2015 ECCOFORT Reg. Association Tour Punjab, India Hans-Rudolf Neuman, hrv.neumann@t-online.de Sept/Oct 2016 ECCOFORT Reg. Association Tour Edime, the Dardenelles, Istanbul Hans-Rudolf Neuman, hrv.neumann@t-online.de May 2015 Fortress Study Group Overseas Tour South Portugal Charles Blackwood, casemate@fsgfort.com October 2016 International Fortress Council Annual Meeting Berlin, Germany Luc Fellay, lucfellay@bluewin.ch CDSG website at cdsg.org. Please register as soon as you can if you are planning on attending and make your hotel reservations. See our nation’s key defenses on southern California Coast. The Point Loma Peninsula of San Diego contains Fort Rosecrans and a number of WWII-era batteries. Coronado has the former Fort Emory with its WWII-era 100 and 200-series batteries. Many non-conference additional sites include the USS Midway museum, Liberty Station, the former Naval Training Center, the Marine Corps museum, and Cabrillo National Monument to name a few. In Los Angeles see Fort MacArthur, Battery Osgood-Farley’s restored BC station and power room, and the other batteries, fire control stations, and Nike missile sites of the Upper Reservation, White Point, and Long Point. Many additional sites can be seen before or after the conference, including the USS Iowa and the Queen Mary. San Diego Fairfield Inn by Marriott 3900 Old Town Avenue San Diego, CA 92110 Conference nights are October 1 and 2, 2014. Room rate is $109 per night plus tax for a single king bed or twin queen beds. Price is good for 3 days before and after the conference dates in San Diego. Reservation phone # 888.236-2427 - reference CDSG group rate. Concessions include: free shuttle to/from Lindberg field during “normal business hours”, free on-site parking, free meeting room for 40 and hospitality suite, free hot breakfast on site. Double Tree by Hilton 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina San Pedro, CA 90731 Conference nights are October 3 and 4, 2014; Room rate is $145 per night plus tax for single or double queen beds; Pricing is good for 3 days before and after the conference dates in San Pedro. Reservation phone # 800.222-8733 - reference group code “CDS.” Food and Beverages service is available on site with nearby additional sites within walking distance. Site of annual dinner and business meeting on Friday night. Free parking is provided for all registered guests. Free meeting room. Joe Janesic is my Co-Chairman – Thanks Joe. Mike Fiorini mrfiorini@comcast.net Hotel Information: we will be staying in San Diego two nights and in San Pedro two nights: The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Post-conference shuttles are available to both Los Angeles International and Long Beach Airports for a reasonable fee. Prompt reservations are encouraged, as both sites are popular tourist destinations. In any case, August 15 will be the deadline for room reservations and conference registration. Both sites have many tourist attractions for men and women, bring your lady and book your rooms early! Tentative Schedule pending permission from the various organizations: Wednesday, October 1st: Afternoon check in with evening organizational meeting and presentations. Thursday, October 2nd: Subbase/Ft. Rosecrans sites, Cabrillo National Park sites, West side of Pt. Loma Peninsula, evening presentations. Friday, October 3rd: Coronado, Ft. Emory, and Border Field fire control stations in morning. Mid-day drive to San Pedro in private cars. Annual dinner meeting in evening, presentations Saturday, October 4th: Fort MacArthur: Battery 241, Battery Leary-Merriam, Battery Barlow-Saxton, afternoon at Fort MacArthur Museum (Battery Osgood-Farley) and Battery Bunker; evening presentations. Sunday, October 5th:Outlying sites in the morning, White’s Point, Sea Beach, 2 base-end stations, Long Point, Battery 240, and Nike launch area. * * * * * New Book by CDSG member John Martini CDSG member John Martini, retired NPS historian known for his expertise on the San Francisco defenses, has written a book that, while not about coast defense, may still be of interest to our readers. Sutro’s Glass Palace: The Story of Sutro Baths, celebrates the historic Sutro Baths on San Francisco’s Pacific shore, just south of Fort Miley. Opened in 1896, Sutro Baths was the world’s largest indoor swimming pool establishment, with one fresh and six salt-water pools, in addition to a museum and other attractions. The book is beautifully illustrated with B&W and color photographs, as well as excellent artwork. It is available from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sutro-s-glass-palace?keyword =sutro%27s+glass+palace&store=book, for $20.36. Page 3 topics: “The British Rifled Muzzle Loading Guns Period 18651879” by Charles Trollope and “The Solent Forts – the Preliminary Arguments”(the Spithead forts) by Andrew Saunders. The bulk of the issue is taken up by a facsimile reproduction of the “1860 Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Consider the Defences of the United Kingdom,” an often cited reference in British fortification history – a report which “draws the various structures being built at that time to rearm the coast of Great Britain into a coherent scheme of defence.” This is a valuable piece of reference material. * * * * * Fort Casey Additions Steven Kobylk Fort Casey, WA, has been the grateful beneficiary of work by several local organizations. These have added considerably to our ability to interpret the batteries, and perhaps have also awakened an interest in historic preservation in some of our young people. The Oak Harbor High School shop class has made several impressive additions to the displays at Fort Casey, WA. They fabricated steel shot tongs, which have been installed in the Battery Worth shell hoist room. After some modification and adjustments, the tongs now work as originally designed. One 10-inch practice projectile has been lifted and moved via the 1898 chain hoist and overhead rail to the Taylor-Raymond hoist. The second week in May the plan is to lift the projectile up the hoist to the delivery table and unto a makeshift cart. Then, using the 1898 chain hoist with an elongated chain hoist, to lower the projectile back down to the shell room using the original crane hoist. I will be cleaning and repainting the shell shortly to ensure the color band is over the center of gravity (lifting position). * * * * * Fortress Study Group Publications The latest issue of Fort, the international journal of fortification and military architecture from the Fortress Study Group, has arrived. This issue is labeled Volume 30, 2002, part of the collection of issues being published to make up for the years 2000 to 2003 when no issues were produced. This issue is dedicated as a memorial to the late Andrew Saunders, one of the founding members of the FSG. As always, the issue has a number of key articles that may be of interest to the members of the CDSG. First off there is a tribute to the writings of Andrew Saunders by Gilbert Dowdall-Brown. This is followed by two very good articles on British fortification The class also fabricated breech-block pins for one of Fort Casey’s 3-inch guns. It fits the breech perfectly. Five 155 mm powder cans have been converted to 42-inch-long 6-inch cans, and five more are to be completed by mid-June. The cans have not yet been painted. The rammer and sponge for the 10-inch gun is near completion, as is the stave for the 3-inch gun. Several compromises from the original plans were necessary, since cast parts are not The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 economically feasible at this time, so substitutes have been made. The work is well done, and the general public should not notice the difference. Construction of the time range board has been delayed with just the board itself nearing completion. The board itself will be assembled but the rest (T-square, etc) has been moved to next year. Two projects involve the 1915 plotting rooms for Battery Worth and Battery Moore. Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve Field School has taken on restoring the exterior of Battery Moore’s plotting room this summer. Meanwhile, progress continues on Battery Worth’s plotting room. Stucco work has commenced and should take about two weeks to complete. One window and the door are left to be installed. The new estimated completion date is Memorial Day. * * * * * Why Fort Emory was named Fort Emory Peter Watry CDSG is having its 2014 Annual Conference in San Diego this October. We will be seeing some of the remains of Fort Rosecrans and Fort Emory, but just as interesting is who Maj. William Helmsley Emory was, and why he is was beloved in San Diego for something he did in 1849. Before 1940 the site of the future Fort Emory had only been used for a large navy radio reception station, immediately north of Imperial Beach along the ocean, about 10 miles south of San Diego in an area known as Coronado Heights. As World War II was approaching, the army decided to place some artillery there, Page 4 and so they named it Coronado Heights Military Reservation. But in 1942 the San Diego Chamber of Commerce heard about it and asked the army to name it Fort Emory, in honor of Maj. William Emory and what he did for San Diego 93 years before. The War Department agreed, and published the decision in War Department General Orders No. 67, December 14, 1942. William H. Emory was an 1831 graduate of West Point, both a military officer and an engineer. He first came to California in 1846 with Gen. Stephen Kearny’s Army of the West to help occupy California at the beginning of the Mexican-American War. Kearny’s Army left Fort Leavenworth, KS, with 2,500 troops. Along the way, General Kearny heard that other units had pretty much occupied California, so he split units off to do this and that chore, and by the time they arrived at a place called San Pasqual in northern San Diego, Kearny had only 50 troopers at the spot where the local Californios were waiting to do battle, and the Californios and their horses were much fresher. Kearny had 17 killed, 18 wounded and only 15 unscathed. Lt. Emory was one of the latter. Emory rose to general in the Civil War and had a distinguished career. By 1850 he was an outstanding member of the elite Army Topographical Engineers. The government asked him to make many maps, do important surveying, and so forth. At the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo spelled out the new Mexican-American border in specifics of rivers, latitudes and longitudes. Then in 1849, a commission was formed of American and Mexican surveyors to go out and actually mark the border with 5 to 10 foot “monuments” to mark the new border. This was no easy task because much of the border was straight lines on a map, but horrendous mountains in reality. Major Emory was the leader of the American team. Picking up the border at the eastern end of Arizona, the original border across Arizona was to be the Gila River, which runs from east to west across Arizona. (The Arizona border was later moved further south, but by purchase, not conquest.) The Gila River runs west slightly below Phoenix until just west of Phoenix, where it turns south to an area near Interstate 8, and then it bends and goes directly west to a point flowing into the Colorado River at the northern edge of Yuma. Then, the California border was to be a straight line from the mouth of the Gila River to a point on the Pacific shore “one marine league south of the southernmost point of the Port of San Diego,” and the treaty said it was to be according to a map drawn by Juan Pantoja in 1782. (A “marine league” is generally considered to be a bit less than 3½ miles.) So where is that “southernmost point” on a modern map? It turns out to be about where the Chula Vista Marina is today. Then “One marine league” (3½ miles) south of that is the entrance to a navy auxiliary air field for helicopters on the southern side of Imperial Beach. IT IS ANOTHER 2-3 MILES TO THE MEXICAN BORDER. Major Emory set the monument a full 2-3 miles further south than it was supposed to be. Because those monuments were considered to be part of the treaty, the line cannot be changed without opening the entire treaty to renegotiations. That has never been done. Today, that monument is exactly where Major Emory placed it 160 years ago. Since the commission included Mexican surveyors, how did Major Emory get away with it? I think his report tells us the The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 answer: “In this operation I looked for little or no aid from the Mexican commission, for although composed of well educated and scientific men, their instruments were radically defective. Our determinations, after being re-computed by the Mexican commission, were received by them without correction” (italics added). Today the monument is exactly where Major Emory placed it 160 years ago. Hopefully we will be able to visit it in October. * * * * * Philip J. Sims 1949 - 2014 We regret to announce the death of long-time CDSG member Philip (Phil) Sims, who was found dead of natural causes in his home in Arlington, VA. Born April 26, 1949, in San Diego, CA, Phil received a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and an M.S. in Naval Architecture from MIT. Among his many accomplishments were updating the U.S. Navy’s destroyer-cruiser early-stage design procedures and design studies for the CGN 42, the reserve FFX, and the DDX (later DDG 51) projects as well as being involved in the feasibility and preliminary designs for the DDG 51-Class and many other combatants. He became team leader on Surface Ship Concept Formulation (CONFORM) studies of new ships such as a heavy combatant and a survivable cruiser. He was the lead naval architect for the Iowa-Class battleship modernization and reactivation program and then its ship design manager. Later he participated in the CV(X) and CVN(X) Cost and Operational Effectiveness Analysis (COEA). He became the navy’s expert on command ships, based on his numerous studies over the decades. Upon his retirement from NAVSEA in 2009, he joined the staff of CSC - Advanced Marine Center, conducting feasibility studies and preparing guidance documents on the early-stage ship design process. Phil was a member of the CDSG since 1988, and a frequent contributor to our Journal. His articles, which often reflected his interest and expertise in naval matters, contributed a unique perspective to the study of coast defense. He is survived by his only sister, Suzan Hudgens of Fort Worth, TX. Memorial contributions can be sent to the attention of the Development Office, Webb Institute, 298 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove, NY 11542-1398. A note in the memo line should say “In memory of Philip Sims ‘71.” * * * * * William C. Gaines, Jr. The CDSG notes with great sadness the passing of our most faithful author, William “Bill” Gaines. Bill was our most frequent author, contributing more than 80 articles over almost 30 years. His wide range of research enabled him to produce unique histories of a number of harbor defenses and unit histories of many coast artillery units. These works will always remain a tribute to him and his work. And to a real extent, the Coast Defense Journal is also a descendant of Bill's, a monument to the vital role he played in its publication. Page 5 Articles by William C. Gaines published in the CDSG publications Fifteenth Coast Artillery (H.D.) Regiment 1924-1944 The Temporary Harbor Defenses of Beaufort Inlet 1941 CDSG News, Volume 6, Number 4, November 1992 13th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Regiment CDSG Journal, Volume 7, Issue 2, May 1993 The Coastal and Harbor Defenses Of Galveston, Texas CDSG Journal, Volume 7, Issue 3, August 1993 The Coastal and Harbor Defenses Of Key West 31st Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Regiment CDSG Journal, Volume 7, Issue 4, November 1993 The Coast Artillery at Pensacola Bay 1898-1946 Punchbowl Military Reservation CDSG Journal, Volume 8, Issue 1, February 1994 Fifteenth Coast Artillery Regiment 1924-1944 Wiliwilinui Ridge Military Reservation CDSG Journal, Volume 8, Issue 2, May 1994 Sand Island Military Reservation CDSG Journal, Volume 8, Issue 3, August 1994 Fort Weaver, Oahu, Hawaii Fort Barrette, Oahu, Hawaii 27th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Battalion CDSG Journal, Volume 8, Issue 4, November 1994 The Oahu Howitzers CDSG Journal, Volume 9, Issue 1, February 1995 The Temporary Harbor Defenses of Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1942-1944 The Forty-First Coast Artillery 1918-1944: An Organizational History CDSG Journal, Volume 9, Issue 2, May 1995 The 14th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Regiment, an Organizational History CDSG Journal, Volume 9, Issue 3, August 1995 The Maritime Defenses of the Delaware, 1771-1950, Chapters I & II CDSG Journal, Volume 9, Issue 4, November 1995 The Maritime Defenses of the Delaware, 1771-1950, Chapters III-V CDSG Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, February 1996 The Coastal and Harbor Defenses of the Delaware, Chapters VI to X CDSG Journal, Volume 10, Issue 2, May 1996 The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 The Maritime Defenses of the Delaware, 1771-1950: Chapters XI - XIII CDSG Journal, Volume 10, Issue 3, August 1996 Fort Schuyler and the Defenses of the Eastern Approaches to New York Harbor: A Historic Resource Study CDSG Journal, Volume 10, Issue 4, November 1996 Page 6 Antiaircraft Defense of Oahu 1916-1945 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 15, Issue 2, May 2001 The 54th Coast Artillery Regiment (155 mm Gun) 1917-1944 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 15, Issue 4, November 2001 Temporary Harbor Defenses in the Southern Defense Command: 1942-1944 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 16, Issue 1, February 2002 Fort Totten and the Coastal Defenses of Eastern New York CDSG Journal, Volume 11, Issue 1, February 1997 Railway Artillery on Oahu, 1922-1944 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 16, Issue 3, August 2002 Coast Artillery in the Trinidad Base Command and Sector 1941-1946 The United States Coast Artillery Command on Aruba and Curaçao in WW II CDSG Journal, Volume 11, Issue 2, May 1997 240 mm Howitzers on Oahu 1922-1944 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 16, Issue 4, November 2002 Fort Screven: the Modern System of Defense at Savannah 1886-1946 CDSG Journal, Volume 11, Issue 3, August 1997 Defending the Cape Fear River, North Carolina, 1803-1945 CDSG Journal, Volume 11, Issue 4, November 1997 Joint Army and Navy Coast Defense Commands: 1927-1945 Glossary of Terms Related to Coast Artillery Operations in World War II CDSG Journal, Volume 12, Issue 1, February 1998 A History of the Modern Coastal Defenses of Charleston, South Carolina, Part I 1894-1939 CDSG Journal, Volume 12, Issue 3, August 1998 A History of the Modern Coastal Defenses of Charleston, South Carolina, Part II: The Harbor Defenses of Charleston in World War II CDSG Journal, Volume 12, Issue 4, November 1998 155 mm Gun Employment and Emplacements on Oahu, T.H., 1921-1945 CDSG Journal, Volume 13, Issue 2, May 1999 The Sixteenth Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Regiment CDSG Journal, Volume 13, Issue 4, November 1999 Antiaircraft Defenses in the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays 1921-1942 CDSG Journal, Volume 14, Issue 1, February 2000 Camp Pendleton, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the Provisional Coast Artillery Brigade, 1940-1945 CDSG Journal, Volume 14, Issue 2, May 2000 825th Coast Artillery Battery (Separate), 1942-1943 CDSG Journal, Volume 14, Issue 4, November 2000 The World War II Temporary Harbor Defenses of Tampa 1942-1944 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 17, Issue 1, February 2003 “Gypsy Artillery:” The 69th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Regiment Coast Defense Journal, Volume 17, Issue 2, May 2003 Fort Darrell (Mechanic) and the Defenses of Charleston Castle Pinckney and the Fortifications of Shute’s Folly Island, Charleston Harbor Coast Defense Journal, Volume 17, Issue 3, August 2003 Second-System Fortifications at Savannah, Georgia: 1807-1825 The Defenses of Cumberland Sound, 1738-1900 Fort Johnson at Windmill Point, James Island, Charleston Harbor Coast Defense Journal, Volume 17, Issue 4, November 2003 Confederate Defenses of Savannah 1861-1865 Defenses of Florida’s St. Johns River, 1898-1944 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 18, Issue 1, February 2004 Fort Johnston, North Carolina, 1745-1865 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3, August 2004 A Military History of Diamond Head and Fort Ruger (Part I) Coast Defense Journal, Volume 19, Issue 2, May 2005 A Military History of Diamond Head and Fort Ruger (Part 2) Coast Defense Journal, Volume 19, Issue 3, August 2005 92nd Coast Artillery Regiment (Philippine Scouts) Coast Defense Journal, Volume 20, Issue 1, February 2006 Fort Wayne: Detroit’s Seacoast Fortification Coast Defense Journal, Volume 20, Issue 2, May 2006 28th Coast Artillery Battalion and the Defense of Saint Lucia and Ascension Islands Coast Defense Journal, Volume 20, Issue 3, August 2006 The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 The Inner Harbor Fortifications of New York Coast Defense Journal, Volume 20, Issue 4, November 2006 The Railway Artillery Reserve, A.E.F., 1917-1918 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 21, Issue 1, February 2007 Corregidor, the Early Years Coast Defense Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, August 2007 Page 7 The Seacoast Defenses of Portland, Maine 1605-1946 Part II Modern Batteries Coast Defense Journal, Volume 25, Issue 2, May 2011 The Seacoast Defenses of Portland, Maine 1605-1946, Part III 1905-1939 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 25, Issue 3, August 2011 The Seacoast Defenses of Galveston, Texas Coast Defense Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, November 2007 The Seacoast Defenses of Portland, Maine 1605-1946, Part IV - 1940-1950 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 25, Issue 4, November 2011 Fifty-Second Coast Artillery (Railway) Regiment Coast Defense Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, February 2008 Fort Tilden, NY Coast Defense Journal, Volume 26, Issue 2, May 2012 Coast Artillery Organization: A Brief Overview Coast Defense Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, May 2008 Battery F, 244th Coast Artillery, on Guadalcanal Coast Defense Journal, Volume 27, Issue 4, November 2013 265th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Regiment Coast Defense Journal, Volume 22, Issue 3, August 2008 CDSG Special Tour to Norway Defending the Narrows: The Harbor Defenses of Southern New York Part I: The Muzzleloading Era, 1524-1890 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, November 2008 Defending the Narrows: The Harbor Defenses of Southern New York Part II, The Breechloading Era, 1890-1950 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 23, Issue 1, February 2009 Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, Part I, Coast Artillery Regiments 1-196 The Coast Artillery on Shemya Island, 1943-1947 Coast Defense Journal, Volume 23, Issue 2, May 2009 Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, Part II, Coast Artillery Regiments, OR and AUS Coast Defense Journal, Volume 23, Issue 3, August 2009 The Modern Coast Defenses of Mobile Bay 1865-1945 (Part 1) Coast Defense Journal, Volume 24, Issue 1, February 2010 The Modern Coast Defenses of Mobile Bay 1865-1945 (Part II) Coast Defense Journal, Volume 24, Issue 2, May 2010 The Modern Coast Defenses of Mobile Bay 1865-1945 (Part III) Coast Defense Journal, Volume 24, Issue 3, August 2010 A History of Fort DeRussy Coast Defense Journal, Volume 24, Issue 4, November 2010 The Seacoast Defenses of Portland, Maine 1605-1946 Part I: Portland’s Initial Defenses Coast Defense Journal, Volume 25, Issue 1, February 2011 * * * * * Norwegian and Atlantic Wall Defenses Part II: Defenses of the Kristiansand By Terrance McGovern The CDSG special tour to the coast defenses of Norway took place from June 8 to June 19, 2013, with 24 tour members. The goal of this tour was to visit the world’s best collection of surviving coast artillery, especially the dozen “big guns” (greater than 280 mm) that remain, as well as other wonderful coast defense sites that still have their smaller artillery. During World War II Germany built (or converted existing Norwegian) over 280 coast defense batteries mounting over 1,000 guns in Norway. Many of these Atlantic Wall defenses were used by the Norwegian coast defense service after the war and many were maintained into the 1990s. The Norwegians added modern 75 mm and 120 mm batteries during the Cold War. The tour was able to visit over 50 examples of surviving coast artillery during the tour, many in their original emplacements. This is the ninth special tour that I have organized for the CDSG and the most complex logistically, due to the remoteness of the locations and the long distances between sites. The tour’s ultimate success was due to the efforts of our local tour leaders, Svein Wiiger Olsen, Vic Phillipson, Pål Johnsen, and Harald Isachsen, who arranged for our access to the many sites and guided us to the defenses. This tour would have never happened without their efforts and we owe them many thanks for a great tour. We also want to thank tour members Mike Fiorini, Alan Fyson, Terry McGovern, Michel van Best, and Keith Estes, who each undertook the responsibility to organize and drive one of our five rental vehicles. They did a great job considering they have never been to Norway before and they successfully kept track of all their passengers during the long tour. Finally, we want to thank Denise Agostino from Premiere Travel for arranging the air, hotel, and rental vehicles for the group. The November 2013 issue of the CDSG Newsletter contains the tour report for Part I of the tour to the defenses of the Oslofjord. Part II of our tour began on the morning of June The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 CDSG Special Tour to Norway – June 8th to 19th 2013 Kristiansand Defenses - Places visited by tour: Odderoya Fort Laksevika Fort (Flekkeroy) Battery Vara Command Bunker (Flekkeroy) Movik Fort Sandviktoppen NATO Command Bunker Page 8 12, 2013, (Day 5 of the tour) with our rental vehicles leaving Tonsberg for the 230 km (about 3 hour) drive to visit the coast defenses of Kristiansand, on the Skagerrak (the strait between Norway and Denmark) at the mouth of the Otra River. It has a spacious, ice-free harbor, protected by offshore islands, and is the largest community of the Sørlandet region (current population is about 160,000). It is an important seaport including shipyards and a naval base, and as a result, several coast defense forts were built by both the Norwegians and the Germans. The first site we visited was Odderøya Fort, which is an island connected to the mainland by bridges south of the city. The island creates a natural division between the eastern and western port of Kristiansand as it rises about 200 meters above the city. The canal Gravanekanalen separates Odderøya Fort from the city center, but four bridges ensure that the island is easily accessible. This fort has been the location for military fortifications from the time of the Great Northern War (1700-21) to the end of the Cold War. There has been military activity on Odderøya from 1667 until 1993, when the fortress was phased out. In much of this period Odderøya served as a base and boot camp for the Norwegian Coastal Artillery. The most notable event took place on April 9, 1940, against German aircraft and warships during the invasion of Norway in Operation Weserübung. The site today is open to the public with variety of civic organizations occupying the former military buildings. Repurposing the fort continues today. Our tour focused on defenses constructed in the early 20th century. This was a period of military build-up, not least due to the tense relationship with Sweden. East Battery, Central Battery, The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 9 and Western Battery stood ready in the summer of 1903, each with two Armstrong 15 cm L/47.5 cannons. Primary armament was in Main Battery (with two St. Chamond 21 cm cannons) and the Howitzer Battery (with four St. Chamond 24 cm howitzers) which was fully operational late in the winter of 1904. Later that same year, two 6.5 cm Cockerill guns were mounted in the eastern shore battery. During the WWI several command positions for the protection of fire control instruments were constructed at each battery, and the first air defense positions were established. It was with these old weapons that eventually Odderøya Fort met the German invasion April 9, 1940. The fort fired upon the approaching German warships, 30 rounds from the 21 cm guns, 60 rounds from 15 cm cannons, and 12 howitzer rounds. Several German ships were hit, but only an unfortunate merchant vessel, the M/S Seattle, that got in the middle of the battle was sunk. The Germans bombarded the fortress, both with naval guns and from the air. The fortress had 8 killed and 13 wounded in the fighting. During the German occupation of the city, they established the Artilleriegruppe Kristiansand headquarters at Odderøya Fort. They moved the 21 cm and 15 cm guns in 1940-1941 to new coastal forts on Flekkerøy and Eastern Randøy as Odderøya was too far within the harbor for the range of its guns. In the postwar era, Odderøya received a three-gun 10.5 cm training battery. After some time, these guns were replaced with newer artillery guns of the same caliber; 10.5 cm SKC/32. Two of these guns remain in place today, along with a memorial to the events of 1940. We were able to drive our vans right up to the top of the island and park behind the main gun line around 11 am. The area is open parkland today, so most of the emplacements have been sealed. Tour members quickly dispersed to visit various batteries and other structures as it begun to rain. A very wet group gathered The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 10 for a field lunch before leaving the fort at 2 pm for the island of Flekkerøy. This island is about 15 km from Odderøya via an undersea tunnel once you drive through downtown Kristiansand. Access to Laksevika Fort on Flekkerøy is complex, so we relied on our local guide, Vic Phillipson, to show us the way through the woods and marshes to the two single gun emplacements that the German built (as MKB 3/502 Flekkeroy) to mount the two 21 cm St. Chamond L/45 guns they moved from Odderøya Fort in 1940. In addition, the fort had three positions for 40 mm Bofors, four positions for 20 mm Flak, as well as four positions for 60 cm searchlights. When the Norwegians abandoned the fort in 1958 they removed these guns. Each emplacement is located on high rocks that rise out of the forest so a series of cableways was needed to transport ammunition from the wharf. The Germans used a mixture of concrete and carved rock to build the fort’s emplacements. After spending an hour exploring these slippery emplacements in the rain, we drove about 3 km to the Battery Vara Command Bunker. This multi-level fire direction bunker (S-100 model) was built by the Germans to be the principal position finding location for Battery Vara (as MKB 6/502) with four 38 cm guns. The bunker is now used as a telecommunication installation, surrounded by a fence and cemented closed. After Signal Staton at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand West Battery (2 x 15cm L47.5 Armstrong) at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 11 Fire Control Station for Howitzer Battery (4 x 24cm L/16 St-Chamond) at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand 10.5cm SKC/32 at Central Battery at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand Emplacement #2 for Howitzer Battery (4 x 24cm L/16 St-Chamond) at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand Cableway to 21cm emplacement at Laksevika Fort, Flekkerøy Filled in Howitzer emplacement for memorial to German attack in 1940 at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand Fire Control Station for Central Battery (2 x 15cm L/47.5 Armstrong) at Odderoya Fort, Kristiansand German built emplacement for 21cm gun at Laksevika Fort, Flekkerøy The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 12 a brief visit, the group head back the 14 km to Kristiansand to check into Scandic Kristiansand Hotel for the next two nights. Battery Vara Secondary Fire Control Bunker at Movik Fort Battery Vara Fire Control and Command Bunker on Flekkerøy Day 6 began with a hotel breakfast and 10 km drive to Movik, which was the site of Battery Vara (as MAB 6./502 Vara) during World War II. After the war, the Norwegians named it Møvik Fort. The fort was constructed between 1941 and 1944 by the German navy to mount four 38 cm/52 SK C/34 guns in single S-169 emplacements on center-pintle mounts (C/39) with splinter shields. Together with four other coastal batteries, it formed the Kristiansand Artillery Group. Together with its sister battery at Hanstholm in Denmark (roughly 116 km away), Møvik Fort was built to obstruct Allied naval forces by blocking the Skagerrak Strait and the seaways to Eastern Norway, as well as the access to the Kattegatt Strait leading to the Baltic Sea. Only a gap of 10 nautical miles in the Skagerrak could not be covered by the guns of these batteries. This gap was therefore mined to stop ships from avoiding the batteries’ fields of fire. Construction at Møvik commenced in the spring of 1941. At the initial stage, the work force was comprised of 750 Norwegians, 350 Danes, and 300 Germans. From early 1943, 200 Russian prisoners-of-war were also used, and they remained until the end of the war in 1945. As construction proceeded and guns were completed, the battery crew of 600 Germans arrived (450 sailors to man the guns and 150 soldiers for close-in defense). Trial rounds were fired from Cannon #2 and #3 on March 12, 1942, and from Cannon #4 in November of the same year. By then, the emplacement for Cannon #1 had been completed, but the gun itself had not yet been delivered. It was not until summer 1944 that work on Emplacement #1 was taken up again, but now as a casemated emplacement to protect the gun from aerial attack. The cannon well was covered with a casemate with a 4.5 meter-thick roof and 3.8 meter-thick walls, built in 10 weeks. Then the process of delivering the cannon parts was started. By the beginning of 1945, all the parts were in place, except for the barrel, which was the heaviest single part of the cannon (19.76 meters long and 110 tons). It was shipped on the Porto Alegre from Germany in February 1945, but on the night of February 22 it was sunk in the Kattegatt by a British air attack. In addition to the main cannon, there were 16 smaller guns, as well as many bunkers, defense posts, tunnels, barracks, and a 2.6 km railway network to transport ammunition from the two large bunkers CDSG members visit Battery Vara Secondary Fire Control Bunker at Movik Fort Emplacement #2 with surviving 38cm SKC/34 gun at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Main Hall of Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 approximately 1 km to the rear of the cannons. For a few years after the war, Møvik Fort was an operating Norwegian fortress. In 1953 it became part of Kristiansand fortress. On April 20, 1959, the fort was closed and in 1962 Cannons #3 and #4, as well as the existing parts of Cannon #1, were scrapped. Fortunately, Cannon #2 was saved, and is today the only remaining example of this type. After extensive renovation in the late 1980s and early 1990s by local armed forces and the Foundation Kristiansand Cannon Museum Møvik, a part of the fort was opened to the public in 1993. The Kristiansand Cannon museum is run today by the Foundation Kristiansand Cannon Museum Møvik and administered by the Nasjonale Festningsverk (National Fortresses). Our group gathered in the museum parking lot with our cameras and field lunches in hand, as we were scheduled to spend most of the day exploring Battery Vara. Our local guide, Vic Phillipson, started our guided tour at the battery’s secondary fire control position. The challenge of a foggy day mixed with moss-covered rocks resulted in a number of slip and falls. Retreating to the safety of Cannon #2’s S-169 bunker we visited the museum in the ammunition magazines of the emplacement. We also visited the power rooms and ammunition handling area before walking to the topside of the emplacement to see the 38 cm gun and its mount. By this time it was noon, so we picnicked next to the emplacement before moving on to a storage building built by the museum to house its larger artifacts, ranging from an Shell Room of Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Page 13 German 88 mm AA gun to a small railway unit for the narrowgauge line that served the fort. We next visited the huge casemate constructed over Emplacement #1, very similar to the German batteries along the English Channel in France. We then visited one of the S-174 reserve ammunition bunkers before exploring the emplacements for Cannons #4 and #3, which are abandoned. We also visited several 4 cm flak positions as well as several MG casemates and shelters, including a few Tobruk positions. Our last stop was a communication/generator bunker before one last visit with the wonderful 38 cm gun. Powder Room of Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Shell Wagon waiting for projectile at flash proof doors at Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 14 Shell Room of Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Loading table with flash-proof doors behind at Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Fire Control computer at Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Power Room of Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Chris Bristow purchases some large souvenirs at the Kannon Museum in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 38cm SKC/34 gun and mount in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Page 15 38cm gun showing breech and block at Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Central Pintle in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort 38cm gun showing breech and block at Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Inside 38cm mount with shell lift, loading table, and air ram for Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Large artifact on display at the Kannon Museum at Battery Vara, Movik Fort CSDG watch loading drill for 38cm gun in Emplacement #2 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 16 Tank turret used in defense of Kristiansand’s airport during WWII at the Kannon Museum at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Huge casemate for Emplacement #1 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Rear of casemate for Emplacement #1 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Entrance to reserve ammunition bunker at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Inside the casemate for Emplacement #1 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Entrance to bunker for Emplacement #4 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Page 17 Back in our vans, we now traveled a few kilometers to an adjunct property where the abandoned underground command complex called Sandviktoppen is located. Sandviktoppen was NATO’s hardened command and control bunker for all of Southern Norway. We parked our vans at the bottom of a hillside, at the former barracks and motor pool garage. We hiked up the road that led to a camouflaged entrance to a tunnel that led to heavy blast doors of NATO’s Atlantic North Command and Control Bunker, built during the Cold War. This NBC-proof (nuclear, biological, chemical) facility was in service until 1992. After being decommissioned, the bunker has been locked and sealed awaiting a decision about its future use, and is now owned by the local government. We explored the operations theatre, map room, command center, troop quarters, and all the engineering spaces, which are still in relatively good condition, although with limited lighting. A few hardy tour members climbed the some 300 steps in the service tunnel to the radar and signals installation above the complex. Returning to our vans we made our way back to our hotel in Kristiansand. This completed our tour of the defenses of the Kristiansand. Part three of the tour had us flying to Trondheim and its U-boat bunkers from Kristiansand. We visited the triple 28 cm naval turret from Gneisenau at Orland and other defenses of Trondheim Fjord over a three-day period. Part Four had us flying on to the Harstad/Narvik area, where we visited several fascinating batteries over two days: the main attraction was the four 40.6 cm guns at Battery Trondenes. From Harstad we flew back to Oslo and ended the tour. Due to the length of the tour and resulting long tour report, it will be published in the CDSG Newsletter over several issues. Emplacement #4 without 38cm SKC/34 gun at Battery Vara, Movik Fort 4 cm Flak position at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Entrance to bunker for Emplacement #3 at Battery Vara, Movik Fort Entrance to NATO Command and Control Complex at Sandviktoppen, Movik The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Control post at NATO Command and Control Complex at Sandviktoppen, Movik Operations theatre at NATO Command and Control Complex at Sandviktoppen, Movik * * * * * 16-Inch Guns - Last Call Terrance McGovern Still looking for good homes for five 16-inch/50 barrels and time is running out Barrels need new homes by November 1 or they may be scrapped In June 2011, the Coast Defense Study Group (www.CDSG. org) was asked to help find safe homes for eight historic 16inch/50 Mark 7 navy gun barrels located at St. Juliens Creek Naval Annex in Chesapeake, VA, or the barrels would cut into eight-foot sections and scrapped. The US Navy is purging all the Iowa-class materials in their inventory and as the navy felt that they had allowed plenty of time for qualified organizations to claim these barrels, it was now time to liquidate them (as they did for 14 similar barrels in storage at Hawthorne, NV, in June 2011). The CDSG was able to convince the navy to give us more time to find organizations that would be able to take care of a 16-inch/50 barrel and pay for the cost of moving a 70-foot object Page 18 weighing about 120 tons. As these barrels are similar to the ones that were once in WWII 16-inch coast defense batteries, we approached the current owners of such sites to see if they would be interested in preserving and interpreting a barrel at their site. As these barrels also saw wartime service during World War II and Korea we reached out to those who would have interest in displaying a barrel from such famous ships as USS Missouri, USS Iowa, and USS New Jersey. So far we were able to inspire three groups to take up the challenge of raising funds and organizing transportation. It was great accomplishment to have three barrels leave St. Juliens and make their way to new homes. One barrel went to the Cape Henlopen, DE, State Park (location of former Battery Smith at Fort Miles); the second went to the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge at Cape Charles, VA, (location of the former Battery Winslow at Fort John Custis); while the third barrel was taken by rail to the State Capitol in Arizona to become part of their World War II memorial (where is joined by a 14-inch barrel off USS Arizona). The task of finding good homes for the remaining five barrels (four off USS New Jersey and one off USS Iowa) is even more difficult, as many of most likely candidates have already declined to take on the financial and organizational effort to move a barrel to their site. The navy has proposed a November 1, 2014, deadline for this effort, after which the five barrels will offered for sale as scrap. Currently the best prospects for these barrels are: The Monmouth County Park System, NJ, has submitted a formal plan to move one of USS New Jersey’s barrels to the former Battery Lewis as part of their interpretive plan (see the CDSG Funds item on helping them raise funds). They hope to move a barrel this fall. The USS Iowa Association wants to move the barrel from USS Iowa to the USS Iowa Memorial (dedicated to the 47 sailors that died during a turret explosion in 1989) on the Norfolk Naval Station. While they have official approval from the navy, they have just begun their fundraising effort. We are trying to develop with the State of Virginia a Cape Henry Lighthouse/First Landing Memorial at Cape Henry, VA, (location of the former Battery Ketchum at Fort Story), but we need local support. A small civic group in Oklahoma City has expressed interest in a battleship barrel for their riverfront redevelopment plans, but they would really like a 14-inch barrel like that of the USS Oklahoma. There is a possibility that a US Air Force fuse testing project in Florida will require several barrels, but this just an interesting idea with no funding as yet. We need your help in finding organizations that will take a barrel and give it a good home and we need to do it now. Please let Terry McGovern at 703/934-3661 or tcmcgovern@att.net know if you have a good home in mind for any of these 16inch/50 barrels. Note: We are also looking for a good home are four 8-inch/55 Mark 14 guns. These barrels are located in Suffield, Alberta, Canada, where they were used in experimental testing. These last remaining 8”/55 Mk 14 guns are going to be scrapped soon if nobody takes an interest in them, as the Canadian Armed Forces has an active project to dispose of them. These guns armed two The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 early aircraft carriers as well as many of the 1920s to 1930s treaty cruisers. They are about 33 feet long and weigh about 30 tons. The photographs below show the five remaining 16-inch/50 Mark 7 barrels at St. Juliens Creek Naval Annex, waiting for a new home. * * * * * CDSG T-Shirts Are Available Again! Updated Design and New T-Shirt Color - Black Terrance McGovern The CDSG is happy to announce that our T-shirt supply has been refreshed with over 200 shirts in varying size and colors. We have updated the design on the back of the shirt and add a new color – Black (is black a color?) with white ink. We have stocked primarily large sizes (L, XL, XXL, XXXL) because that is where the demand is, but we do have some mediums and smalls. Colors beside black are navy blue with yellow ink, fire engine red with white ink, and army khaki with black ink. Please order your t-shirts today and help raise awareness of the CDSG. Please send your orders to Terry McGovern at 1700 Oak Lane, McLean, VA 22101, with cash or check (US$18 domestic or US$26 foreign) or you can order on-line at CDSG.org using your credit card. Below is the back side of our updated t-shirt. The front remains the same. Page 19 County Park System, NJ, to help them restore Battery Lewis and transport a 16-inch/50 barrel from St. Julien Creek Naval Annex to the battery. Since February 2014, members have donated $250 towards this project but we need more donations from you to reach the $1,500 challenge goal. Over the past two years the CDSG Fund has donated funds from our members to help several 16-inch/50 barrels find good homes. We provided $3,000 to the Fort Miles Historical Association to help them to move a barrel to Cape Henlopen, DE. We also provided $3,000 to help move a barrel to the USFWS at Cape Charles, VA. We want to do the same for The Friends of the Parks for the Monmouth County Park System. Having a 16-inch barrel in the gun casemate will allow visitors a better understanding of the function of these massive structures. Your donation can make this happen. Remember your gift to the CDSG Fund is tax-deductible for federal tax purposes and 100% of your gift will go to the Battery Lewis 16-inch/50 Project (please indicate this purpose on your check). Please send your check made payable to the CDSG Fund as soon as possible, as the CDSG Fund will match your gift, dollar for dollar, up to $1,500. Your check should be mailed to Sam Stokes at P.O. Box 807, Bogeda Bay, CA 94923-0807 USA. You can also donate via the CDSG website at www.cdsg.org. Battery Lewis * * * * * Future CDSG Tours to the Defenses of Panama and Switzerland Terrance McGovern * * * * * Battery Lewis, Hartshorne Woods Park Challenge Update: Member Donations Needed for 16-inch/50 and Battery Lewis Monmouth County Park System, New Jersey Terrance McGovern, CDSG Fund Trustee The CDSG Fund has challenged our membership to match its $1,500 donation to The Friends of the Parks for the Monmouth Paolo Sanfilippo and Terry McGovern are discussing a possible CDSG special tour to the defenses of the Panama Canal for 2015. The first and last CDSG tour to Panama was in 1993, so it has been 20 years since the CDSG has toured these defenses. Recently, several CDSG members returned from a private tour of the defenses of Panama with Paolo and reported back on the details of their tour (please see Michel van Best’s report on the CDSG website). While many coast defense sites have suffered from economic development in the last 20 years, many batteries remain and are accessible. Paolo has developed this tentative schedule below (subject to change) for a 10-day tour to the defenses of Panama. Please advise Terry McGovern at tcmcgovern@att.net of your interest in attending a 10-day special tour to Panama. Based on your response by the end of the year, we will begin the detailed planning process. The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 20 Chain mail helps protect this 15.5 cm casemate at Festung Magletsch, Sargans Please advise Terry McGovern at tcmcgovern@att.net of your interest in attending a 10-day special tour to Switzerland. Based on your response, by the end of the year we will begin the detailed planning process. * * * * * CDSG Logo Hats, Shirts & Patches Swiss cows man 10.5 cm turret at Festung Furggels, Sargans Pascal Bruchez and Maurice Lovisa of the ASMEM (Association St-Maurice d’Etudes Militaires), the primary fortification study group in Switzerland (similar to the CDSG) have invited us to visit the fortifications of Switzerland for a week in 2016. The focus of the tour will be the National Redoubt, encompassing a widely distributed set of fortifications on a general east-west line through the Alps, centering on three major fortress complexes, Fortresses St. Maurice, St. Gotthard, and Sargans. These fortresses primarily defended the alpine crossings between Germany and Italy. We will also visit a few defense sites of the Border Line, the advance line of defenses near the borders; and Army Position, somewhat farther back. These two defense lines were designed to protect the Swiss heartland (the industrialized and populated heart of Switzerland) The CDSG is pleased to offer custom-made hats, T-shirts and patches to our membership. Wearing these hats, T-shirts and patches are a great way to make others aware of the CDSG and its goals. It is also an excellent way to promote new memberships in the CDSG. The CDSG patches have been available for several years. Designed especially for the CDSG, these quality patches combine the Coast Artillery Corps and the Corps of Engineers symbols to reflect their involvement in U.S. coastal defenses. This logo is now on hats and a set of T-shirts which are great for showing the CDSG “flag.” To order your hat, T-shirt or patch, please complete the order form below and send it along with your check (made out to CDSG, Inc.) to Terry McGovern at 1700 Oak Lane, McLean, VA 22101-3326 USA (e-mail: tcmcgovern@att.net). CDSG hats, T-shirts and patches ordering information Black T-sirt with white ink: Size & # ___L ___XL ___2XL ___3XL Red T-Shirt with white ink: Size & # ___L ___XL ___2XL ___3XL Kaki T-Shirt with black ink: Size & # ___L ___XL ___2XL ___3XL Navy T-shirt with yellow ink: Size & # ___L ___XL ___2XL ___3XL Total Number: ____ times $_____ = Total $_____ (domestic $18/overseas $26 each) Patch: _____ times $_____ = Total $_____ (domestic $4/overseas $6) each Hats: ______ times $ _____ = Total $ _____ (domestic $20/overseas $25) each Be sure to include your name and shipping address. You can also order online at http://cdsg.org/shopping/ The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 Page 21 * * * Support the CDSG.ORG Website The CDSG supports its web site ONLY through donations. If you download PDF files from the website, please help the CDSG continue to maintain it by donating a shareware fee. The suggested fees will be noted next to each PDF document. We suggest a minimum donation of $5.00. Thank you for supporting the CDSG web site! * * * * * Company of Military Historians This organization is dedicated to the study and preservation of military history in the Americas. Its objectives are to promote and advance the research of military history and traditions through publications, exhibits, and meetings. Members include anyone interested in military history, such as historians, collectors, writers, artists, and those involved in living history. The company publishes the quarterly journal, Military Collectors and Historian, and an ongoing series of color plates— “Military Uniforms in America.” For membership information contact: Company of Military Historians David M. Sullivan, Administrator P.O. BOX 910, Rutland, MA 01543-0910 Phone:508-845-9229 E-mail: cmhhq@aol.com or Dsulli7875@aol.com http://www.military-historians.org. * * * * * * * * * * Warship International Steam Back Into History… Go to sea with the ships of the world’s navies – the USN’s Essex & Independence-class carriers, the Arizona, the Japanese I-400 class subs, HMS Vanguard, Czarist Russia’s battleships, French cruisers of the 1922 Program. These are subjects of some of the articles that have appeared in recent issues of Warship International. These issues are still in print and can be obtained at special rates for new members. What ever happened to USS Lexington’s (CV-2) 8” guns? How much do you know about the cannon of “Old Ironsides”? Want to learn more about early naval radio experiments? These questions and many more are answered in each issue of theworld’s most unique naval journal – WARSHIP INTERNATIONAL. A ONE VOLUME SUBSCRIPTION of 4 QUARTERLY ISSUES IS ONLY- U.S.A. $34.00, CANADA $37.00, OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA $45.00, we now feature Pay-Pal. A SAMPLE COPY $3.25, this includes postage & handling. WARSHIP INTERNATIONAL Dept. CD P.O. Box 48 Holden, MA 01520-0048 See us on the World Wide Web: http://www.warship.org The Artilleryman Magazine The Artilleryman is the only magazine exclusively for artillery shooters and collectors. History, unit profiles, events, places to visit, book reviews, advertising. It is published quarterly; subscriptions are $18 a year. We are also publishers of The Civil War News. Free sample copies of both publications are available. Historical Publications, Inc. 234 Monarch Hill Rd. Tunbridge, VT 05077 Call 1-800-777-1862 fax (802) 889-5627 email: mail@civilwarnews.com Artillery safety rules and more Civil War information posted at www.civilwarnews.com. Help Preserve Our Miliary Heritage Council on America's Military Past See our web site for information on publications and activities www.campjamp.org The CDSG Newsletter, May 2014 The Coast Defense Study Group The CDSG Newsletter is published quarterly by the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. along with the Coast Defense Journal. Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to the editor or publisher below. Submission deadlines are the first of the month in February, May, August, and November of each calender year. All rights are reserved. Comments on business matters should be addressed directly to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. CDSG Publications PO Box 6124, Peoria, IL 61601 berhowma@cdsg.org The CDSG is a non-profit corporation formed to promote the study of coast defenses and fortifications, their history, architecture, technology, and strategic and tactical employment. The purposes of the group include educational research and documentation, preservation of historic sites, site interpretation, and assistance to other organizations interested in the preservation and interpretation of coast defense sites. Membership in the CDSG is open to any person interested in the study of the coast defenses and fortifications of the United States. Annual dues for 2014 are $40 domestic, $55 for Canada, and $70 for international. Join online at cdsg.org. Checks payable to: The Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. (CDSG) Send to: Sam Stokes, CDSG Membership Chairman Post Office Box 807, Bodega Bay, CA 94923-0807 (707) 875-3928, sestokes@sonic.net 2013-2014 Board of Directors of the CDSG Norman Scarpulla (Chair) Mike Fiorini Quentin Schillare CDSG Publications Bolling W. Smith, Journal Editor Mark Berhow, Publisher CDSG Press Terry McGovern CDSG Fund Terry McGovern, Trustee Mark Berhow, Trustee Sam Stokes, Trustee Membership Committee Sam Stokes, Secretary Finance Committee Terry McGovern,Treasurer Preservation Committee Gordon Bliss Representative & Outreach Committee position open Projects & Website Committee Mark Berhow, Chris Zeeman Audit Committee Charlie Robbins, Glen Williford Nominations Committee Chris Zeeman, Chair Upcoming Conference and Tour Committees 2014 Special Tour to the Philippines—Andres Grant, Chair 2014 Los Angeles/San Diego Conference—Mike Fiorini, Chair 2015 Delaware River Conference—Chris Zeeman, Chair 2015 Proposed Special Tour to Panama 2016 Proposed Tampa & Key West—Charlie Bogart, Chair 2016 Proposed Special Tour to Switzerland defenses Page 22 The Coast Defense Study Group Press http://cdsg.org/shopping/ http://cdsg.org/cdsg-epress/ This is an all-volunteer operation provided as a service to our members and to other interested historians. Credit card orders are accepted on the cdsg.org website. For mail orders please send check or money order in U.S currency. Please note clearly in your order which items you are ordering. All prices include domestic / international shipping costs (US Postal Service). Allow at least 8-10 weeks for delivery. CDSG Publications 1985-2013 DVD (Volumes 1-27) Text-seachable PDF files of the entire set of CDSG News/Journal/Newsletters $55 domestic and foreign. An updated copy can be purchased for $10 by sending the tray insert from the old CD/DVD. CDSG Documents DVD $50 domestic and foreign mail. These PDFs cover a range of historical documents related to seacoast defenses, most are copied from the National Archives. Included are PDFs of annual reports of the chief of coast artillery and chief of engineers; various board proceedings and reports; army directories; text books; tables of organization and equipment; WWII command histories; drill, field, training manuals and regulations; ordnance department documents; ordnance tables and compilations; and ordnance gun and carriage cards. Harbor Defense Documents. These PDF documents form the basis of the Conference and Special Tour Handouts that have been held at harbor defense locations around the U.S. The collection includes RCBs/RCWs; maps; annexes to defense projects; CD engineer notebooks; quartermaster building records; and aerial photos taken by the signal corps 1920-40. These collections are available as PDFs on DVD, the size of the collection varies from harbor to harbor. Please visit cdsg.org for more details. Past meetings include: Manila Bay, PI, 1991; Oahu, Hawaii 1991; Los Angeles/San Diego 1992; Canal Zone, Panama 1993; Delaware River 1996; New York 1997; Tampa/Key West 1998; Columbia River 1999; Chesapeake Bay 2000; Portsmouth/North Boston 2001; Mississippi River 2002; Long Island Sound 2003; Charleston/Savannah 2004; Portland 2005; San Francisco 2006; Boston 2007; Galveston 2008; Baltimore/ Washington 2009; Puget Sound 2010; Wilmington, 2010; Narragansett Bay/New Bedford 2011; Great Lakes 2012, Pensacola and Mobile 2013. Please visit cdsg.org for a complete listing of electronic documents. CSDG Press Books ($ domestic / $ international) Notes on Seacoast Fortification Construction, by Col. Eben E. Winslow (GPO, 1920), hard cover reprint, with 29 plates included in a separate paperback. Both items: $35 / $45 Seacoast Artillery Weapons (Army Technical Manual 4-210, 13 Oct. 1944), hard cover reprint. $25 / $35 The Service of Coast Artillery, by F. Hines and F.W. Ward (1910), hardcover reprint $40 / $60 Permanent Fortifications and Sea-Coast Defenses, Congressional Report No. 62, U.S. House of Rep. (1862), hardcover reprint $30 / $45 American Seacoast Matériel, Ordnance Dept. Doc. #2042, (1922), Hardcover reprint $45 / $65 American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, Second Edition, edited by Mark Berhow (2004), softcover $45 / $80 The Endicott and Taft Reports, reprint of original reports of 1886, 1905, 1915, hardcover, with plates included in a separate paperback $45/ $80 Artillerists and Engineers, the Beginnings of American Seacoast Fortications, 17941815, by Arthur P. Wade (2010) $25/ $40 Order online at cdsg.org Checks payable to: CDSG Press send Press orders:CDSG Press Distribution C/O Terry McGovern, 1700 Oak Lane, McLean, VA 22101-3326 email: tcmcgovern@att.net