Battery Kingman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battery Way |
|
|---|---|
| Part of Fort Hancock, New Jersey | |
| Sandy Hook, New Jersey, United States | |
Battery Kingman firing, 1919
|
|
| Coordinates | 40°26′16.8″N 73°59′31.1″W / 40.438000°N 73.991972°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1917-1921 |
| Built by | United States Army |
Battery Kingman is a special place at Fort Hancock, New Jersey where big guns were once kept. It was named after Dan Christie Kingman, an important officer in the United States Army. He was in charge of the Army's engineers from 1913 to 1916.
History of Battery Kingman
Battery Kingman was built to protect the coast. It played a role in defending the United States during two major wars.
Building Better Guns for WWI
At the start of the 1900s, warships became very powerful. Their guns could shoot farther than the big guns on land. Brigadier General Dan C. Kingman saw this problem. He asked the United States Army Corps of Engineers to design a new type of gun mount.
This new mount was called the Model 1917 Barbette carriage. It let the guns point much higher. This extra height added about 9,100 meters (10,000 yards) to how far the guns could shoot. This meant they could finally out-range enemy battleships.
General Kingman passed away in 1916 while the new design was still being made. To honor him, one of the new batteries at Fort Hancock was named after him.
The new carriage system allowed the large 12-inch (305 mm) M1895 guns to fire over 32 kilometers (20 miles). Construction began in 1917 at Fort Hancock. Two batteries, each with two of these powerful guns, were built. They were finished in 1921 and named Battery Kingman and Battery Mills.
Protecting Against Air Attacks in WWII
By World War II, airplanes became a new threat. Guns that were out in the open, like those at Battery Kingman, could be easily attacked from the air.
To protect them, Battery Kingman and Battery Mills were updated. Thick concrete walls and roofs were added around their guns. This turned them into a casemate, which is a strong, armored building for guns. Also, several anti-aircraft guns were placed around Fort Hancock to shoot down enemy planes.
