Coastal Fortifications

[Darman]

I live near one the United State's largest coastal forts and I've recently had a lot of contact with the people who are restoring it to its original (or as near as possible) condition.  Construction of the fort began after the War of 1812 as part of the Third System of coastal defense forts.  It has never been attacked, being situated on the East Coast.  But it remained garrisoned through WW2.  I could probably give a whole spiel on the history of the fort from memory, but I'm getting away from my reason for typing this: today I had a chance to see one of the hidden gems of the fort, which is actually technically outside the fort, its an old redoubt that is, might I add, almost as imposing as the main fort itself.  I took a few pictures and if people are interested I'll post them. 

As an aside, I'm extraordinarily interested in the history of coastal defense in the US, particularly the Northeast.  I'm very lucky to live so close to Fort Adams, which has been virtually untouched by developers.  There are other, more modern coastal defense batteries around my area as well and depending on my job situation this summer I may try to hunt them down and take pictures. 

[ctwaterman]

Pictures would be great....

To many people are building more ships and no defenses to keep them out of your valuable military ports.

There are a few nasty Defensive fortress systems in the game but some pictures of real forts might help spur a building spree.   

Or you could be like France and Build a maginot line along the Spanish/French Border.

Charles

[miketr]

Fortress America: The Forts That Defended America, 1600 to the Present by J. E. Kaufmann.  A very nice book.


Our ports are mostly naked.

Michael

[Valles]

Planning to do something about that on my end, post war. One way or the other, I'll have the money.

[Darman]

Here's me trying to post 'em...


This is the main gate of the main part of the fort. 

And for some perspective... here is the main gate of the smaller redoubt to the south....



The redoubt is overgrown but was cleared a bit.  The inside is really dark.  The purpose of the redoubt was to act as an advance guard against attacks by land on the main fortress.  The fort itself combines Vaubanian landward defenses and Montelambert's double-tiered casemates along the west wall overlooking the East Passage into Newport Harbor (by the way it was the site of a major navy base until roughly the 1970s and it has one of the best natural harbors in the world). 

This was taken after walking in the front door (seen in the picture prior to the above one) and taking a quick right.  These are the casemates for smaller howitzers mounted on (it appeared) carriages placed right up on the window (based off a picture of one I saw somewhere and on what I thought was a hole in the masonry at the gunport where the carriage could be fixed in. 



That last view looks out into the inner ditch.  Across the way is an inside gallery with rifle ports and an earth and stone rampart fronted by another ditch. 
There are more pictures I just didn't think they were quite good enough, I'm not exactly the best photographer, plus it was raining. 

[TexanCowboy]

 :o :o :o

Keep up the good work!  ;)

[Darman]

I'm hoping to twist some arms and get back into the South Redoubt again before summer.  But there are also several Endicott Period batteries (disappearing rifles and 12-inch seacoast mortars) scattered to the south as well.  I may/may not get a chance to see them, it might be on Navy property. 

I also discovered that they estimate construction of the original fort used almost one million tons of brick, stone, iron, and concrete. 

[miketr]

But there are also several Endicott Period batteries (disappearing rifles and 12-inch seacoast mortars) scattered to the south as well.  I may/may not get a chance to see them, it might be on Navy property. 

Talk to the base public affairs officer, that would be your best bet.  I was able to talk to the PA-Officer for Pearl Harbor and swung a tour of Ford Island.  It would be best to have your request open ended to go around their schedule.

Best of Luck!

Michael

[Darman]

Thanks mike!  I'll try that.  I know there is a coast defense group of some sort, they tour the batteries and forts in the Northeast this time of year (thats why I got into the part of the fort no-one's seen in ages).  They got into Ft Green (National Guard) to see the old 16in emplacements. 

[Kaiser Kirk]

Nice Pics, thanks.

Closest Coastal fortifications to me are down near San Francisco. There is a civil-war era fort under the southern portion of the span, one-time  Nike missle base on Angel island, and then old concrete gun sites on the Marin headlands. .... hmm well after looking through my pics, I don't have any of the 16" gun casement- basically concrete and a big hole, nor of the ones I was around up in Washington last summer.   I have some of the Battleship Alabama and a small island near her where there was likely a battery in the Civil war.

Pictures would be great....

To many people are building more ships and no defenses to keep them out of your valuable military ports.

There are a few nasty Defensive fortress systems in the game but some pictures of real forts might help spur a building spree.   

Or you could be like France and Build a maginot line along the Spanish/French Border.

Charles

Well Bavaria has started building more since the new Fort rules, and I have plans for even more.  Seems to be my pattern. My Wesworld Dutch have coastal batteries on dozens of harbors, and major works at important spots. Toss in several hundred MTBs & torpedo bombers, and they can limit Navigation in the DEI without committing the fleet :)

[Sachmle]

Well Bavaria has started building more since the new Fort rules, and I have plans for even more.  Seems to be my pattern. My Wesworld Dutch have coastal batteries on dozens of harbors, and major works at important spots. Toss in several hundred MTBs & torpedo bombers, and they can limit Navigation in the DEI without committing the fleet :)

Shhhhhhhh!!!! Stop leaving bread crumbs for either Damocles (if he comes back) or whoever takes the Dutch. Geez.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Well Bavaria has started building more since the new Fort rules, and I have plans for even more.  Seems to be my pattern. My Wesworld Dutch have coastal batteries on dozens of harbors, and major works at important spots. Toss in several hundred MTBs & torpedo bombers, and they can limit Navigation in the DEI without committing the fleet :)

Shhhhhhhh!!!! Stop leaving bread crumbs for either Damocles (if he comes back) or whoever takes the Dutch. Geez.

Breadcrumbs? Whatsoever do you mean?  I was referring to this : http://www.jk-clan.de/wbblite/thread.php?threadid=6226&sid=f6bf2295e392b8f328aad2e77e3741bc, which appears to be a bit out of date. Hadn't realized I had let that get 3 years behind....*sigh*.  ed: now just 6mo behind... just a quick count - 506 guns for "anti-ship" 152mm + in the DEI. Several hundred more 125mm & 40mm AAGs.

But I've only built a bit over 500 small craft in the past ...7 years there. Getting to the part where I'll be replacing the early builds. Part of a Hi-Lo mix to defending the place.  Rely on the "low" to both provide the reconn and  block and attrit the supply lines, forcing the attackers to slow and focus their efforts, while allowing the Dutch main fleet to exploit interior lines to make counter attacks with local superiority.

[Sachmle]

There is this gem I found on another board a while ago as to US coastal forts.

[Kaiser Kirk]

I should note that part of the reason my Wesworld Dutch went for Coastal Forts and the Hi-Lo mix was the Wesworld equivalent of the Washington Treaty meant I was severely constrained on warship builds initially. As a result I couldn't update my fleet, nor expand it to meet needs.  So unregulated coastal forts & MTBs became part of my long term plan.  As I noted in my edited post above, I've built hundreds of the things :)

[ctwaterman]

They only saw limited use in the Rift War because they had to be moved up the coast from the Southern Mouth of the Rift by Italia had over 100 40 Ton MAS Boats and 25 250 Ton Torpedo Leaders/Multi-Purpose Craft with 21" 2 Ton Torps and decent speed.

Unfortunately by the time I was able to move a Support ships and move them all up the coast by staging them through ports the New Swiss staged there break out.   There were a few night time actions using them late in the war to raid the New Zion harbors and intercept mine laying ships at night in the rift.

So yes the Hi / Lo mix works especially if you have forts protecting your harbors so the enemy doesnt dare attack them.

Charles