CABRILLO
The Guns of San Diego
Historic Resource Study
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CHAPTER 7:
WORLD WAR II AND AFTER, 1941-1948 (continued)


D. Batteries Grant and Woodward, and Fort Emory

Engineers began work on Battery Construction No. 239 (Grant) in June 1942, the contractor being Herbert Mayson. This 6-inch, two-gun battery was located at Coronado Heights, along with Battery Imperial. A 16-inch gun battery was also scheduled for this area. In view of the concentration of defenses there, the San Diego Chamber of Commerce asked Secretary of War Henry L. Stinson to name it Fort Emory, in honor of Brig. Gen. William H. Emory. Emory had arrived in San Diego in 1846 with the Kearny command to survey the new international boundary. The Chamber of Commerce believed that it was due to Emory's representations that the boundary was placed south of San Diego Bay. The War Department agreed and in December so renamed the Coronado Heights Military Reservation as Fort Emory which became a sub-post of Fort Rosecrans.

Battery Grant itself was completed in April 1943, but the guns did not arrive until December. Meanwhile, the District Engineer gave the Coast Artillery permission to store 6-inch projectiles and powder in its magazines. Construction of the project cost $219,000. The identifications of its guns and carriages were thus:

GunsCaliberModel Ser. No.Manufacturer
16-inch190524Watervliet Arsenal
26-inchM-190520Watervliet Arsenal

CarriagesTypeModel Ser. No.Manufacturer
1barbettebarbette56York Corporation
2barbettebarbette57York Corporation [6]

Battery Woodward, Construction No. 237, was the last of the 6-inch batteries to be commenced, in March 1943, and the Army Engineers did not transfer it to the troops until August 1944. Its cost amounted to $256,000. Located in northwest Fort Rosecrans, its two guns replaced the Marine batteries Gillespie and Zeilin. It was named for Col. Charles G. Woodward who as a captain had commanded Fort Rosecrans from March 1906 to June 1907. The guns and carriages were identified as follows:

GunsCaliberModel Ser. No.Manufacturer
16-inch1903A-240Watervliet Arsenal
26-inch1903A-255Watervliet Arsenal

CarriagesTypeModel Ser. No.Manufacturer
1barbettebarbette103Watertown Arsenal
2barbettebarbette109Watertown Arsenal [7]
plans
Fort Emory, north of Imperial Beach, San Diego County. (click on image for an enlargement in a new window)

plans
Battery Grant, Fort Emory, two 6-inch guns. National Archives, RG 77, OCE, Box 129, File 600.914, Harbor Defenses of San Diego. (click on image for an enlargement in a new window)

plans
Battery Construction No. 134, Fort Emory. Its 16-inch guns were never mounted. The War Department deferred further construction inasmuch as danger of a Japanese invasion disappeared toward the end of World War II. National Archives, RG 77, OCE, Box 129, File 600.914, Harbor Defenses of San Diego. (click on image for an enlargement in a new window)

plans
Plans for Battery Woodward, two 6-inch guns. This World War II battery was built near the north boundary of Fort Rosecrans. National Archives, RG 77, OCE, Box 129, File 600.914, Harbor Defenses of San Diego. (click on image for an enlargement in a new window)

plans
Battery Imperial, Fort Emory, four 155mm guns. These guns were not emplaced on the Panama mounts until after Pearl Harbor. National Archives, RG 77, OCE, Box 129, File 600.914, Harbor Defenses of San Diego. (click on image for an enlargement in a new window)


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Last Updated: 19-Jan-2005