Battery Ketcham (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
USA /
Virginia /
Virginia Beach /
Virginia Beach, Virginia
World
/ USA
/ Virginia
/ Virginia Beach
World / United States / North Carolina
Second World War 1939-1945, military, artillery battery
Two 16inch guns.
The 16-inch guns of Battery Ketcham and the adjacent Battery Pennington began as long-range barbette guns after World War I. They were casemated in the early years of World War II.
These four guns and two similar guns across the Bay mouth at Fort John Custis would have made any enemy surface attempt to enter the Chesapeake Bay a suicide mission.
However, there is evidence that at least one U-boat managed to penetrate the defenses all the way to the Elizabeth River in 1942. Luckily for the U.S. Navy, they were on a intel gathering mission, or one of the capital ships of the Atlantic Fleet could have suffered the same fate as the HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow.
The 16-inch guns of Battery Ketcham and the adjacent Battery Pennington began as long-range barbette guns after World War I. They were casemated in the early years of World War II.
These four guns and two similar guns across the Bay mouth at Fort John Custis would have made any enemy surface attempt to enter the Chesapeake Bay a suicide mission.
However, there is evidence that at least one U-boat managed to penetrate the defenses all the way to the Elizabeth River in 1942. Luckily for the U.S. Navy, they were on a intel gathering mission, or one of the capital ships of the Atlantic Fleet could have suffered the same fate as the HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 36°55'16"N 76°0'27"W
- Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story 3.6 km
- Naval Air Station Oceana (NTU/KNTU) 10 km
- Naval Air Station Oceana - Dam Neck Annex 13 km
- Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek 16 km
- Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress (NFE/KNFE) 27 km
- Norfolk, Virginia 29 km
- Naval Station Norfolk (NGU/KNGU) 29 km
- Langley Air Force Base (LFI/KLFI) 39 km
- Battle of Hampton Roads 39 km
- Fort Eustis 62 km
- First Landing State Park 2.3 km
- Broad Bay 3.9 km
- The North End 4.1 km
- Hilltop 6.8 km
- Lynnhaven Bay 8.1 km
- Lynnwood 10 km
- Little Creek 12 km
- Pembroke 13 km
- Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater 39 km
- Northampton County, Virginia 42 km