Devil's Point Battery

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Built during World War II, Devil's Battery consisted of three gun emplacements with 9.2" guns, a range-finder building, and barracks. Eventually it was dismantled and is now a Forces Golf Course. It was part of the Halifax Defense Complex.

The new battery was a formidable base of three well protected and well spaced Mark X 9.2" guns on heavy concrete pads that required 11 men each to fire and threw a shell of 380lbs. It was this battery that opened fire on E boats during the Second World War. Situated in the gently sloping terrain that overlooked Hartlen Point the battery gave an excellent unobstructed view of the eastern approaches. Engineers began their work on the battery in 1940 and by April 1941, the gun pedestals, tunnels and underground engine and plotting rooms were completed. Then began the construction of surface buildings needed to house the gunners and infantry personnel assigned to guard the fort. Three Dominion Crossley diesel engines were installed to power the guns and an Observation Post was erected behind the site proper. By 1942, the fort and its three Mark X 9.2" guns were ready for action. At first glance it was not apparent what the battery was. The complex was made to look like a farm with the large gun housings painted to look like farmhouses. Personnel could freely move from gun to gun through the tunnels and only had to be careful when going to or coming from the barracks. The observation post was constructed as a crude church and looked nothing like the faceless standard BOP. To a seaborne observer, a dummy battery with three guns located 800 yards to the east of the fort was much more visible. Devil's continued to evolve and in late 1942 two 40mm Bofors were added to provide for anti aircraft protection. A small hospital was added and a new officer quarter was built. The old quarters was made into a recreation hall. Grass and buckwheat was sown all over the compound to cover the ever present mud. In 1944 a concrete building was erected to house state of the art CDX radar. The battery remained in operation after the war as one of Halifax's main defences operated by the 49th Harbour Defence Battery. In the 1950's, it was decided to close several coastal defence sites across Canada and Devil's was selected for permanent disbandment. In 1954, the large guns were carefully removed and shipped to a NATO ally, Turkey.