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Battery Ashburn (San Diego, California)

USA / California / Coronado / San Diego, California
 Second World War 1939-1945, coast, artillery battery

In November 1941, the Chief of Engineers received funds for the construction of a 16-inch gun battery at Fort Rosecrans. These two guns, the largest type in the harbor defenses of the United States, were the only ones in San Diego's defenses to be casemated. Known first as Battery Construction No. 126, it was named in honor of Maj. Gen. Thomas Quinn Ashburn, who graduated from West Point in 1897 and began his army career in the Artillery. He won a Silver Star in the Philippines and a Purple Heart in France. General Ashburn died in 1941.

The Macco Construction Company began work on the battery in June 1942 and completed it in March 1944 at a cost of $1,324,000. The guns were proof-fired in July, but the gun shields did not arrive until early 1945. The data concerning the guns and the barbette carriages were as follows:

Guns Caliber Length Model Ser. No. Manufacturer Mounted
1 16-inch 816 in. I 71 Bethlehem Steel March 1944
2 16-inch 816 in. Mark II
Model I 97 Watervliet
Arsenal March 1944

Carriage Type Model Ser. No. Manufacturer
1 barbette M-4 31 Wellman Engineering Company
2 barbette M-4 39 Watertown Arsenal

Battery Ashburn served through the rest of the war but was declared surplus in May 1948, with the advent of atomic bombs and missiles. Ashburn's plotting and switchboard room (PSR) was built as a large underground concrete structure to the north and east across the road from the battery.

www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/cabr/hrs7.htm
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   32°40'41"N   117°14'40"W
This article was last modified 17 years ago