Battery Chamberlin U.S. Department of the Interior Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Practice firing of an original 6-inch gun mounted on a disappearing carriage, around 1910.

Baker Beach, 1905 A voice bellows, "Load!" Like integral bring forward the 100-lb. shell on a ladle, parts of the gun they are loading, followed by another with a long pole thirteen soldiers spring into action. The who rams the shell into the barrel's first yanks open the breechblock (door) breech. The bag of gunpowder is heaved at the rear of the barrel, allowing the in behind, and the breechblock is swung next to shove the seven-foot sponge in shut and locked. Still another soldier and out of the firing chamber. Two men trips a lever, and the gun springs up on massive arms, above the wall behind which it was hidden. The sergeant shouts "Fire!" and tugs on the long lanyard attached to the rear of the gun. There is a deafening boom, a tongue of flame, and a huge cloud of smoke! The shell speeds toward a target mounted on a raft seven miles out to sea. The gun recoils, swinging back and down, behind the wall of the battery the men stand poised to reload. Sweating in their fatigues, they silently thank the sea breeze for cooling them. Only thirty seconds have passed, and they are once again reloading the gun.

Gun drill at Battery Chamberlin around 1942. One soldier loads the gun powder bag as

San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library History Center, another with shell ladle withdraws.

A New Era of Defense New weaponry and ironclad ships forced brick forts and cannonballs into obsolescence during the Civil War. Secretary of War William C. Endicott authorized the construction of a new system of defenses to guard U.S. ports against foreign naval attack. Rifled guns, which fired bullet-shaped projectiles, replaced the old smoothbore cannon. Concrete batteries, armed with rifled The largest of the new guns installed at the guns, were built at all major American Presidio in the 1890s,like this one at Battery ports between the 1880's and the 1910's. Godfrey, had 12-inch bores.

7/06 Join aGundemonstration. Today Battery Chamberlin during thewar. visits BatteryChamberlin Red CrossCookieBrigade World War II mines likethisone. protected underwater Battery Chamberlin’s guns Guns ontheBeach using soy-based ink Printed on recycledpaper rilr Corps was deactivated,the all Artillery Chamberlin obsolete. In 1948,the defenses like battery and made stationary air power aswell asamphibious attack, World War of IIproved the superiority were built, but the attack never came. and additional underground barracks (ammunition storage room). A messhall makeshift bunks inthe battery’s magazine slept incramped moment's notice. They to defend ata soldiers hadto beready camouflage netting. The aircraft by at Chamberlin, which were hidden from "D," mannedthe guns Regiment, Battery attack. The Sixth Coast Artillery on high alertfor anexpected Japanese After Pearl Harbor, the West Coast was EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA played inournation's security. plate the role these menand weapons San Francisco. Here you cancontem- and exhibits on the coastal defenses of magazine isnowamuseum, with photos for imminent attack. The underground asoldier preparing relive the duties of a50-ton rifleand demonstrations of Today, you cantake in part guns around the Golden Gate ranged the two rounds perminute. Most of of 8 miles and each could fire atthe rate sized warships. Its gunshadarange of minesweepers and moderate- enemy located outside the Golden Gate from protected underwater minefields aimingbattery and loading. The hidden behind aconcrete shield during which allowed the gunand crew to be mounted on disappearing carriages, with four 6-inch guns. These gunswere armed completed in1904 and initially built atthe Presidio, was era battery Chamberlin, the last Endicott- Battery Coast

San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library brinkmanship with the Soviet Union. ushering inthe Cold War and nuclear airand missile defense hadarrived, era of during “Operation Blowtorch.” A new batteries disarmed,and the gunsscrapped shell room,1942. Cramped sleepingquartersinChamberlin’s orders totheguncrews. ed thetarget’s positionandrelayedaiming to aplottingroom.Here,officers triangulat- on movingtargetsandtelephonedangles Observers atseveralremotepostssighted Call 415-561-4323 for more information. and3p.m. between 11p.m. each month, It isopen onthefirst fullweekend of lot. north endoftheBaker Beach parking Battery Chamberlin islocated atthe volunteer opportunities. memberabout staff Talk to any maintain and interpret the historic gun. National Park volunteers Service cuaerneo 25 miles! accurate range of the Golden Gate—16" gunswith an made were mounted on either side of but in1929the largest seacoast guns guns were removed from their batteries, the “smaller” of the mid-1920s, many By carriages were again mounted in1920. two 6-inch gunson simple “barbette” was modified and War I,but the battery were removed in1917 for useinWorld Chamberlin's original guns Battery up to 15miles out to sea. diameter and could strike battleships in size from 3inches upto 12inches in www.nps.gov/prsf/