Artillery and Armour in the USA: New Hampshire: Hampton, Hampton Falls, Hopkinton, Hudson, Keene, Laconia, Lancaster, Lincoln, Londonderry, Madbury, Manchester, Nashua, New Boston, New Castle, Fort Constitution, Fort Stark, Newington, Newmarket, Pembroke

Hampton

(Allan Tanner Photos)

4-inch Slide Mk. VII Model 4 Naval Deck Gun, Serial No. 158, weight 1,339 lbs, 1907, US Naval Gun Factory, NY, standing in front of American Legion Post 35.

Hampton Falls

(Weaponsman Photo)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), C, A & Co, (Cyrus Alger), Serial No. 105, No. 1 of 4, mounted on an iron display stand.  On U.S. Route 1.

(Weaponsman Photo)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), C, A & Co, Serial No. 156, No. 2 of 4, mounted on an iron display stand.  On U.S. Route 1.

(Weaponsman Photos)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), C, A & Co, Serial No. 157, No. 3 of 4, mounted on an iron display stand.  On U.S. Route 1.

(Weaponsman Photo)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), C, A & Co, Serial No. not visible, No. 4 of 4, mounted on an iron stand.  On U.S. Route 1.

(Weaponsman Photo)

Cyrus Alger & Co.  Cyrus Alger furnished the government with shot and shell during the War of 1812.  In 1817 he started South Boston Iron company which at an early date was known locally as Alger’s Foundry and later became Cyrus Alger & Co.  The Massachusetts firm was a leading cannon manufacturer and when Cyrus died in 1856, leadership was assumed by his son, Francis, who piloted the company until his death in 1864.  During the war, both Army and Navy were supplied with large numbers of weapons.  The initials “S.B.F.” (South Boston Foundry) occasionally may be found on these guns, but the signature is traditionally “C.A. & Co., Boston, Mass.” or, rarely, “C. Alger & Co., Boston, Mass.”

Hopkinton

(Hal Jespersen Photos)

Cast-iron 10-pounder muzzleloading Parrott Rifle, unmounted, lying on concrete posts.  This gun is displayed at the William H. Long Memorial Building, designed by the Boston firm of Means & Gilbert, and given to the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society in 1890, still serving as its headquarters and museum in Hopkinton.  Similar to one shown in these photos.

Hudson

(Heather Wilson Rojo and Vincent Rojo, Nutfield Genealogy www.nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com)

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, shown here mounted on a concrete cradle.  It is now mounted on a wooden replica naval carriage of the pre-Civil War years.  This 32-pounder stands in the Hudson Town Common, adjacent to Derry Road (state Route 102).  

(Google streetside image Photo)

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, mounted on a wooden replica naval carriage of the pre-Civil War years.  It stands near an old cemetery at the junction of Center Street (state Route 111) and Kimball Hill Road.

Early 32-pounders are characterized by the early breeching jaws, which essentially replaced the old cascabel.  The last type of 32-pounder made, late in the Civil War and weighing 4,500 pounds, was not the long 32.  The long 32 guns, both 57-cwt and 62-cwt, were made well before the Civil War and saw use during the Mexican-American War.  They share the characteristics of late 18th century to mid-19th century cannon, e.g. strengthening rings, some muzzle ornamentation, etc.  Their carriages generally lack elevating mechanisms, but rather elevation depended upon the quoin, and they bear the old-fashioned breeching jaws.  Long 32s can be found in Amherst (two), a separated pair in Hudson, and three arrayed around the war memorial in Nashua.  The long 32 guns were too heavy to mount on the iron display stands and therefore were mounted on a wooden or concrete cradle, generally fashioned to look like a naval deck carriage.  (Nelson Lawry)

(Remember Hudson When Photo)

(Remember Hudson When Photo)

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, mounted on a wood naval gun carriage, Hudson Town Common on Library Street.

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, mounted on a concrete stand in front of the  Veterans of Foreign Wars Monument, Hudson Centre Common at the corner of Route 111 and Kimball Hill Road

These two  guns were brought from the New Hampshire Armory on Canal Street in Nashua to Hudson in May 1929 through the efforts of Harry Emerson.  They were cast in 1848 in a foundry near Boston and their serial numbers are within 2 digits of each other.

Keene

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Dahlgren Shell Gun, 4,500 lbs, mounted on an ornamental carriage in a small park in Central Square, No. 1 of 2.

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Dahlgren Shell Gun, 4,500 lbs, mounted on an ornamental carriage in a small park in Central Square, No. 2 of 2.

Laconia

(Santee1821 Photo)

Two US Navy 5.3-Inch Parrott Rifles which were converted to breechloaders after the war are displayed in Laconia, New Hampshire. Registry Number 41 was first manufactured in 1864 at West Point Foundry.  It is marked as weighing 5,424 pounds.  Registry Number 42 was first manufactured in 1865 at West Point Foundry.  It weighs 5,410 pounds.  The US Navy anchor may be seen on the barrel near the trunnions.  Both of the Laconia pieces retain their breech blocks.  They are both mounted on original iron carriages.

(Allen Tanner Photos)

5.3-Inch Parrott Rifle (30-pounder), R.P.P. No. 41, 5425 lbs (TBC), mounted on an iron carriage, No. 1 of 2 near the railway station.

(Allen Tanner Photos)

(Santee1821 Photo)

5.3-Inch Parrott Rifle (30-pounder), R.P.P. No. 42, 5410 lbs, mounted on an iron carriage, No. 2 of 2 near the railway station.

Lancaster

(seacoast artillery Photos)

Bronze 6-pounder Model 1841 smoothbore muzzleloading field gun mounted on a wood carriage, 1837 on the right trunnion, Church of Lancaster.

Lincoln

(Nelson Lawry Photos)

(Allen Tanner Photos)

3-inch Rifle, 500 lbs, breech-loading Naval boat howitzer, mounted on an iron gun carriage at Clark's Trading Post.  This 3-inch Rifle replaced the Dahlgren Boat Howitzers which could not provide the fire power of these powerful breech-loading bag guns.  It was likely built at the Washington Navy Yard, possibly a year or two or three before the establishment there of the Naval Gun Factory.  It has a bronze breech and appears to be very well taken care of.

The late 1870s/1880s 3-inch BL howitzers (landing guns) occupy a special place in the history of US naval ordnance.  In the post-Civil War years, it was clear the US needed a New Navy, which it would get in the late 1880s, and it was also clear that the new ordnance had to be rifled, breechloading, and made of steel.  The start was logically to be made with small guns and then move to large shipboard guns.  In order to accomplish that end, the navy had to nurture an American steel-making industry, then barely beyond its infancy.  Therefore, these 3-inch BL howitzers had perforce to assume a heavy burden.  As the navy worked up to that goal, it decided upon two different weights, a light (350 pound; 45-inch barrel) and a heavy (500 pound; 55 3/4-inch barrel) howitzer, likely from the example of the previous war generation of Dahlgren bronze MLSB landing howitzers.

Uncertain if steel of sufficient quality and quantity could be obtained for the new BLR howitzers, the navy decided to build some out of bronze and test the general design, particularly the breech mechanisms (it was recognized that rifling in bronze wore all too quickly, but the navy had an ample supply of the metal so went ahead with these guinea pigs).  After thirteen bronze lights and three bronze heavies had been built, the chief of ordnance pulled the plug and ordered that only steel howitzers would be built thereafter.  In that absolute decision, he even pronounced as unnecessary any competitive trials between guns composed of each different metal.  Totals of 40 steel lights (all landing guns) and 33 steel heavies (seeing use variously with the Treasury Dept’s revenue cutters, the navy, and the army militia) were built.  The only unfortunate aspect was the navy’s loss of nerve, or, guarding its pursestrings, negated the original intention to fire fixed rounds like Hotchkiss guns did, and for their entire service life the howitzers used bagged propellant.  Future problems with venting could have been obviated with the intended fixed rounds (many guns had their original axial priming replaced by the centuries-old radial priming).  (Nelson Lawry)

The essential identifying numerics appear in three places on these BL landing howitzers: on the top of the barrel between the trunnions, on the face of the right trunnion, and high on the right carriage cheek behind the trunnion. The data array atop the barrel is shown for a close sister (No. 19) of the heavy BL howitzer at Clark’s Trading Post.  The “500 LBS” is a general type identifier based on the weight in bronze (its steel counterpart is always lighter).  [The auction house impress (James Julia) is also seen in this image.]  The data array atop the barrel of the light howitzer accordingly displays “350 LBS”.  Upon examination of the top of the Clark barrel, nothing could be seen through the paint until a flashlight was shone upon the area and the data, including serial No. 17, were barely discerned, but no photos were possible.  The worn and pitted face of the right trunnion is marked 461 LBS, the gun’s actual weight in steel, and its year of manufacture 1883.  After determining this empirical data, Nelson Lowry consulted the naval gun registers at the National Archives, and confirmed both that precise gun weight and year of manufacture for gun No. 17.  High on the right cheek are the carriage serial, No. 16, and its weight, 540 LBS.  Gun Nos. 17 and 19 are close sisters and both saw use with the army militia.  All of these howitzers fired elongated shrapnel and shell appropriate to rifled guns, so the pile of spherical cannon balls near the Clark gun is an unfortunate deception for the eyes of otherwise uncaring tourists.  (Nelson Lawry)

Londonderry

Cast-iron smoothbore muzzle-loading cannon on the Town Common.

Madbury

(Allen Tanner Photos)

3-inch Model 1861 Ordnance Rifle, converted to a breechloading 3.2-inch rifle, mounted on a stationary (cage or crinoline) mount, TTSL Serial No. 76, P.I. Co., 1861, 811 lbs on the muzzle, standing near Madbury Road.

Manchester, Weston Observatory

(silverquill Photo)

The Weston Observatory was built in 1887 as an observation tower for the citizens of Manchester, New Hampshire. The 66-foot-tall tower is built of granite and brick-arched window wells are a solid four feet deep.  Constructed in 1896-97, the building is named for former Manchester mayor, James A. Weston, who left the city $5,000 to build an observatory for "the advancement of science, for educational purposes, and for the use, enjoyment, benefit, and mental improvement of the inhabitants of the city of Manchester." The man who grew up on a local farm became the first native to serve as both mayor (four times) and governor (two terms). When you turn on your tap, you can thank him for constructing the city water works. His home was on the grounds of what is now Wagner Park, fitting for the mayor who also created an extensive parks and cemetery beautification program.

(silverquill Photos)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), Cyrus Alger & Company, (Serial No. 223), weight 4,522 lbs, mounted on an ornamental iron carriage, No. 1 of 2.

(silverquill Photos)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), Cyrus Alger & Company, (Serial No. 225), weight 4,523 lbs, mounted on an ornamental iron carriage, No. 2 of 2.  Both guns are mounted about 50' in front of the observatory beyond the edge of the circular stoned paved area, with the iron bases resting directly on the bare ground, facing southwest overlooking the city of Manchester.

Manchester, Stark Park

(Nelson Lawry Photo)

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), mounted on an iron display stand, No. 1 of 4 in Stark Park on River Road.

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), mounted on an iron display stand, No. 2 of 4 in Stark Park on River Road.

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), mounted on an iron display stand, No. 3 of 4 in Stark Park on River Road.

32-pounder M1864 (6.2-inch) Bureau of Ordnance Gun, 4,500 lbs, (Shell Gun), mounted on an iron display stand, No. 4 of 4 in  Stark Park on River Road.

Manchester

(Allen Tanner Photos)

Japanese 70-mm Type 92 Battalion Gun, located in front of the American Legion on Brook Street.

The Type 92 Battalion Gun was a light howitzer used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War.  The Type 92 number was designated for the year the gun was accepted, 2592 in the Japanese imperial year calendar, or 1932 in the Gregorian calendar.  Each infantry battalion included two Type 92 guns; therefore, the Type 92 was referred to as Battalion Artillery.

Nashua

(silverquill Photos)

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, 6,383 lbs, No. 1 of 3, mounted on a wooden stand.

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, 6,383 lbs, No. 2 of 3, mounted on a wooden stand.

32-pounder 57-cwt gun, a.k.a. the long 32, with a Millar pattern breeching ring, 6,383 lbs, No. 3 of 3, mounted on a wooden stand.  Built in the 1840s and 1850s, all three guns are displayed at the base of a large monument to the soldiers and sailors of the Civil War, located in the center of Nashua.

(Alexius Horatius Photos)

(TGIS93 Photo)

German First World War 10.5-cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 (10.5-cm leFH 16), (Serial Nr. TBC), 1918, light field howitzer, Greeley Park.

The 10.5-cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 was introduced in 1916 as a successor to 10.5-cm Feldhaubitze 98/09, and featured a longer barrel which gave it a longer range.  It had the same carriage as the 7.7-cm FK 16.  The leFH 16 remained the standard German howitzer until 1937.

New Boston

(New Boston Historical Society Photos)

Bronze 4-pounder Field Gun, cast in 1743.  This gun was captured on 15 August 1777 at the Battle of Bennington by General John Stark's troops.  General Stark presented "Old Molly" to the New Boston Artillery Company of the 9th Regiment of New Hampshire Militia, for its part in the battle.  The artillery company was reorganized in 1938 and maintains a permanent home for "Molly Stark" in New Boston.  

This gun was cast in Paris, France in 1743 for a trading company called the Compagnie des Indes.  In the 17th and 18th centuries it was common for private companies to be established in Europe to trade with the East Indies (which include India), China, and the Americas.  An early example is the East India Company which was chartered in London in 1600.  A French competitor, formed in the early 1700s, was the Compagnie des Indes, which means the "Company of the Indies".  The Compagnie traded in Canadian beaver furs, tobacco and other goods.

The gun, which was not yet named the Molly Stark, has the words "Fait A Paris 1743" (Made in Paris 1743) cast into its base.  It also bears the coat of arms of the Compagnie des Indes.  It is believed that the gun was shipped to Quebec to protect the city from its adversaries.  The gun was captured by the British from the French in the Battle of Quebec in 1759.

New Castle, Fort Constitution

(Alexius Horatius Photo)

(Carol White Photo)

Fort Constitution on the Piscataqua River between New Hampshire and Maine

Fort William and Mary was a colonial fortification in Britain's worldwide system of defenses, manned by soldiers of the Province of New Hampshire who reported directly to the Royal Governor.  The fort, known locally as "the Castle", was situated on the island of New Castle, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River estuary.  It was captured by Patriot forces, recaptured, and later abandoned by the British in the Revolutionary War.  The fort was rebuilt under the Second System of US fortifications.  Walls were doubled in height and new brick buildings added.  Work was completed in 1808 and the defense renamed Fort Constitution.  During the War of 1812 the fort was manned and expanded, Walbach Tower, a Martello tower with a single 32-pounder gun, being built in 1814.

During the American Civil War, Fort Constitution was projected to be rebuilt as a three-tiered granite fortress under the Third System of US fortifications. However, advances in weaponry, particularly armored, steam-powered warships with heavy rifled guns, rendered the masonry design obsolete before it was finished.  The fort's construction was abandoned in 1867 with the Second System fort largely intact and two walls from the Third System built around parts of it.

In 1897 construction began on Battery Farnsworth, located under the hill on which Walbach Tower stands, as part of the large-scale Endicott Program of seacoast fortifications.  It was part of the Coast Defenses of Portsmouth, along with Fort Stark and Fort Foster.  The battery was completed in 1899. Named for Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth, the installation included two 8-inch (203-mm) M1888 guns on disappearing carriages.  The battery was accompanied in 1904 by Battery Hackleman, with two 3-inch (76-mm) M1903 guns on pedestal mounts.  A mine casemate for an underwater minefield in the harbor was built; Battery Hackleman was built primarily to defend this minefield against minesweepers.

(Fort Stark Visitors Centre Photos)

Sea Mines at Fort Constitution during the Second World War.

(Library of Congress Photo)  

8-inch (203-mm) railway gun.  

After the American entry into the First World War in early 1917, many guns were removed from coast defenses for potential service on the Western Front.  Both 8-inch guns of Battery Farnsworth were removed for use as railway artillery in October 1917 and were not returned to the fort.  In 1920 a mine casemate was built next to Battery Farnsworth to replace a similar facility at Fort Stark.

In the Second World War Battery Hackleman's 3-inch guns were sent to a new battery of the same name at Fort H.G. Wright on Fisher's Island, New York. They were replaced by two 3-inch (76-mm) M1902 seacoast guns on pedestal mounts from Battery Hays at nearby Fort Stark.  In 1940-1944 the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth were garrisoned by the 22nd Coast Artillery Regiment.  Also, a mine observation station was built atop Battery Farnsworth.  Battery Hackleman was disarmed by 1948 and the fort was turned over to the Coast Guard. Battery Hackleman was demolished, but Battery Farnsworth can still be seen.  Since 1771 the fort has been home to a lighthouse.  (Wikipedia)

New Castle, Little Harbor, Fort Stark

(New Hampshire Visitor Center Photos)

Fort Stark, ca 1942-1945.

(Magicpiano Photos)

Fort Stark, present day.  

Fort Stark is located at Jerry's Point (also called Jaffrey's Point) on the southeastern tip of New Castle Island, most of the surviving fort was developed in the early 20th century, following the Spanish–American War, although there were several earlier fortifications on the site, portions of which survive.  The fort was named for John Stark, a New Hampshire officer who distinguished himself at the Battle of Bennington in the American Revolution.  The purpose of Fort Stark was to defend the harbor of nearby Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Navy Shipyard.  The fort remained in active use through the Second World War, after which it was used for reserve training by the US Navy.  The property was partially turned over to the state of New Hampshire in 1979, which established Fort Stark Historic Site, and the remainder of the property was turned over in 1983.  The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours.  (Wikipedia)

More information about Fort Stark and historic locations in New Hampshire can be found at these web sites.  (Information courtesy of Carol White with the Fort Stark Visitor Center):

http://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/Historic-Sites/fort-stark-state-historic-site.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/Fort-Stark-Brigade-Friends-131264770288937/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/New_Hampshire/Fort_Stark/index.html

The site of the present Fort Stark was first fortified in 1746 as Battery Cumberland, with nine 32-pounder guns.  It was rebuilt in 1775 for the American Revolution, but the guns (two 32-pounders and six 24-pounders) were soon removed to arm other forts in the area.  Several of the guns captured at nearby Fort William and Mary were used to rearm this fort in September 1775. The fort was garrisoned until 1778 and is one of several forts in the area that may have been named Fort Hancock during the Revolution.  In 1794 a new battery for nine guns was built on the site as part of the First System of US fortifications; the remains of a circular stone redoubt excavated in 1982, probably this one, can be seen in front of Battery Hunter.

During the War of 1812 a company of 120 militiamen under Captain William Marshall garrisoned the redoubt. The guns at this time were a mix of 6-pounder and 9-pounder weapons. The redoubt was abandoned soon after the war ended in 1815.

Plans were drawn up in 1861 for a large stone fort on the site, part of the Third System of fortifications, but the fort was never built. In 1873 the United States acquired the property as part of a modernization of seacoast defenses. The stone forts of the Civil War and earlier had been shown to be vulnerable to rifled cannon in that war, and new defenses centered on earthworks were planned. After modifying the plan for reduced cost in 1874, earthworks for eight 15-inch Rodman Guns, (Columbiad, 15-inch, smoothbore, seacoast, Model 1861), were planned as the "Battery at Jerry's Point", with an additional three "heavy guns" in the old redoubt.  However, funding was cut off in 1876 with the new battery about two-thirds complete. Minor construction occurred in 1879 and 1885-1886, but it appears the battery was never armed. A small portion of it can still be seen. In 1887 the Jerry's Point Lifesaving Station was built on the west side of the site, which remained in service until 1908 when the Portsmouth Harbor Lifesaving Station was built on Wood Island near Fort Foster.

In 1885 the Endicott Board recommended a large-scale fortification plan that eventually included Fort Stark. However, construction on the new fort did not begin until 1901.  In 1898, shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, emergency batteries were constructed to quickly arm key points, as most of the Endicott batteries were still years from completion and it was feared the Spanish fleet would bombard the US East Coast. At Jerry's Point this consisted of two 8-inch (203-mm) M1888 guns mounted on converted carriages built for Rodman guns in the 1870s emplacements. These guns were removed in 1900 to arm new Endicott batteries elsewhere and to make room for the new batteries at Fort Stark.

(New Hampshire Visitor Center Photos)

12-inch M1895 gun mounted on a disappearing carriage at Fort Stark.  The photos of the Model 1895 12-inch disappearing gun at Fort Stark were taken in 1941, after the national guard coast artillery regiments had been federalized and called up, and the regular formations largely on paper fleshed out, in order to man U.S. harbor defenses.

Construction began on the newly named Fort Stark in 1901 and was completed in 1905.  Four batteries were originally built: Battery Hunter with two 12-inch (305-mm) M1895 guns on disappearing carriages, Battery Kirk with two 6-inch (152-mm) M1903 guns on disappearing carriages, and Battery Hays and Battery Lytle, each with two 3-inch (76-mm) M1902 seacoast guns on pedestal mounts.

A gun battery consisted of one or more gun emplacements, and was under the command of the battery commander.  The battery commander was assisted by a battery executive and an assistant battery executive.  These positions are filled by officers.

Each gun in an emplacement was manned by a gun section consisting of a gun squad of 15 (war strength) or 12 (peace strength) enlisted men including one non-commissioned officer (NCO), the chief of section, and an ammunition squad of 9 (war strength) or 6 (peace strength) enlisted men/other ranks (OR) including one non-commissioned officer, the chief of ammunition.

(New Hampshire Visitor Center Photos)

3-inch/50 cal M1902 gun, c1945, Fort Stark.  The M1902 was functionally similar to the M1898, but was manufactured by Bethlehem Steel and was mounted on a non-retractable pedestal carriage.  60 of these weapons were built and emplaced 1903–1910.  (Smith, Bolling W. (Fall 2019). "The Driggs-Seabury 15-pounder (3-inch) Masking-Parapet Carriage".  Coast Defense Journal. Vol. 33, No. 4. Mclean, Virginia: CDSG Press)

Model 1903 3-inch/55cal seacoast  gun.

The Model 1903 3-inch/55cal guns (pair) were mounted only in Battery Hackleman, Fort Constitution, until removed and transferred early in the Second World War to Fort H. G. Wright, defending Long Island Sound.  Four 3-inch RF batteries were constructed there during the Endicott era, with Battery Hackleman being the only exception having Model 1903 guns.  The remaining batteries at Forts Stark and Constitution were armed with the Model 1902, after the pair of Model 1903s were removed.

The 3-inch gun M1903 and its predecessors the M1898 and M1902 were rapid fire breech-loading artillery guns with a 360-degree traverse.  The M1903 was a slight improvement on the M1902 with the bore lengthened from 50 calibers to 55 calibers for increased range.  The weapon was manufactured by Watervliet Arsenal and was on a non-retractable pedestal carriage. 101 of these weapons were emplaced 1904–1917.In some references they are called "15-pounders" due to their projectile weight.  They were originally emplaced from 1899 to 1917 and served until shortly after the Second World War.  These 3-inch guns were placed to provide fire to protect underwater mines and nets against minesweepers, and also to protect against motor torpedo boats (MTB).  In some documentation they are called "mine defense guns".  The 3-inch guns were mounted on pedestal mounts (or a retractable "masking parapet" mount for the M1898) that bolted into a concrete emplacement that provided cover and safety for the gun's crew.  (Smith, Bolling W. (Fall 2019). "The Driggs-Seabury 15-pounder (3-inch) Masking-Parapet Carriage". Coast Defense Journal. Vol. 33, No. 4. Mclean, Virginia: CDSG Press)

(New Hampshire Visitor Center Photo)

155-mm Model 1917 Field Gun employed in Coastal Defense, Fort Stark.

Battery Hunter was named for Major General David Hunter of the Civil War, Battery Kirk was named for Brigadier General Edward N. Kirk, Battery Hays was named for Major General Alexander Hays, and Battery Lytle was named for Brigadier General William Haines Lytle.  Each of the last three were killed in action in the Civil War.  Facilities for controlling an underwater minefield in the harbor were added in 1907-1909; Batteries Hays and Lytle were built primarily to defend this minefield against minesweepers.  As with other US seacoast forts, Fort Stark was garrisoned by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps.  The fort was part of the Coast Defenses of Portsmouth (Harbor Defenses after 1925), along with Fort Foster and Fort Constitution.

After the American entry into the First World War the two 6-inch (152-mm) guns of Battery Kirk were dismounted for use on the Western Front on field carriages.  These guns were sent to France and returned to the United States after the war, but were not returned to Fort Stark.  A history of the Coast Artillery in the First World War states that none of the regiments in France equipped with 6-inch guns completed training in time to see action before the Armistice.

In 1940-1944 the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth were garrisoned by the 22nd Coast Artillery Regiment.  In 1942 a new combined Army-Navy Harbor Entrance Control Post (HECP) and Harbor Defense Command Post (HDCP) was built atop the inactive Battery Kirk and disguised as a seaside mansion of the period; the design of this facility was unique to Fort Stark.  It included an SCR-682 radar.

(Carol White Photo)

16-inch shell on display inside Fort Stark.

Although most of the heavy guns in the Portsmouth area were superseded by the new 16-inch (406-mm) gun battery at Fort Dearborn, Battery Hunter's 12-inch guns remained in service until February 1945, several months after the guns at Fort Dearborn entered service. The original Batteries Hays and Lytle were deactivated in 1942. Battery Hays' two 3-inch guns were sent to Battery Hackleman at Fort Constitution, while a new Battery Lytle was built just south of Battery Hunter, consisting of two concrete pads atop the 1870s earthworks. A 90-mm M1A2 anti-aircraft gun battery, called Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 953 (AMTB 953), was proposed for Fort Stark but not built.

With all the guns scrapped, the fort was deactivated in 1948 and turned over to the Navy in 1950. The Navy used the fort for harbor defense purposes until 1953, when it became a reserve training center for a Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit until 1980. In 1963 two Navy 3-inch (76-mm) guns were placed on the "new" Battery Lytle's gun blocks as a memorial to USS Thresher (SSN-593), lost while operating from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Years later, one gun was returned to the shipyard, while the other gun was left derelict after a 1978 storm dislodged its mounting block. The fort is now a state park, with a small museum in the Visitors' Center that includes the remaining 3-inch gun. (Wikipedia)

3-inch Mk. 2 Fisher Naval Deck Gun, 1942, inside the Fort Stark Museum.  (Carol White Photos)

Newington

(Author Photo)

3-inch Model 1905 Field Gun and limber, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery School, 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.

3-inch Model 1905 Field Gun, mounted on a Model 1902 carriage Serial No. 382, Rock Island Arsenal 1911, No. 1 of 2.

3-inch Model 1905 Field Gun, N2 3182, mounted on a Model 1902 carriage Serial No. TBC, Rock Island Arsenal 1911, No. 2 of 2.  These two guns are located in the historical district next to the oldest town forest in the USA.

Newmarket

(Allen Tanner Photos)

57-mm M1 anti-tank gun, No. 1 of 2 in Newmarket, this one is on Bay Road.

(Allen Tanner Photos)

57-mm M1 anti-tank gun, No. 2 of 2 in Newmarket, this one is on Packers Fall Road.

Pembroke

Bronze 12-Pounder Model 1841 SBML Field Howitzer, mounted on a concrete stand, one of two guns in a war memorial park.

(Allen Tanner Photos)

Bronze 12-pounder Dahlgren rifled muzzleloading boat howitzer, mounted on a concrete stand, second of two guns in the war memorial park.  This Dahlgren 12-pounder landing howitzer is an uncommon small type, compared with the greater number of light and heavy types.

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