Mortar Battery

Four mortars occupied a single pit, and with twelve other mortars in nearby pits they were designed to fire simultaneously, lobbing 12-inch, 800-pound shells in high arcs to penetrate ships’ lightly armored decks. Built in the early 1890’s, this was the first battery of its kind in the United States. Although masonry forts looked intimidating and bristled with cannon, they were no match for the new battleships with their increased mobility and firepower. Gun batteries offered a solution through separate reinforced-concrete emplacements protected by tons of earth and sand, camouflaged by dunes and bushes to create smaller, concealed targets and provide space for a variety of weapons, while also serving as a less costly coastal defense system than old-style forts.

New Jersey · United States