World War II Database

Country of Origin	United States
Type	Coastal Defense Gun
Caliber	406.000 mm
Barrel Length	20.000 m
Weight	492156.000 kg
Ammunition Weight	1020.00 kg
Range	38.040 km
Muzzle Velocity	838 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe first of the 16-inch M1919 coastal defense guns was built in 1895 (completed in 1902) by the Watervliet Arsenal, New York, United States and was eventually mounted at Fort Grant, Panama Canal Zone, remaining their until 1943. The standard United States Army designation of 50-caliber M1919 was not assigned until the second example was built, which was deployed to Fort Michie at Great Gull Island, New York. Six more 16-inch M1919 guns were built in the following couple of years and deployed to defend major seaports. In 1922, the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty resulted in the stoppage of the Lexington-class battlecruisers, which meant a surplus of 16-inch Mark II and Mark III barrels. 20 surplus barrels were transferred from the US Navy to the US Army, which used them to build a new batch of M1919 guns. In 1938, it was estimated that each 16-inch M1919 coastal defense gun cost US$520,000. On 27 Jul 1940, as pressure for war built up for the United States, the US Army Harbor Defense Board recommended building a further 27 guns of this type (though some of them were canceled before completion); two of the guns from this batch were placed on the shores of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, United States (at Battery Gray, Fort Church, Little Compton and Battery Hamilton, Fort Greene, Point Judith). After the war, they were inactivated by 1946, and by 1950 all but one were scrapped. The lone remaining example is now on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, United States.

Source: Wikipedia.

ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Jan 2009

16 in M1919 Coastal Defense Gun Interactive Map

Photographs

Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends:  Facebook  Reddit  Twitter Stay updated with WW2DB:  RSS Feeds

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
	Your email will not be published
Comment Type	General comment/question Additional information about this page Looking for more information on this topic Looking for information about my relative
Your Comments
	Submit

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.