Postbellum period and 20th century Fort Moultrie

12-inch mortars in pit; battery capron had 4 pits of type



10-inch disappearing gun @ fort casey, washington state, similar @ fort moultrie.

battery capron, sixteen 12-inch mortars, largest component of new defenses. in 1906 organizationally split 2 batteries, capron , butler, each 8 mortars. batteries jasper , thompson provided longer-range weapons total of 6 10-inch disappearing guns. in april 1898 spanish–american war broke out, fort moultrie s smaller, rapid-fire batteries still years completion. batteries logan , bingham added fort, equipped weapons purchased united kingdom. in 1901 battery mccorkle added defend minefield against minesweepers 3 3-inch guns on retractable masking parapet carriages. in 1905 battery lord added 2 3-inch guns, , in 1906 battery gadsden provided 4 6-inch rapid-fire disappearing guns.

these batteries supplemented in 1899 pair of 12-inch guns @ fort sumter. forts moultrie , sumter constituted coast defenses of charleston, charleston coast artillery district designated in 1913.

battery capron named captain allyn k. capron of 1st volunteer cavalry, famous rough riders , first army officer killed in spanish–american war. battery butler named colonel pierce m. butler of palmetto regiment, killed in battle of churubusco in 1847 mexican–american war. battery jasper named sergeant william jasper of 2nd south carolina regiment, hero of 1776 attack on fort. battery thompson named colonel william thompson of 3rd south carolina regiment, commended defending charleston in june 1776. battery gadsden named brigadier general christopher gadsden, south carolina officer of revolutionary war. battery logan named captain william logan, killed fighting nez perce in 1877. battery bingham named 2nd lieutenant horatio bingham, killed fighting sioux in 1866. battery mccorkle named 1st lieutenant henry mccorkle of 25th infantry regiment, killed in battle of el caney in spanish–american war. battery lord named assistant surgeon george edwin lord, killed @ battle of little big horn, called custer s last stand , in 1876.

in 1904 battery logan s 6-inch armstrong gun removed , transferred fort adams.

after entered world war i, battery gadsden s 4 6-inch guns removed service on field carriages on western front in 1917 , never returned fort. records show guns arrived in france, history of coast artillery in world war states none of regiments in france equipped 6-inch guns completed training in time see action before armistice.

two of battery jasper s 4 10-inch guns removed in 1918 potential use railway guns; never returned fort replaced guns fort washington in 1919.

following world war there several changes @ fort moultrie part of forcewide partial disarmament of coast defense system. battery bingham s 2 4.7-inch armstrong guns , battery mccorkle s 3 3-inch m1898 guns removed in 1919–20 part of general removal service of gun types. 8 of battery capron-butler s mortars removed , remaining 8 replaced m1890 mortars on m1896 carriages in 1920. removal of half mortars forcewide measure increase rate of fire reducing overcrowding of mortar pits during reloading.

with outbreak of world war ii in 1939 , fall of france in 1940, comprehensive upgrade of coastal fortifications implemented. in part of war harbor defenses of charleston garrisoned 13th coast artillery regiment of regular army , 263rd coast artillery regiment of south carolina national guard. marshall military reservation, sub-post of fort moultrie, established in northeast part of sullivan s island accommodate new batteries. batteries built during world war ii @ , near fort moultrie were:

bcn = battery construction number
amtb = anti-motor torpedo boat battery

additionally, battery of 2 16-inch guns designated bcn 125 proposed james island, south of charleston harbor, never built.

the unnamed battery of 4 155 mm m1918 towed guns on concrete panama mounts established in 1941 augment charleston s harbor defenses.

12-inch casemated gun, similar of bcn 520

the construction of long-range bcn 520 12-inch guns rendered previous gun defenses in charleston area obsolete. bcn 520 armed guns removed battery kimble @ fort travis, galveston, texas. of fort moultrie s previous armament scrapped in 1942, except battery thompson s pair of 10-inch guns , battery lord s pair of 3-inch guns. 2 fixed emplacements of amtb 2a built on former 10-inch battery jasper. harbor entrance control post (hecp) coordinate army , navy harbor defenses established @ old fort , has been refurbished exhibit.

on august 15, 1947, army lowered fort moultrie s flag last time , ended 171 years of service. after war, due changes in military technology, including submarines , nuclear weapons, seacoast defense of united states ceased viable strategy.