Description
Battery Cram was a 6-inch coastal gun battery made of reinforced concrete from the Endicott Period on Fort Kearny in Washington County, Rhode Island. In G.O. 194, published on December 27, 1904, the battery was given that name in honor of Bvt. Major General Thomas J. Cram, U.S. Army (Colonel, U.S. Corps of Engineers), who distinguished himself during the American Civil War and passed away on December 20, 1883. Construction on the battery began in October 1904 and was finished in November 1906. It was given to the Coast Artillery on May 7, 1908, for a cost of $63,580.00.Â
Originally constructed as a concrete coastal gun battery during the Endicott Period, it had two 6″ M1905 guns mounted on M1903 Disappearing carriages. There were two gun emplacements on either side of a common magazine in this one-story battery. There was a small flight of stairs leading up to the gun-loading platforms, which were somewhat elevated above the magazine level. There were no shell or powder hoists available. The power station in Battery French supplied electricity.
Large caliber coastal defense gun tubes were extensively removed for use in Europe as a result of the United States’ involvement in World War I. Many of the removed cannon and mortar tubes were taken to arsenals to be modified and mounted on the railroad- and wheeled-mounted mobile carriages. The majority of the dismantled cannon tubes were either remounted or were left at the arsenals until they were required elsewhere, never making it to Europe. Neither the 1920 disarmament initiative nor the post-World War I redistribution had an impact on Battery Cram.
On June 16, 1943, the Battery Cram salvage operation was ordered. On June 8th, 1943, the guns were moved to Watervliet, and on June 16th, 1943, the carriages were ordered to be salvaged. The battery is now a component of the Narragansett Bay campus of the University of Rhode Island. There are no weapons or mounts from the era.
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Specs
- Year Built: 1904-1906
- Year Abandoned: 1943
- Original Function: Endicott Period 6-inch coastal gun battery
James –
A hidden gem! Love Battery Cram
Billy Siegel –
Fun old fort to explore in Rhode Island!