Navy Yard in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
16"/50 Caliber Mark 7 Gun Barrel Number 293
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 14, 2020
1. 16"/50 Caliber Mark 7 Gun Barrel Number 293 Marker
This was the center gun of Turret 1 on the battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) from 1943 until 1954, fired in anger during World War II and the Korean War.
It was constructed at the Washington Navy Yard and installed on the ship here at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in February of 1943 after the ship's launch on December 7, 1942. The launch took place approximately 1,400 yards southwest of this spot near the intersection of Kitty Hawk Avenue and South 21st Street.
After eleven years and two wars the rifling had worn down. Barrel 293 was removed, relined, and placed in storage in Virginia. It is 68 feet long and weighs 120 tons, and capable of accurately firing a 2,700-pound projectile as far as 23 miles.
In 2018 the gun barrel was placed here by the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial and the Mahan Collection Foundation. The barrel traveled north from Virginia on a Norfolk Southern rail car.
The Battleship New Jersey is the longest, fastest, most decorated battleship in U.S. history. She is the only ship to have served in WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf. She was first commissioned here at the Navy Yard on May 23, 1943. She was last decommissioned in 1991. In 2001, New Jersey opened as a museum on the Camden, New Jersey waterfront, approximately
this page online
Erected by Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm • War, Korean • War, Vietnam • War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1943.
Location. 39° 53.634′ N, 75° 10.552′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Navy Yard. Marker is at the intersection of Intrepid Avenue and South Broad Street, on the right when traveling east on Intrepid Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4623 S Broad St, Philadelphia PA 19112, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rear Admiral George W. Melville (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); World War II Submariners Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); To the lost at sea (approx. ¼ mile away); U.S. Naval Aircraft Factory (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Shipyard During World War II (approx. 0.7 miles away); Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (approx. ¾ mile away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 14, 2020
2. 16"/50 Caliber Mark 7 Gun Barrel Number 293
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 296 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 15, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
