Sandy Hook in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Battery Granger
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 24, 2009
1. Battery Granger Marker
Grangers 10-inch rifle could strike a battleship eight miles out to sea. A simple counterweight system quickly raised and lowered the gun, and a well-trained crew could fire off two rounds a minute. Protected in front by fifty feet of earth and concrete, this 1897 battery was almost immune to the flat trajectory fire of 19th century warships.
The Disappearing Gun
Recoil lowers the gun behind the parapet. To conceal and protect coastal guns and crews from increasingly accurate fire of modern warships, two American officers, Adelbert Buffington and William Crozier, perfected the design of the disappearing gun carriage. Loading was easier because shot trucks could bring heavy ammunition directly to the breech of the lowered weapon. To pivot the gun back to firing position, a latch was tripped, releasing a 45-ton counterweight hanging in a well below the carriage.
This battery made Battery Potter, 250 yards north, obsolete almost as soon as it was completed. Potters steam-powered hydraulic lifts allowed its guns to disappear also, but could not compete with the speed and efficiency of the Buffington-Crozier system.
Erected by National
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Military. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 40° 27.873′ N, 74° 0.047′ W. Marker is in Middletown Township, New Jersey, in Monmouth County. It is in Sandy Hook. It is on Hudson Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in Fort Hancock, in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Highlands NJ 07732, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s Central Jersey, specifically on the Jersey Shore, and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battery Potter (approx.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 24, 2009
2. Marker in Fort Hancock
More about this marker. The left of the marker features a photograph showing soldiers at the big gun in Battery Granger. Below this are pictures of the gun in firing position and in its concealed position. Portraits of Adelbert Buffington and William Crozier appear on the right of the marker.
Also see . . . Fort Hancock. Sites of New Jersey website entry (Submitted on December 21, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 24, 2009
3. Battery Granger Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 24, 2009
4. Remains of Battery Granger
Much of Battery Granger is visible today, although the interior is off limits to the public.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,544 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 24, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
