Southwest Battery

Southwest Battery. . , During the late 19th century the Southwest battery was the advanced position for directing fire against the enemy’s warships. It was here that the giant Rodman cannons hurled their massive 15’ projectiles, each weighing over 300 pounds, to a range of two and one-half miles., From this location, it is also possible to see remnants of Fort Adams’ role during World War II. The entire coastal defense of southeastern New England was commanded from Fort Adams. An anti-submarine net was stretched from Fort Adams to Jamestown to prevent the entry of Axis submarines. Two observation posts were installed on the West wall of Fort Adams with commanding views of Narragansett Bay. , [ Along Bottom of Marker : ]. Fort Adams was armed with eleven massive fifteen inch Rodman guns during the late 19th century. Two were mounted on this southwest bastion. In the event of an attack, these guns would have been the Fort’s main batteries and would have concentrated their fire on the larger of the enemy ships. Imagine what a 300 pound projectile fired from over 2½ miles away would do to the hull of a wooden ship., The huge steel anti-submarine nets were designed to prevent a submerged U-boat from entering the port. The first net in the continental United States was laid in the fall of 1941 and closed the east passage at Fort Wetherill. Made in two sections, one end of each section was anchored to the shore. The other ends were held by net tending ships stationed in the channel where they could open and close the barrier like a giant bi-fold door. The nets were part of an intricate system of underwater listening devices, minefields, and anti-submarine ships. . This historical marker was erected by Fort Adams State Park. It is in Newport in Newport County Rhode Island