Pennsville in Salem County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Switchboard Room / Plotting Room
Switchboard Room
A central Switchboard room is where all the important communications emanated. By means of this switchboard, all base lines were made interchangeable. A distribution switchboard was installed in a switchboard room as a standard part of the armaments system.
Plotting Room
Several aiming techniques were developed and used after 1905, but the most precise method made use of two or more widely spaced sighting structures technically known as base end stations. Observers in these structures continuously made bearings of a moving target and the angles of sight were communicated to a central plotting room. In this room the sightings were plotted and future positions were predicted. Corrections were made for meteorological factors, target progress during the projectile flight, and the time taken to calculate and transmit the data. All these variables were computed and translated into aiming directions which were conveyed to the gun crews.
Erected by State of New Jersey.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Military. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.
Location. 39° 36.249′ N, 75° 33.215′ W. Marker is in Pennsville, New Jersey, in Salem County. Marker can be reached from Fort Mott Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the walking trail in Fort Mott State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pennsville NJ 08070, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Generator Room (a few steps from this marker); Battery Commander’s Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Edwards (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Krayenbuhl (within shouting distance of this marker); Ammunition Hoist (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Arnold (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Krayenbuhl’s 5-inch rapid fire guns (within shouting distance of this marker); Peace Magazine: 1904 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pennsville.
More about this marker. A photograph in the upper right of the marker depicts a “Typical plotting/switchboard room used in forts similar to Fort Mott.” The bottom left contains a “Typical sample of the many plotting boards in use at the time.”
Also see . . . Fort Mott State Park. NJ Division of Parks & Forestry website. (Submitted on August 30, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 937 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 30, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.