Sitka's 6-inch Batteries

There were three 6-inch batteries constructed to defend the Naval Air Station and Sitka harbor. Each battery had two long-range 6-inch guns that could accurately fire up to fifteen miles. Each also had an underground “Central Transverse Magazine,” which included a generator room, a plotting room, a spotting room, six ammunition storage rooms, and two powder rooms. There were numerous fire control or base end stations for each battery constructed located on nearby islands to compute the vectors to enemy ships. There was a Battery Command Station constructed on top of each battery for the same purpose of the “fire control” stations.

Battery 292, Fort Rousseau, on Makhnati Island, at the end of the causeway, was the only one completed by the halt of construction in 1944. Makhnati Island also held the command post for the Army and Navy defenses of Sitka called the HDCP/HECP. Harbor Defense Command Post (ARMY) Harbor Entrance Control Post (NAVY). There was a signal tower constructed on the hill behind the battery that was used as a lookout, as a fire control center, and as a mount for a SRC-582 search radar.

Battery 291, Fort Peirce, on Biorka Island, about 13 miles from Sitka, was abandoned at 98% complete at the halt of construction in 1944. The army had built a fire control station on Ataku Island and had already constructed a large camp to support the battery.

Battery 290, Fort Babcock at Shoals Point on Kruzof Island, was abandoned when 88% complete and never had its guns in position. All the concrete work was done except for the aprons around the guns. There was a large camp constructed to support the battery.

Emergency Battery, Fort Babcock at Shoals Point on Kruzof Island, was completed with two Navy 6-inch guns on pedestal mounts in place by April of 1942. Photos of these guns in place can be found in the WWII photo gallery.
Many emergency batteries such as this one were placed throughout Alaska soon after Pearl Harbor was bombed. They were meant to provide an interim defense to unprotected areas while the permanent batteries were constructed.

These are two of the six remaining 6-inch guns like those that were in Sitka. These are in Washington at Fort Columbia on the Columbia River.

A 6-inch gun A 6-inch gun A 6-inch gun A 6-inch gun A 6-inch gun A 6-inch gun A 6-inch gun

The positions of the buildings on Makhnati Island

This is a location of Battery 292 on Makhnati Island.

You can see the location of the radar, and the HDCP/HECP.

Here are some sheets of Blueprints for the 6-inch gun batteries: