Coastal defense of San Francisco

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

.

[kphfun]

I don't have a clue what this is as I could find nothing anywhere around it as far as an entrance goes.

[kphfun]

I will be taking a trip out that way again as there was so much more for me to see but time ran out that day. :crying:

[Bluehawk]

I don't have a clue what this is as I could find nothing anywhere around it as far as an entrance goes.

Ammo dump?

[kphfun]

Ammo dump?

God only knows. I looked really hard to see if there might have been something like an entrance that got covered but saw nothing other then Ice plants, then again if they did a good job I never would .

[kphfun]

Very nice pictures! I have yet to see that and other fortifications in the area.

 

San Francisco apparently had a complex fortification system. I took my parents to Muir Beach, near Muir Woods National Park. I wondered what these pillbox looking things were for. They were too shallow to hold artillery. Found out they were used by the military so when they saw an invading ship, they would triangulate its position with someone in San Francisco, therefore increasing the accuracy of the artillery. Below is a map I found on the different forts in the SF area. It does not have Ft. Point on there. Alcatraz, I think, also held artillery on the island during WWII.

 

Thanks FriscoHare, there is a lot to see on the Marin side but not really much left on the South Shore as most of that has been developed. The Presido Main post is still pretty much all there and the Cemetery is well worth looking at as there are a large number of historical figures buried there, and still a few big gun's here and there that are pretty cool. The map you have just shows the locations of the different post's, I tried to show as many gun battery's as I could but still missed plenty. They still keep a complete Atlas missile system position there that is really neat as is all the old post's, rifle ranges and such that I will snap photo's of next time I go over that way. There was another 3" gun battery on Angel Island but you cant get to it. I think Alcatraz had some small guns on it in the late 1800's but not in the 20th century.

P.S. HDSF stand's for Harbor Defense San Francisco.

[kphfun]

How about showing some site's from your area. There has to be some of you guy's from Europe that can show some neat stuff!!

[kphfun]

Jeez, no got any pic's of coastal forts?

[Wailuna]

...Here is the parade grounds at Ft. Baker.

Fort Baker is now a trendy resort for recovering masters of the universe (aka: "Bonus Bozos"). Some rooms at "Cavallo Point" go for $700+ per night, which is much, much more than some officers and sergeants who once occupied these quarters were paid for years of service.

Link here to see the rest of this story.

[Wailuna]

...Jeez, no got any pic's of coastal forts?

Sure, here are some we had some fun with on this Forum about a year ago: From Pensacola to Celyon.

[kphfun]

Thanks Wailuna as that was a very cool thread. What I liked the most was finding the vid's on youtube showing some of the sites I took pics of in action! At Ft. Baker their is still a USCG station where the mine dock used to be and a small harbor that I was told is only for military members to berth their private boats. I was really hoping that someone could show some pics of the sites today,or something close to today :thumbsup: .

[Airborne-Hunter]

Its a shame that the area has gone so far down hill. They want to put in an art studio/museum over the presideo. There is Alameda Naval Air Station across the bay and they want to put in stuff there. Last I heard it was going to be a theme park or apartments, although I think the idea flopped. Mare Island is being taken over by overgrowth and has civilian businesses in part of it now. :thumbdown:

[FriscoHare]

There was another 3" gun battery on Angel Island but you cant get to it. I think Alcatraz had some small guns on it in the late 1800's but not in the 20th century.

 

kphfun is right. Maybe I was thinking Angel Island. Alcatraz only had AA guns on the island:

 

"During WWII the army returned, and young Coast Artillery GIs manned anti-aircraft guns on prison rooftops when they weren't pursuing the daughters of the guards." (Fortress Alcatraz by Martini)

[Bluehawk]

On that great map not shown is a fortification on the ocean side of Hwy 1 about halfway between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay... sitting way up on an overlooking peak, very very deteriorated condition.

[kphfun]

On that great map not shown is a fortification on the ocean side of Hwy 1 about halfway between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay... sitting way up on an overlooking peak, very very deteriorated condition.

There is actually two there Bluehawk. It is the devil slide set that was the southern most part of Ft. Funston. They also had a battery of 155mm Guns (6") just south of that. This is just a picture of one as there is no place to stop at all where the other is located, I drove by 3 time's trying.

[Kaneoheboy]

It is a Coast Artillery gun battery position finding station known as a "Base End Station."

 

-John