M1890-M1 Mortars at Fort De Soto Florida

12-Inch Mortars Fort De Soto

The eight 12-inch M1890-M1 mortars, manufactured in Watervliet Arsenal, Watervliet, New York, were breech-loading and rifled. The weapon had safety features built in, such as a device which kept the mortars from being fired until the breech locks were secured and the weapons were elevated to the minimum 45 degrees.

Each gun had a twelve man crew to manually load and aim it. The crew would choose from projectiles weighing 800, 824 or 1046 pounds, along with a powder charge in a silk bag weighing 54 to 67 pounds.

After the powder bag was in the mortar, the sergeant would hang a fuse containing 1 1/4 pounds of black powder onto the breech end of the powder bag. The fuse was ignited by the electrical primer which fired the silk bag powder charge.

The minimum range of the mortar was 1.25 miles at 70 degrees and a maximum range of 6.8 miles at 45 degrees.

The only other surviving gun emplacement of this type is on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines.
Google: "battery way" for more information.


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[115cookie]

i was here today at 6:30 pm ( DARK AND SCARY) MY SISTER SAYS ( DUDE some thing just touched me ) I SAID( omg) so we googled it and we found out we were in the 2nd most haunted place in florida !

[cesvialpando]

So this is how it looks like if Corregidor in the Philippines was not bombed...

[TheRachaelann]

We were just there. You did a great job videoing.. How do you keep your camera so still. Even when your walking its smooth shots.

[dufjt]

is that in tampa florida?