Battery Hoskins Emplacement 2
Fort Crockett was a US Army coastal defense artillery installation on Galveston Island and adjacent to the city of Galveston, Texas. It consisted of several gun batteries and operated from 1897 to 1946. In 1953, the now disarmed buildings were transferred to other US Federal agencies. I visited this place on March 16, 2021.
Battery Hoskins was built between August 1917 and April 1921, and named after US Army Lt. Leonard C. Hoskins, the first Coast Artillery officer killed in WWI. This battery contained two twelve-inch guns with a range of 15.2 miles (24.4 km). To the southwest was Gun Emplacement 1 and to the northeast was Gun Emplacement 2. It was built to the same plan as Battery Kimble, in nearby Fort Travis, and was equally unprotected against attack from the air.
In WWII , the hazard or air attack could no longer be ignored. Work began in May 1942 on a Battery Hoskins modernization program to casemate the guns and give them overhead protection. The work was completed in Aug 1944. After the end of the war, the battery was deactivated in 1946 and the guns were removed. Subsequently, when the San Luis Hotel was built, it was built adjacent and above the old concrete battery, which would have been too costly to demolish.
Battery Hoskins Emplacement 2
Fort Crockett was a US Army coastal defense artillery installation on Galveston Island and adjacent to the city of Galveston, Texas. It consisted of several gun batteries and operated from 1897 to 1946. In 1953, the now disarmed buildings were transferred to other US Federal agencies. I visited this place on March 16, 2021.
Battery Hoskins was built between August 1917 and April 1921, and named after US Army Lt. Leonard C. Hoskins, the first Coast Artillery officer killed in WWI. This battery contained two twelve-inch guns with a range of 15.2 miles (24.4 km). To the southwest was Gun Emplacement 1 and to the northeast was Gun Emplacement 2. It was built to the same plan as Battery Kimble, in nearby Fort Travis, and was equally unprotected against attack from the air.
In WWII , the hazard or air attack could no longer be ignored. Work began in May 1942 on a Battery Hoskins modernization program to casemate the guns and give them overhead protection. The work was completed in Aug 1944. After the end of the war, the battery was deactivated in 1946 and the guns were removed. Subsequently, when the San Luis Hotel was built, it was built adjacent and above the old concrete battery, which would have been too costly to demolish.