File:Ft-Wright-Pit.jpg

Summary
This photo by J. Solomon of New London, CT was hand-colored and made into a post card, probably around 1915. It was titled "Gun Pitts (sic), Fort Wright, Fishers Island, N.Y." and shows Pit B, one of the 2-mortar pits for the 12-inch mortars of Battery Clinton at that fort. It appears that this was an "old-style" pit that used to have two additional mortars mounted in front of the two shown here, closer to the front wall of the pit.

This photo shows two shell carts at the ready for each of the 12-inch mortars, and one cart closer to the tubes. Crew members take a break, sitting by the wall of the data booth. A couple of telephones and perhaps the firing magneto for the mortars are located on the wall of the pit at center left. A couple of loudspeakers are mounted over the pit, probably to make orders audible above the din.

The photo is from the collection of Matt Edwards, and was made available over the web by the Coast Defense Study Group.