Battery Howe-Wagner

Battery Howe-Wagner stands as a rare example of an Abbott Cross battery. Most coastal fortifications of the nineteenth century were built in long, straight lines to face the ocean. Engineers designed this site instead in the shape of a cross, with mortar pits positioned to provide a full three hundred and sixty degree field of fire. This unique configuration meant that, unlike its linear counterparts, this battery could strike targets in any direction, including nearby beaches or inland areas, rather than just ships passing at sea.