There are two Shell Rooms in Battery Randolph, one to serve each gun. A variety of projectiles were kept ready and prepared for firing by a detail from the gun's 13-man Ammunition Detachment. Shells were rolled along the steel rails in the concrete Shell Tables, or carried by the overhead Trolley Rail to the Hoist Room. A false ceiling over the room gave added protection to this sensitive area.
There were two Powder Rooms and Hoist Rooms, one to serve each gun. In the Powder Rooms, ammunition crews removed the powder charges from their metal cannisters to a receiving table, then used the electric hoist to raise them through the hoist wells in the ceiling to the loading platforms.
In the Hoist Rooms, the Ammunition Detachment made final preparations for firing. Handlers moved the projectiles from the Shell Room to the Shell Receiving Tables, where the fuses were inserted. Ready ammunition was lifted by electric hoist through the Shell Hoist Walls to the Truck Corridor and Loading Platform above.
A variety of projectile types designed to pierce warship armor were used with Battery Randolph's 14-inch rifles. Each weighed about 1600 pounds and could be fired to a range of 14 miles.
Original text for the exhibit pages was provided by Barbara Mills.
Go to the next exhibit: "Manning The Defenses" ►
