Battery Terrill on Lovells Island (photo by nsub1)

Lovells Island Main Page

Battery Terrill is an Endicott-era coastal battery that was part of Fort Standish on Lovells Island, now part of Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Construction began in 1899 and was completed in 1902. The battery was outfitted with three 6-inch M1897MI guns mounted on M1898 disappearing carriages, a combination commonly known as disappearing guns. The guns themselves were just regular artillery pieces; it was the carriage that created the disappearing effect. A carriage was lowered below the battery wall to be loaded, then raised up over the wall to be fired. The recoil from the blast sent it back down to the loading position. The following video demonstrates a 6-inch disappearing gun at Battery Chamberlain in San Francisco.

From March to May 1943, Battery Terrill was converted for use as a harbor defense and renamed Battery AMTB 943 (Anti Motor Torpedo Boat). The disappearing guns were replaced with four 90mm M1 guns, two installed on M3 fixed mounts and two on M1A1 mobile gun mounts. New concrete pads were added to hold the guns. The battery remained in service until being deactivated in 1946.

Battery Terrill is located at the northern tip of Lovells Island and can be reached a number of ways, with all routes ultimately using the shoreline. I got to it after visiting batteries Burbeck and Morris. Just past Battery Morris, the trail dead ends into another trail. A left leads back to the main, paved road that runs the length of the island, while a right takes you to the eastern shore—this is the way to go. Once at the shore, take a left and continue until you reach the battery. There are some sections where you must climb across large boulders, so be careful not to twist an ankle. I visited when the area around the battery was closed due to bird nesting, so I didn’t actually get to explore it.