Inside the Mortar Battery at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
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The Mortar Battery at Fort Hancock is located in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Construction began in 1890 and was completed in 1895, so it actually pre-dates Fort Hancock. In fact, the fort was authorized in 1895 for the purpose of providing housing for the soldiers supporting the Mortar Battery and Battery Potter.
Though it is one structure, the Mortar Battery does have two symmetrical halves, and often when a single battery is comprised of multiple, identical segments, each is given its own name. Therefore, officially the left side of the Mortar Battery is Battery McCook and the right side is Battery Reynolds.
Mortars can be shot nearly vertically into the air so that the shells either come down onto the lightly protected decks of ships or explode in the air, sending shrapnel down upon the enemy. Because they do not need to be installed in an elevated position, the mortars were located in ground-level pits surrounded by high walls. Both halves of the Mortar Battery have two pits, each with four mortars that could shoot 12-inch rifled shells that weighed 1,000 pounds.
12″ mortars in a mortar battery pit
Other than the mortar pits, the battery was completely covered with earth to hide it from the enemy, and since the guns could not be seen, it was difficult to pinpoint where the shells were coming from. Furthermore, the only way for an enemy ship to knock out a mortar pit was to lob mortars of its own, and ships did not have mortars. Artillery rounds from an enemy ship could only slam into the sides of earthen mounds and sand dunes that protected the battery.
Once airplanes became common to warfare in World War II, mortar batteries became obsolete—planes could just fly overhead and drop bombs on them. Thus, after the war the Mortar Battery was converted into a communications center. The interior areas were subdivided into rooms and offices.
Model of Fort Hancock’s Mortar Battery, Gateway National Recreation Area
The Mortar Battery is located across Hudson Street from the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, so park at the lighthouse if you want to see it. There is no charge for this parking lot.
Park Rangers conduct tours of Fort Hancock on select days from late May until the end of October, and a stop at the Mortar Battery is part of the tour, though I am not sure if it currently includes going inside. There is no charge, but reservations are required. Check the National Park Service’s Calendar web page for Gateway National Recreation Area. Type FORT HANCOCK in the By Keyword search box.
Ranger begins a tour of Fort Hancock’s Mortar Battery, Gateway National Recreation Area
As mentioned earlier, mortar batteries are covered in earth and are basically camouflaged, so you can’t see anything from the outside. When visiting, look for the gap in the outer wall. This is the entrance, and just inside is a wayside exhibit. Other than possibly on a tour, this is as far as you can go because the gates to the mortar pits are locked.
Outer entrance to Fort Hancock’s Mortar Battery, Gateway National Recreation Area
When the Mortar Battery is open, walk down a long corridor to reach the mortar pits of Battery Reynolds. This is how men entered and how equipment was transported into the battery.
Corridor leading to the first mortar pit of the Mortar Battery at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
The tour I took in 2017 went inside the Mortar Battery, and it started in the first mortar pit of Battery Reynolds. Here you can see the walls that surround the pit and the circular impressions where mortars were once installed.
Mortar pit of the Mortar Battery at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
The tour proceeded inside to the cross-shaped underground passages that housed enlisted men’s sleeping quarters, storage rooms, and offices of various sorts. All of the rooms are empty today, but it’s still neat to see the interior.
Interior of the Mortar Battery at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
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Last updated on December 27, 2024
