Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields

Fort Baker

(Lime Point Military Reservation, Fort at Lime Point)

 

Fort Baker circa 1925

 

 

Fort Baker

by Gordon Chappell, Regional Historian, Pacific West Region, National Park Service

 

The history of coast defense weaponry from the American acquisition of California in 1848 to the end of such systems a century later is the history of increasing range and accuracy of the guns. When the first American fort was built to guard the Golden Gate, the strait which is the sole entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, the largest and most powerful guns had a range of a little over two miles, or barely twice the width of the strait. Hence the early defenses were located at the narrowest part of the strait and at harbor points just inside which commanded the entrance, such as Alcatraz Island, Angel Island, Fort Mason and, later, the Presidio. As time passed and the trend continued toward guns of increasing accuracy and longer and longer ranges, the inner harbor points tended progressively to be abandoned in favor of emplacements for newer and larger guns which were built farther and farther westward toward the sea, climaxing with the installation of the 16-inch guns, largest and last permanent batteries to be built, as far north as Fort Cronkhite, four miles northwest of the Golden Gate, and as far south as Fort Funston, six and a half miles southwest of the Golden Gate, yet with their mission still to defend that strait. By that time the range of the largest guns had increased from a little over two miles in the 1850s to roughly 26 miles in the 1940s.

 

Similarly the history of the forts which housed the men to man these guns was a history of westward movement toward the ocean. On the San Francisco shore this meant at first Fort Point, Fort Mason, and the Presidio which lay between them. But as the new long range gun batteries began to be built in the 1890s, there was a progression seaward, first to Fort Winfield Scott which comprised the hitherto undeveloped western portion of the Presidio, then to the Point Lobos Military Reservation farther west and south, where battery construction in 1899 was followed by renaming of the reservation Fort Miley in 1900, then to the Lake Merced Military Reservation about six miles southwest of the Golden Gate, renamed Fort Funston in 1917 and destined to be-the location of the first 16-inch guns in San Francisco's defenses.

 

On the north or Marin County shore a similar progression began with the old Lime Point Military Reservation established in 1850 being transformed in 1897 into Fort Baker, followed by the creation of Fort Barry to the west in 1904 as the-garrisons followed the big guns seaward, concluded by construction of 16-inch Battery Townsley roughly four miles northwest of the Golden Gate in 1937 and the creation that same year of Fort Cronkhite to house its gun crews.

 

Lime Point Military Reserveation

 

The Lime Point Military Reservation was set aside by President Millard Fillmore in 1850 as the site for a strong defense fortification across the-strait from Fort Point, which had been recommended by the first board of officers to study defense of San Francisco Bay. But the reservation was beset by long litigation for acquisition of land, and it was not until 1866 that the government acquired title.' The Civil War was over, and in passing had seen many demonstrations of the vulnerability of forts of the Fort Point type to the shells fired by rifled artillery. Plans nevertheless continued to be drawn for a counterpart to Fort Point at the base of Lime Point, and Major George Mendell undertook blasting of the cliffs three times in 1868 and 1869 to begin preparing a shelf near sea level similar to that on which Fort Point stood for construction of a similar multi-tiered brick and masonry casemated fort. But the project went no farther than this preliminary blasting. Instead, between, 1872 and 1876, barbette batteries were constructed at Point Cavallo (Battery Cavallo), on the ridge above Lime Point (Cliff and Ridge Batteries), and on Gravelly Beach to the west (Gravelly Beach Battery). These consisted generally of brick and concrete emplacements behind breast-height walls over which the guns were to fire, protected by massive earthworks to the-front and over the brick and concrete magazines and traverses between the gun emplacements. The only 'garrison' buildings on the Lime Point Military Reservation were barracks-like quarters for construction crews, storehouses, and offices, all built on the west side of Horseshoe Bay (today immediately beneath the northern trestle approach to the Golden Gate Bridge). At least five wood-framed, gable-roofed buildings stood there for many years, but are gone now.

 

Fort Baker

 

Plans were drawn up in 1890 by a Board of Engineers for modern Endicott-type batteries stretching on this northern shore from Point Cavallo westward to Point Bonita. Construction soon began on Battery Spencer (transferred from the Engineers to the Artillery in 1897), Batteries Kirby and Duncan (both finished in 1900), and Battery Orlando Wagner (completed in 1901). To man these batteries, the Lime Point Military Reservation was renamed Fort Baker in 1897, and Battery I, Third Artillery, established a tent camp there as the first garrison. Construction began in 1901 on the first eleven permanent buildings, including two duplex officers' quarters, barracks for one company of artillery, a post hospital, a guardhouse, a bakery, storehouses, and other structures. More buildings were-added as time passed, including a large World War II temporary frame hospital down near the beach at the foot of the parade ground, completed in October 1941and in the process of demolition in 1981. Other temporary structures brought the total number of buildings in Fort Baker to 159 by mid-December of 1942. Most of these temporary buildings are now gone, but the complex of older permanent structures, built mostly between 1901 and 1910, is largely intact today (1981), and most are still occupied by resident army officers or provide offices and other space for the Western Region Recruiting Command and the 91st Division (Training)'. The Presidio Yacht Club is also at Fort Baker.

 

The historic buildings are grouped together in four contiguous complexes. Facing the Parade Ground, clockwise from the southwest, are Bldg. 407 whose age and original function are unknown, Officers' Quarters 631 and 629 (completed June 1904), 607 (finished in May 1903). 606 and 605 (both built 1901-1902), the Commanding Officer's Quarters (built in 1902-1903), Post Headquarters (completed in May 1903), Artillery Barracks No. 601 (completed May 1903) and 602 (completed in August 1902), the Post Exchange and Gymnasium (built in 1903-1904 with the 1915 addition of a bowling alley), a brick artillery barracks No. 636 (completed in May 1907), and the Guardhouse, Bldg. 615 (built in 1901-1902).

 

Behind the head of the Parade Ground are the Post Hospital 533 and Hospital Steward's Quarters No. 523 (both completed in August 1902) as well as senior Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters 523 (completed August 1902), 527 and 529 (both finished in June 1904), 530 and 531 (both built in 1908-1909).

 

To the southeast of the Parade Ground, on both sides of the road to Battery Yates, are various service buildings: Bakery No. 557 (built August 1902, enlarged 1.908), Quartermaster & Commissary Storehouse No. 559. (August 1902), Wagon Shed 561 (c. 1903); Pumphouse 671 (c. 1902), Commissary Storehouse 637 (1908), Blacksmith Shop 644 'and Carpenter & Paint Shop 645 (both finished in March 1910), and Ordnance Storehouse 645 (built during World War I in 1918).

 

Southwest of the Parade Ground is the Submarine Mine Depot, consisting of the Mine Wharf (1937' and Mine Storehouse 407, Mine Cable Tank Building 670, Mine Power House 409, Mine Explosives Magazines 410 and 411, and the Mine Loading Rooms, Bldg. 412, all of which were built in 1941.

 

The historic timbered tunnel between Forts Baker and Barry was built in 1917-1918 and later enlarged and concreted in 1935-1937.

All of these historic buildings are proposed by the National Park Service for preservation.

 

Postscript

 

Since the above article was written in in 1981, very little changed at Fort Baker until 2000 when the final uniformed elements of the US Army left the Presidio complex. In that year units of the US Army Reserve's 91st Division (Training Support) moved to Camp Parks. Today Fort Baker is another unit of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Today, the US Coast Guard maintains a station at Fort Baker's former Mine Depot. The barracks, gynasium and officer quarters are now the Inn at Point Cavallo.

Lime Point Batteries

By Justin M. Ruhge

Lime Point, opposite the Fort at Fort Point across the Golden Gate, was always a priority of the Army for a casemated fort like that at Fort Point. Between Fort Point and Lime Point crossfire could be laid down against any intruding hostile ships. The terrain at Lime Point was a sheer cliff 400 feet high from which a ledge had to be blasted for a fort. Plans were drawn for a casemated gun building and a separate bombproof barracks and magazine behind the gun building, both on a ledge 20 feet above the water.

 

A military reserve was set-aside for this purpose on the Marin side of the Bay in 1850. The Lime Point Reserve was officially acquired by the U.S. Government in 1866. In January 1867, Major George Mendell was placed in charge of the works at Lime Point as well as those at Alcatraz. In 1868, Army engineering operations were moved to the Marin side of the Bay with the construction of engineering and workmen barracks located under the present day north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge with which to begin work on the ledge for the new casemated fort. During 1868 and 1869, tunnels were dug into the face of the cliff and thousands of pounds of black gunpowder were set off to blast away the face of the cliff. While Mendell continued to look upon his blasting as being successful and for several years thereafter anticipated additional funding for the project, no more appropriations were made. Like the casemated barracks at Alcatraz, the concept of leveling Lime Point for masonry fortifications died a lingering death. In 1869, the Pacific Board of Engineers decided that it would be less expensive and faster to construct a string of barbette batteries along the Marin coast above the Bay instead of continuing with the plans for an obsolete casemated fort at Lime Point.

 

Lieutenant Thomas H. Handbury was tasked with surveying the coast for suitable battery sites. Points Diablo and Bonita were ruled out due to the very difficult terrain. On September 10, 1870, six months after Handbury completed his survey, Mendell was instructed by the Secretary of Defense in Washington to begin work on the Lime Point batteries. The batteries finally approved were to consist of a water battery at Point Cavallo, another water battery at Gravelly Beach to the west of Lime Point, and a battery at an elevation of well over 400 feet on top of Lime Point bluff which would become two separate batteries called Cliff and Ridge.

 

 

Fort Baker

by Justin M. Ruhge

Fort Baker was the first American fort to be located on the north side of the Golden Gate. As presented in an earlier section, the Lime Point Preserve was first developed after the Civil War with a set of batteries that used the 15-inch Rodman gun technology.

 

To support the plans of the later Endicott Board to construct modern batteries on the north side of the Golden Gate, it was decided that the Lime Point Reservation should be developed into a fort. Consequently, in April 1897 the War Department announced that President William McKinley had directed that "the fortifications at Lime Point" be designated Fort Baker in honor of the late Colonel Edward Dickinson Baker, U.S. Volunteers, a distinguished resident of Oregon and a close friend of President Lincoln. Colonel Baker was killed early in the Civil War at Ball's Bluff, Virginia, while in command of California Volunteers. The Designation was official on May 4, 1897.

 

On July 7, 1897 Company I, Third Artillery, arrived at Fort Baker from Angel Island and established a camp that eventually grew into Fort Baker. This company was originally tasked with building a road from Point Cavallo to the reservation's Sausalito gate and to assist in the mounting of the final 12-inch gun tube on its carriage at Battery Spencer. However, this group never fired any of these guns. The commander of Battery I, Captain Henry C. Danes, was the first commanding officer of Fort Baker.

 

The Board of Engineers for the Pacific Coast planned construction at Fort Baker of five batteries of various calibers.

 

Construction of the first eleven permanent buildings at Fort Baker began in 1901. These included two duplex officers' quarters, barracks for one company of artillery, a post hospital, a guardhouse, a bakery, and a storehouse. In later years, more buildings were added until there were 159 buildings by December 1942. The historic buildings are grouped together in four contiguous complexes. Facing the Parade Ground, clockwise from the southwest are the Officers' Quarters completed in June 1904, the Commanding Officer's Quarters built in 1902-3, Post Headquarters completed in May 1903, Artillery Barracks completed in May 1903, the Post Exchange and Gymnasium built in 1903-4 with the addition of a bowling alley in 1915, a brick artillery barracks completed in May 1907 and the Guardhouse, built in 1901-2. Behind the head of the Parade Ground are the Post Hospital as well as the Hospital Steward's Quarters, both completed in August 1902, as well as senior Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters completed also in August 1902.

 

To the southeast of the Parade Ground, on both sides of the road to Battery Yates, are various service buildings, the Bakery built in August 1902 and enlarged in 1908, the Quartermaster and Commissary Storehouse also completed in 1902, Wagon Shed, Pump house, Commissary Storehouse, Blacksmith Shop and Carpenter and Paint Shop both finished in 1910, and Ordnance storehouse built in 1918. Southwest of the Parade Ground is the Submarine Mine Depot. Fort Baker was connected to the coastal area and later Fort Barry by a 2,000-foot long single lane timbered tunnel built in 1917-18, and later enlarged and reinforced with concrete in 1935-37.

In 1920, Fort Baker became the home of the 24th Balloon Company - a new development in San Francisco's defenses. The balloons and their hangar were maintained at Fort Barry now easily reached through the Baker-Barry tunnel. This company left Fort Baker only a year later.

 

In 1922, Fort Baker's 61st Company, Coast Artillery Corps was deactivated. Beginning on August 31, 1922, the post was garrisoned by only a care taking detachment of Coast Artillery troops from Fort Winfield Scott. Not until January 1, 1931, was Fort Baker returned to an active status with the reactivation of Battery K, 6th Coast Artillery.

 

During World War II a large temporary frame hospital was constructed near the beach at the foot of the Parade Ground. It was completed in October 1941.

 

By 1981, most of the temporary frame buildings had been removed, however, the older permanent structures built between 1901 and 1910 were still intact.

 

The Travis AFB Yacht Club is located at the Fort Baker complex.

 

Power Stations

At Fort Baker there was no central power plant. The post power at Fort Baker was commercial. Three separate battery plants furnished power for fortifications purposes: Kirby Plant supplied current to Kirby and to one fire control station. Located in the rear portion of the traverse between the two positions, it consisted of two 25-kw. sets. Spencer Plant supplied power to Spencer, Battery Orlando Wagner, four fire-control stations, a meteorological station, and a type A switchboard. Located in a brick engine house at the entrance to Spencer, it consisted of three 25-kw. sets. Duncan-Yates Plant supplied current to Duncan, Yates, one fire-control station, and searchlight 11. Located in an engine house within old Battery Cavallo, it consisted of two 25-kw. sets.

Mine Casemate

The first mining casemate at Fort Baker was undertaken in 1893. It was the harbor's fourth mining casemate. This structure was located in a cove north of Point Cavallo. The bank at that point was a steep rock bluff with no beach. A bulkhead had to be built as a working platform. A concrete wall was built outside it and the bluff was excavated to make room for the casemate. Concreting began in March and was completed in May. The outside walls of the casemate were covered with a coating of asphalt and coal tar. The inside was plastered and painted. The casemate was made bombproof by an earthen cover on which grass was planted. Costs were $9,228. It was also used as a cable terminal from Fort McDowell.

This facility proved to be inadequate and it was abandoned. Its location is unknown today.

 

After years of recommendations, the Army finally established a mine depot at Fort Baker. The L-shaped mine wharf, adjacent to the Quartermaster wharf, was constructed in 1937. The mine storehouse, the cable tank building, a power house, two magazines for TNT explosives and two mine loading rooms were constructed in 1941. The three mine-planter vessels assigned to San Francisco Harbor Defenses were all berthed at Fort Baker's Horseshoe Bay although assigned to different mine fields. These were the Ellery W. Niles, Samuel M. Miles and the Horace F. Springer.

 

Report of Completed Works - Seacoast Fortifications: Mine Casemate and Associated Structures

Searchlights

Light 12 was erected in 1910-1912 and located next to the foghorn at the Lime Point Needles. A 25-kw gasoline set was located in a nearby powerhouse. Light 11 was erected in 1912 and located at the tip of Point Cavallo. Current was supplied from the Duncan-Yates Plant. This light was stored in a pit and rose by a counterweight when needed.

During World War II six mobile searchlights were assigned to Fort Baker - two at Gravelly Beach, two at Lime Point, and two at Battery Yates. Some antiaircraft searchlights were also assigned to the Fort along with a battery of personnel to operate all of them.

 

Report of Completed Works - Seacoast Fortifications: Searchlights

Station Hospital

An Army Hospital similar to a number of others built at the same time around California was built between Horseshoe Bay and the south end of the Parade Ground. The War Department approved this facility on May 6, 1941 for the purposes of centralizing hospital service in the Harbor Defenses of San Francisco and relieving the pressure on Letterman General Hospital at the Presidio. Construction began on the complex on July 1, 1941 and the last structure, the administration building, was accepted October 22. All the structures were of the Army designated "Mobilization Type," and each individual building was constructed according to standard plans for its particular function. In all, 25 buildings were constructed. In addition there were 1,550 linear feet of enclosed corridors and 650 linear feet of open, covered walks that connected all the various buildings. This station hospital remained on active duty until May 15, 1948.

 

Fort Baker's Station Hospital. Battery Cavallo is to the right (SFPL)

Fortifications Modernization

 

During the wartime emergency of 1917-1918, guns were needed elsewhere, including France. No longer were large-caliber weapons required for the inner harbor. Battery Duncan's two 8-inch guns were dismounted in 1917 and shipped back east for use on railroad mounts. The carriages were sold as junk in San Francisco. Battery Orlando Wagner's two 5-inch guns were dismounted and shipped to Ohio to the Morgan Engineering Company where they were fitted to field carriages, then sent overseas. Gun No. 3 at Battery Spencer, which covered the inner harbor, was moved to Battery Chester at Fort Miley. At Battery Kirby, one of the 12-inch guns was shipped to the Philippines in 1933. The Battery was abandoned in 1934. The second gun was removed in 1941. Only the remaining two 12-inch guns at Spencer and the six 3-inch guns at Battery Yates remained in Fort Baker's armament.

 

During World War II more changes occurred. The two 12-inch guns remaining in Battery Spencer were retained until 1943 when they were dismounted.

 

Battery Yates retained two of its 3-inch guns that covered the antisubmarine net stretched across the harbor entrance from Fort Baker to the south shore. These two guns were not dismounted until 1946. Two Yates guns were sent to Battery Townsley in 1940 then to Battery Kirby in 1942 and on to Battery Point at Fort Point where they were mounted on the barbette tier. These guns were dismantled in 1945. One of them was sent back to Battery Townsley as a sub-caliber piece. Two other Yates guns were sent across the Golden Gate in late 1942 to Fort Point where they formed Battery Gate on the barbette tier alongside Battery Point. They were salvaged in early 1946.

 

At Battery Kirby, which had been abandoned in 1934, two new concrete platforms were built in August 1942 nearby the old fortification and the Ordnance Department mounted two of the Yates guns on them. Sometimes called Kirby II and Kirby Beach these guns remained until 1944. Mounted along with them in 1943 were four 90-mm antimotor torpedo boat (AMTB) rapid-fire weapons with shields. These same models of guns were used in other applications as antiaircraft guns. In 1944 the two 3-inch guns at Kirby II were moved to Battery Point.

 

At Point Cavallo two 40-mm AMTB weapons were installed in 1944. They replaced two 37-mm guns installed in 1943. These last two batteries were called Gravelly and Cavallo respectively. Both were disarmed in September 1946.

 

Report of Completed Works - Seacoast Fortification: Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery Gravelly

Military Organizations

 

World War II brought an increase in activity at Fort Baker. At the time of Pearl Harbor only one Coast Artillery unit, Battery F, 6th Coast Artillery Regiment, was assigned to the post. It had been there since August 1, 1940 and would remain until 1946. As was to be expected there was a rapid build-up of personnel. Before Pearl Harbor the 4th, 11th and 21st Mine Planter Batteries were assigned to Fort Baker. Battery A, 130th Coast Artillery Battalion was assigned in April 1, 1942. In October 1942, Battery M, 6th Coast Artillery was assigned to the batteries at Kirby Beach. Detachments from the 4th and 11th Coast Artillery Military Police (CAMP) Batteries were assigned to the post on November 23, 1942. They were joined by a detachment from the 21st CAMP on July 10, 1943. The 4th and 21st remained until August 21, 1945.

 

Battery G, 6th Coast Artillery, arrived on December 28, 1943. This unit was redesignated Battery A, 6th Coast Artillery Battalion in a major reorganization of the Harbor Defenses on October 18, 1944. Again, on September 15, 1945, in still another reorganization, it was redesignated Battery E, Harbor Defenses of San Francisco. Other changes in the 1944 reorganization brought the Headquarters Detachment, 173rd Coast Artillery to "Lime Command Post" at Baker. It remained there until it was disbanded on September 15, 1945. The 1940 unit, Battery F, 6th Coast Artillery Regiment was redesignated as Battery B, 174th Coast Artillery Battalion in October 1944, and assigned to Mines I. It was again redesignated as Battery G, HD of SF on September 15, 1945. This unit was finally inactivated on June 10, 1946, making it the only organization at Fort Baker to be stationed there from 1940 to 1946.

In the postwar reorganization, September 15, 1945, three units were assigned to the garrison: Battery F, HD of SF, assigned to the AMTB weapons; Battery G, HD of SF, assigned to Mines I, II and III; and Battery A, 174th Coast Artillery Battalion, also assigned to Mines I, II and III.

No motor torpedo boats had dashed in through the Golden Gate. No enemy battleships had shelled San Francisco from the sea. But if they had, Fort Baker's men would have been prepared.

 

References: A History of San Francisco Harbor Defense Installations: Forts Baker, Barry, Cronkhite, and Funston by Emanuel Raymond Lewis, 1965, Prepared for Division of Beaches and Parks State of California; Historic Resource Study Forts Baker, Barry and Cronkhite, by Erwin N. Thompson, 1979, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California; Seacoast Fortifications San Francisco Harbor by Erwin N. Thompson, 1979, Golden Gate National Recreation Area; The Lime Point Military Reservation and Fort Baker, California by Gordon Chappell, 1981, National Parks Service.

 

 

 

Batteries at Lime Point Military Reservation

Battery Name	No. of Guns	Type of Gun	Type of Carriage	Construction Started	Construction Completed	Decommissioned
Glavelly Beach	12	Rifled Smoothbores	Pintle Mounted Barbette Carriage	1870	1876	1898 (1)
Cliff	2	Rifled Smoothbores	Pintle Mounted Barbette Carriage	1870	-	1898 (2)
Ridge	4	Rifled Smoothbores	Pintle Mounted Barbette Carriage	1870	1876	1901 (3)
Cavallo	17	Rifled Smoothbores	Pintle Mounted Barbette Carriage	1872	1876	1905 (4)

(1) The Army emplaced one 15-inch Rodman at Gravely Beach in 1873, but the battery was never actually "in service" since there was no garrison at Fort Baker until the late 1890s. The gun's position was obliterated circa 1900 during construction of Battery Kirby. Today, only one magazine remains of the Gravelly Beach Battery .

(2) Cliff Battery was located at the extreme tip of Lime Point Ridge. It was totally demolished during construction of Battery Spencer. It was never armed.

(3) Ridge Battery consisted of four 15-inch Rodman emplacements located mid-way along the ridge and more than a hundred yards north of Cliff Battery/Battery Spencer. It was first armed in 1893 with four 15-inch Rodman smoothbores transferred from the Presidio of San Francisco. (They were dismounted at Fort Scott to make way for construction of Battery Cranston and Marcus Miller.) Ridge Battery was disarmed circa 1909. It wasn't affected by the construction of Cliff Battery, and its four positions are still visible as you walk up the "covered way" to Battery Spencer.

(4) Battery Cavallo wasn't armed until 1900 when three 8-inch converted Rodman rifles were installed to cover the minefield in front of Alcatraz. These guns were also removed circa 1905.

 

 

Batteries at Fort Baker

 

Aerial images of Fort Baker, 8 Jamuary 1938 (National Archives)

 

Battery Name	No. of Guns	Type of Gun	Type of Carriage	Construction Started	Construction Completed	Decommissioned
Spencer	3	12 Inch M1888	M1892 Barbette	1893	1897	1943 (1)
Kirby	2	12 Inch M1894	M1897 Disappearing	1900	-	1941 (1)
Duncan	2	8 Inch M1888	M1892 Barbette	1898	-	1917
Orlando Wagner	2	5 Inch M1896	M1896 Ballanced Pillar	1901	-	1917
Yates	6	3 Inch M1902	M1902 Ballanced Pillar	1903	1905	1943 (2)
Kirby Beach	2	3 Inch M1902	M1902 Ballanced Pillar	1942	1942	1943 (2)
AMTB Gravelly Beach	4	90mm M1	Fixed M3 and Mobile M1	1943	-	-

(1) Battery Chester had one gun removed in 1918. It was replaced by a gun from Battery Spencer in 1918. One gun was removed from Battery Kirby in the 1920s.
(2) Four guns from Battery Yates were removed in 1942. Two were emplaced on top of old Fort Point and two were emplaced at Gravelly Beach, for use as Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat guns. Later the Gravely Beach guns were also moved to Fort Point.

 

 

Map of Fort Baker, 1916

Courtesy of the Coast Defense Study Group

 

 

 

Map of Fort Baker, 1945

Courtesy of the Coast Defense Study Group

 

Click the image to view a larger version.

 

Fort Baker Today

 

Enlisted Barracks and Parade Ground. October 2000

Officers Quarters, October 2000

US Coast Guard Station, October 2000

 

 

Army Units Assigned to Fort Baker

 

Data Source	Date(s)	Unit(s)
Order of Battle of United States Land Forces in the World War (1931-1949)	World War I	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 11th (I) Coast Defense Companies, Fort Baker 11th (II), 12, 13th, 17th, 45th (II) Companies, Coast Defenses of San Francisco
US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941	1919-1922	11th Company, Coast Defenses of San Francisco
US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941	1922-1941	Caretaker Detachment, 6th Coast Artillery Regiment
US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941	1941-	Battery K, 6th Coast Artillery Regiment

 

 

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Harbor Defenses of San Francisco - A Field Guide 1890 to 1950

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Updated 8 February 2016