The Bell Island Battery was built in 1939 to protect the ships loaded with iron ore from the island. The Battery was used until the end of WWII in 1945 and consists of two 4.7 inch quick-firing guns located at the of the hill overlooking the ferry terminal. One of these guns have had the cement mount fully restored while the other is left crumbling. In November of 1942 two iron ore ships were torpedoed by a German U-Boat. Remains of one of these ships can be seen on the beach in Lance Cove. Right on the beach there is what looks to be part of the engine or some type of crane and just off the beach at low tide you can see a large section of one of the ships. The Pier where 80,000 tons of iron ore was stored was also torpedoed that year. Since the closure of the ore mines, Bell Island has gone from a finacially valuable island to having the lowest property values in Canada and possibly North America. There are a few abandoned store fronts around the island that look like their worth checking out and we plan to do so on our next visit. One of the stores has a colapsed garage and the rear that still has a van in it.