Fort Miles
Encyclopedia
Fort Miles was an American
military installation located on Cape Henlopen
near Lewes
, Delaware
. Although funds to build the fort were approved in 1934, it was 1941 before the fort was constructed. It was built to defend Delaware Bay
and River
and to protect domestic shipping from enemy fire within the capes, particularly from the German surface fleet. The fort was completed days before the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Battery 118 (Smith) being declared operational on December 4, 1941. The United States declaration of war on Japan compelled the U. S. Army to man the fort with the 261st Coast Artillery Battalion, who days before were slated to leave. Fourteen vessels, including the USS Jacob Jones
, a naval escort, were sunk off the coast of New Jersey during the first six months of 1942. Numerous batteries (ranging from 90mm guns up to 16 inch) were installed at the fort and a large mine field was laid in the waters off Lewes, Delaware
in the following years, but the fort was to see no action during the conflict. The soldiers would receive the surrender of U-858, a German U-boat
that was part of Operation Seawolf at the time of the German surrender to Allied forces in Europe. At its peak, Fort Miles was home to over 2,200 soldiers, men and women, including the 261st Coast Artillery, the 21st Coast Artillery, the 52nd Railway Artillery, the 198th Coast Artillery and the 113th Infantry (det). Most of Fort Miles was declared surplus in 1948 and 1949, but the Army continued to use portions of it through the early 1990s as a recreation area under the management of Fort Meade. In 1963 the US Navy took control of the southern end of Fort Miles including Batteries Smith and Herring to establish a SOSUS
listening facility. "NAVFAC Lewes" would continue to operate as a top secret facility there until September 30, 1981.
Fort Miles never saw any major action, only firing its guns once between its establishment and the end of the war. In 1964, 543 acres (2.2 km²) of federal land were donated to establish Cape Henlopen State Park
. Over time, more land was transferred to the state park until Fort Miles ceased operation altogether in 1991. Its last official usage was as a bivouac
for soldiers that had just returned from the first Gulf War.
Fire Control Towers, four to five story round-base concrete towers with flat observation decks, were set up as baselines to triangulate the position of suspicious ships or submarines. Five such towers still exist within the current boundaries of Cape Henlopen State Park
, including one (#7) that has visitor access. Many bunkers were also constructed to house guns and other weapons. Barracks, administration buildings, and a pier were also constructed as part of the fort.
The four largest coastal Batteries at Ft. Miles are Battery 118 (Smith), Battery 221 (Herring), Battery 222 (Hunter), and Battery 519. Smith originally housed the two 16" guns, and is now in use by Cape Henlopen State Park for storage. Battery Herring, originally covered with sand like all the rest of the batteries, was excavated and expanded for use as a SOSUS station. It is now abandoned. Battery Hunter is in use currently as a Hawk Watch station. Battery 519 originally housed two 12" guns. It is currently being renovated for use as a museum, celebrating Delaware's part in World War II. Tours began in 2004. It has a restored 12" cannon similar to the original mounted at the south gun block. Additionally, it is being used to house a German built 20 millimeter anti-aircraft cannon that had been captured from U-858 after its surrender. Walking tours of the bunkers and other facilities currently being restored are available during summer weekends. The project falls under the pervue of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
(DNREC). Historic interpreters can be seen at the park during special events. These events are designed to give the public a demonstration of military life at Fort Miles when it was still in operation.
Four Panama mount
s still exist at Battery 22, located near the Beach House within the park.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military installation located on Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, Delaware...
near Lewes
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. Although funds to build the fort were approved in 1934, it was 1941 before the fort was constructed. It was built to defend Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
and River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and to protect domestic shipping from enemy fire within the capes, particularly from the German surface fleet. The fort was completed days before the attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Battery 118 (Smith) being declared operational on December 4, 1941. The United States declaration of war on Japan compelled the U. S. Army to man the fort with the 261st Coast Artillery Battalion, who days before were slated to leave. Fourteen vessels, including the USS Jacob Jones
USS Jacob Jones (DD-130)
USS Jacob Jones , named for Commodore Jacob Jones USN , was a .Jacob Jones was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey on 21 February 1918, launched on 20 November 1918 by Mrs. Cazenove Doughton, great-granddaughter of Commodore Jones and commissioned on 20...
, a naval escort, were sunk off the coast of New Jersey during the first six months of 1942. Numerous batteries (ranging from 90mm guns up to 16 inch) were installed at the fort and a large mine field was laid in the waters off Lewes, Delaware
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
in the following years, but the fort was to see no action during the conflict. The soldiers would receive the surrender of U-858, a German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
that was part of Operation Seawolf at the time of the German surrender to Allied forces in Europe. At its peak, Fort Miles was home to over 2,200 soldiers, men and women, including the 261st Coast Artillery, the 21st Coast Artillery, the 52nd Railway Artillery, the 198th Coast Artillery and the 113th Infantry (det). Most of Fort Miles was declared surplus in 1948 and 1949, but the Army continued to use portions of it through the early 1990s as a recreation area under the management of Fort Meade. In 1963 the US Navy took control of the southern end of Fort Miles including Batteries Smith and Herring to establish a SOSUS
SOSUS
SOSUS, an acronym for Sound Surveillance System, is a chain of underwater listening posts across the northern Atlantic Ocean near Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom — the GIUK gap. It was originally operated by the United States Navy for tracking Soviet submarines, which had to pass...
listening facility. "NAVFAC Lewes" would continue to operate as a top secret facility there until September 30, 1981.
Fort Miles never saw any major action, only firing its guns once between its establishment and the end of the war. In 1964, 543 acres (2.2 km²) of federal land were donated to establish Cape Henlopen State Park
Cape Henlopen State Park
Cape Henlopen State Park is a Delaware state park on on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen...
. Over time, more land was transferred to the state park until Fort Miles ceased operation altogether in 1991. Its last official usage was as a bivouac
Bivouac shelter
A bivouac traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and...
for soldiers that had just returned from the first Gulf War.
Fire Control Towers, four to five story round-base concrete towers with flat observation decks, were set up as baselines to triangulate the position of suspicious ships or submarines. Five such towers still exist within the current boundaries of Cape Henlopen State Park
Cape Henlopen State Park
Cape Henlopen State Park is a Delaware state park on on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen...
, including one (#7) that has visitor access. Many bunkers were also constructed to house guns and other weapons. Barracks, administration buildings, and a pier were also constructed as part of the fort.
The four largest coastal Batteries at Ft. Miles are Battery 118 (Smith), Battery 221 (Herring), Battery 222 (Hunter), and Battery 519. Smith originally housed the two 16" guns, and is now in use by Cape Henlopen State Park for storage. Battery Herring, originally covered with sand like all the rest of the batteries, was excavated and expanded for use as a SOSUS station. It is now abandoned. Battery Hunter is in use currently as a Hawk Watch station. Battery 519 originally housed two 12" guns. It is currently being renovated for use as a museum, celebrating Delaware's part in World War II. Tours began in 2004. It has a restored 12" cannon similar to the original mounted at the south gun block. Additionally, it is being used to house a German built 20 millimeter anti-aircraft cannon that had been captured from U-858 after its surrender. Walking tours of the bunkers and other facilities currently being restored are available during summer weekends. The project falls under the pervue of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control of the state of Delaware is the primary body concerned with the governance of public land, natural resources, and environmental regulations for the state. DNREC is composed of several Divisions that have correlates in other U.S...
(DNREC). Historic interpreters can be seen at the park during special events. These events are designed to give the public a demonstration of military life at Fort Miles when it was still in operation.
Four Panama mount
Panama mount
The term Panama Mount describes a gunmount developed by the U.S. Army in Panama during the 1920s for fixed coastal artillery positions. Panama mounts were widely used during the buildup to and during World War II by the United States military....
s still exist at Battery 22, located near the Beach House within the park.
Weaponry
| Number | Name | Completed | Abandoned | Armament | Range (Yard Yard A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches... s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 31 August 1942 | four M1903 3-inch guns | 11,300 | ||
| 5A | 15 June 1943 | four (two fixed and two mobile) 90mm guns | 7500 | ||
| 5B | 15 June 1943 | four fixed 90mm guns and 2 mobile 40mm guns | 7500 | ||
| 20 | Rail A | December 1942 | 5 April 1944 | four, MK. VI, M3A2, 8-inch guns mounted on M1A1 Railway Carriages (8-inch Mk. VI) | 35,300 |
| 21 | Rail B | June 1942 | 5 April 1944 | four, MK. VI, M3A2, 8-inch guns mounted on M1A1 Railway Carriages (8-inch Mk. VI) | 35,300 |
| 22 | 15 June 1942 | "upon completion of permanent batteries" | four 155mm, M1918M1 guns on Panama mount Panama mount The term Panama Mount describes a gunmount developed by the U.S. Army in Panama during the 1920s for fixed coastal artillery positions. Panama mounts were widely used during the buildup to and during World War II by the United States military.... s |
19,100 | |
| 118 | Smith | 31 October 1942 | 1958 | two MKII, I-1922-Navy 16-inch guns, mounted on Army M4 Barbette Carriages | 45,150 |
| 221 | Herring | 31 August 1943 | 1958 | two M1903A2, 6-inch guns | 27,100 |
| 222 | Hunter | 29 October 1943 | 1958 | two M1903A2, 6-inch guns | 27,100 |
| 519 | 31 August 1943 | 1958 | two M1895, M1A2, 12-inch guns | 29,300 |