Fort Ward (Washington)
Encyclopedia
Fort Ward is a former United States Army
coastal artillery
fort, and later, a Navy
installation
located on the southwest side of Bainbridge Island, Washington
, along Rich Passage
.
, convened by Secretary of War
William C. Endicott made sweeping recommendations for new or upgraded coastal defense installations and weapons systems. As the twentieth century approached, American military strategists realized that heavy, fixed artillery
required a very different training program than lighter, mobile field artillery
.
Fort Ward was originally known as Beans Point and was established in 1890 as one of several U.S. Army Coastal Artillery Corps installations, including Fort Flagler, Fort Casey
and Fort Worden
, built to defend Puget Sound
from enemy warships. Its primary objective was to protect the nearby Bremerton Naval Shipyard
.
In 1903, the U.S. Army officially designated Beans Point as a seacoast fort and named it Fort Ward in honor of Colonel George H. Ward
. Activity in and around the fort continued as new buildings were constructed and new troops arrived.
The coastal artillery
batteries located at Fort Ward were:
In the 1920s, Fort Ward was placed on inactive status, but a small number of men were still stationed there. In 1928, the fort was essentially left abandoned. The fort remained abandoned for several years, until 1935, it served as a state-operated fresh air camp for inner city children from Seattle.
. In August 1939, the U.S. Navy relocated the Astoria, Oregon
intercept site to Fort Ward. This was the beginning of the development of Fort Ward as a top-secret military listening post.
In August 1940, the U.S. Navy had five sites with diplomatic targets which were all linked directly, or indirectly through U.S. Army communication circuits, to Washington, D.C.
via radio and landline communications. These sites were Winter Harbor, Maine
; Amagansett, New York
; Cheltenham, Maryland
; Jupiter, Florida
; and Fort Ward—Bainbridge Island, Washington
.
Rhombic antennas were installed on the Parade Ground, and the old post exchange/gymnasium building was converted into a top secret listening post code-named "Station S". Inside "Station S", men and women worked 24 hours a day, listening in on Japanese naval
communications, which were transmitted in the Japanese Morse Code
. This building is now a private home.
The listening post activities were so top secret that personnel on the base were instructed not to look at the building when they walked by it.
Meanwhile, the Navy developed a "cover story" for what was happening at Naval Radio Station Bainbridge Island. The story—that it was one of the few Naval Reserve Radio Schools in the nation—received a full page of coverage in the Seattle Times on January 11, 1941. Some of the sailors pictured in the article actually worked at "Station S" after their training. Photos show the sailors copying Morse code
in a classroom, setting up a Morse Code
-sending machine, and marching from their school building to noon mess.
In March 1941, a commercial teletype line between the installations at Winter Harbor, Maine
, Amagansett, New York
, and Fort Ward was inaugurated. Communications between Washington, D.C. and its far-flung resources in the Pacific continued to be primitive. Messages and intercept logs, reports and professional correspondence, if classified, were painstakingly enciphered by the radio intelligence officer himself using special equipment and instructions. If transmitted as messages on manual Morse code
circuits or landlines, they were delivered to the communications center where they were again enciphered. The Fort Ward command also oversaw the construction of the Navy's largest radio transmitter at Battle Point
, with a tower 300 feet taller than the Space Needle
. This was used to send messages to Navy Command at Pier 91 in Seattle.
The first chapter of David Kahn's book tells about how "Station S" intercepted the communication from Tokyo
to the Japanese Ambassador that instructed him to break off negotiations just before the attack on Pearl Harbor
on December 7, 1941.
During World War II
, a submarine net was placed across Rich Passage
.
In November 1942, Fort Ward also assumed control of naval intelligence assignments previously tasked to the Royal Canadian Navy
.
During World War II
, the U.S. Navy radio station operations consisted of:
After World War II
, personnel on the base (which was transferred back to the U.S. Army in 1956) continued to listen in on radio transmissions—first Korean and then Soviet. Activity continued at the radio station until 1956.
negotiated for acquisition of part of the fort in 1960, which became Fort Ward State Park
. The naval radio transmitting station located at Battle Point
was deactivated on March 31, 1959, and the equipment was removed in 1971.
Over the years, some of the buildings have been converted into homes, and the area, the parade ground of the community of Fort Ward
has been designated a National Historic Site, the only one of its kind on Bainbridge Island. Many of the homes are also listed on the City of Bainbridge Island's Historic Register.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
fort, and later, a Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
installation
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
located on the southwest side of Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated...
, along Rich Passage
Rich Passage
Rich Passage is a tidal strait in Puget Sound, allowing access to Bremerton, Washington, Port Orchard Bay and Dyes Inlet, and separating Bainbridge Island from the Manchester area of the Kitsap Peninsula. Due to the activities at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Rich Passage has a high volume of...
.
Early
During the 1880s, the Endicott BoardEndicott Board
Several boards have been appointed by US presidents or Congress to evaluate the US defensive fortifications, primarily coastal defenses near strategically important harbors on the US shores, its territories, and its protectorates.-Endicott Board:...
, convened by Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
William C. Endicott made sweeping recommendations for new or upgraded coastal defense installations and weapons systems. As the twentieth century approached, American military strategists realized that heavy, fixed artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
required a very different training program than lighter, mobile field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
.
Fort Ward was originally known as Beans Point and was established in 1890 as one of several U.S. Army Coastal Artillery Corps installations, including Fort Flagler, Fort Casey
Fort Casey
Fort Casey State Park is located on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Admiralty Inlet was considered so strategic to the defense of Puget Sound in the 1890s that three forts, Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, and Fort Worden at Port Townsend, were built at the...
and Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...
, built to defend Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
from enemy warships. Its primary objective was to protect the nearby Bremerton Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...
.
In 1903, the U.S. Army officially designated Beans Point as a seacoast fort and named it Fort Ward in honor of Colonel George H. Ward
George Hull Ward
George Hull Ward was a soldier and Union officer in the American Civil War.-Early life:Ward was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and educated in the common schools. He married Emily E. Mayo on June 5, 1851...
. Activity in and around the fort continued as new buildings were constructed and new troops arrived.
The coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
batteries located at Fort Ward were:
- Battery Nash (1903–1918), three 8" DC, hidden along the bluff, now on private property;
- Battery Warner (1903–1925), two 5" P, now on private property and surrounded by modern homes;
- Battery Thornburgh (1903–1920), four 3" MP;
- Battery Vinton (1903–1920), two 3" MP.
Battery Vinton had two 3" model 1897 guns. These guns guarded an underwater mine field placed across Rich PassageRich PassageRich Passage is a tidal strait in Puget Sound, allowing access to Bremerton, Washington, Port Orchard Bay and Dyes Inlet, and separating Bainbridge Island from the Manchester area of the Kitsap Peninsula. Due to the activities at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Rich Passage has a high volume of...
. The guns were removed on July 19, 1920, never having been fired for defense, and were shipped to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In the 1920s, Fort Ward was placed on inactive status, but a small number of men were still stationed there. In 1928, the fort was essentially left abandoned. The fort remained abandoned for several years, until 1935, it served as a state-operated fresh air camp for inner city children from Seattle.
Before and during World War II
In 1938, the U.S. Navy took over Fort Ward from the U.S. Army, and confiscated several surrounding properties and evicted the owners. The U.S. Navy found the fort to be attractive after tests had shown that it was an outstanding location to eavesdrop on radio communication transmitted from the Far East, chiefly JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In August 1939, the U.S. Navy relocated the Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
intercept site to Fort Ward. This was the beginning of the development of Fort Ward as a top-secret military listening post.
In August 1940, the U.S. Navy had five sites with diplomatic targets which were all linked directly, or indirectly through U.S. Army communication circuits, to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
via radio and landline communications. These sites were Winter Harbor, Maine
Winter Harbor, Maine
Winter Harbor is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
; Amagansett, New York
Amagansett, New York
Amagansett is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 1,067. Amagansett hamlet was founded in 1680.The...
; Cheltenham, Maryland
Cheltenham, Maryland
Cheltenham is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, adjacent to U.S. Highway 301. It contains a juvenile correctional facility, the Southern Maryland Farmers market, and Maryland Veterans Cemetery, along with many scenic farms and woods. Nearby is the...
; Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
; and Fort Ward—Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated...
.
Rhombic antennas were installed on the Parade Ground, and the old post exchange/gymnasium building was converted into a top secret listening post code-named "Station S". Inside "Station S", men and women worked 24 hours a day, listening in on Japanese naval
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
communications, which were transmitted in the Japanese Morse Code
Wabun Code
The is a form of Morse code used to send Japanese text. Unlike International Morse Code, which represents letters of the Roman alphabet, in Wabun each symbol represents a Japanese kana...
. This building is now a private home.
The listening post activities were so top secret that personnel on the base were instructed not to look at the building when they walked by it.
Meanwhile, the Navy developed a "cover story" for what was happening at Naval Radio Station Bainbridge Island. The story—that it was one of the few Naval Reserve Radio Schools in the nation—received a full page of coverage in the Seattle Times on January 11, 1941. Some of the sailors pictured in the article actually worked at "Station S" after their training. Photos show the sailors copying Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
in a classroom, setting up a Morse Code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
-sending machine, and marching from their school building to noon mess.
In March 1941, a commercial teletype line between the installations at Winter Harbor, Maine
Winter Harbor, Maine
Winter Harbor is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, Amagansett, New York
Amagansett, New York
Amagansett is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 1,067. Amagansett hamlet was founded in 1680.The...
, and Fort Ward was inaugurated. Communications between Washington, D.C. and its far-flung resources in the Pacific continued to be primitive. Messages and intercept logs, reports and professional correspondence, if classified, were painstakingly enciphered by the radio intelligence officer himself using special equipment and instructions. If transmitted as messages on manual Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
circuits or landlines, they were delivered to the communications center where they were again enciphered. The Fort Ward command also oversaw the construction of the Navy's largest radio transmitter at Battle Point
Battle Point, Bainbridge Island, Washington
Battle Point is a community of Bainbridge Island, Washington. Battle Point is located on the western side of the island. The northern part of the point contains several streets named "Arrow Point", but the areas have become virtually congruous. Battle Point also contains the communities of Tolo...
, with a tower 300 feet taller than the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
. This was used to send messages to Navy Command at Pier 91 in Seattle.
The first chapter of David Kahn's book tells about how "Station S" intercepted the communication from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to the Japanese Ambassador that instructed him to break off negotiations just 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...
on December 7, 1941.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a submarine net was placed across Rich Passage
Rich Passage
Rich Passage is a tidal strait in Puget Sound, allowing access to Bremerton, Washington, Port Orchard Bay and Dyes Inlet, and separating Bainbridge Island from the Manchester area of the Kitsap Peninsula. Due to the activities at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Rich Passage has a high volume of...
.
In November 1942, Fort Ward also assumed control of naval intelligence assignments previously tasked to the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the U.S. Navy radio station operations consisted of:
- Supplementary Station (School, D/F and Intercept), Bainbridge Island, Port Blakely, Wash.
- Naval Radio Transmitting Station, Bainbridge Island, Wash. (located at Battle PointBattle Point, Bainbridge Island, WashingtonBattle Point is a community of Bainbridge Island, Washington. Battle Point is located on the western side of the island. The northern part of the point contains several streets named "Arrow Point", but the areas have become virtually congruous. Battle Point also contains the communities of Tolo...
) - U.S. Naval Radio Direction Finder Station, Bainbridge Island, Port Blakely, Wash.
- Naval Training School (Radio-Special), Bainbridge Island, Port Blakely, Wash.
- Naval Radio Activities, Bainbridge Island, Port Blakely, Wash.
- Supplementary Radio Station, Bainbridge Island, Port Blakely, Wash.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, personnel on the base (which was transferred back to the U.S. Army in 1956) continued to listen in on radio transmissions—first Korean and then Soviet. Activity continued at the radio station until 1956.
Post World War II
The U.S. Army abandoned all operations in 1958. Upon this second deactivation, the Washington State Park SystemWashington State Park System
The Washington State Park System is a set of state parks owned by the state government of Washington, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. As of 2011, the parks are primarily funded through the state's general fund, augmented by usage fees...
negotiated for acquisition of part of the fort in 1960, which became Fort Ward State Park
Fort Ward State Park
Fort Ward Park is a former state park located along Rich Passage on the southern end of Bainbridge Island in Washington. Fort Ward Park is part of the Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District, on land which the former military base, Fort Ward, was located.Covering of dense forest and...
. The naval radio transmitting station located at Battle Point
Battle Point, Bainbridge Island, Washington
Battle Point is a community of Bainbridge Island, Washington. Battle Point is located on the western side of the island. The northern part of the point contains several streets named "Arrow Point", but the areas have become virtually congruous. Battle Point also contains the communities of Tolo...
was deactivated on March 31, 1959, and the equipment was removed in 1971.
Over the years, some of the buildings have been converted into homes, and the area, the parade ground of the community of Fort Ward
Fort Ward, Bainbridge Island, Washington
Fort Ward, named for the former fort of the same name, is a community of Bainbridge Island, Washington. It is located at the very south of the island. Fort Ward is mainly a tangle of residential streets off of Fort Ward Hill Road NE. Fort Ward State Park is a popular recreational...
has been designated a National Historic Site, the only one of its kind on Bainbridge Island. Many of the homes are also listed on the City of Bainbridge Island's Historic Register.
External links
- Duane Colt Denfeld: Station S (Fort Ward, Bainbridge Island) at HistoryLinkHistoryLinkHistoryLink is a website that is an encyclopedia of Washington State history. The site has more than 4,500 stories. There are 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images....