|
  
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
Major events at Fort Miles by decade |
|
1900's /
1910's /
1920's /
1930's /
1940's /
1950's /
1960's /
1970's /
1980's /
1990's /
2000's |
|
1900's |
1900
No date -
Nelson A. Miles is promoted to
the rank of Lieutenant General of
the US Army. It is the highest
rank held by any officer.
1903
No date -
Lt. Gen. Miles retires as
Commanding General of the Army.
Upon his retirement, the position is
abolished and "Chief-of-Staff" is
created.
|
|
1910's |
1917
No
date - Model 1900 6" Gun and
pedestal placed at Cape Henlopen and
Cape May from Battery Merrill at
Fort St. Philip.
|
1918
No date - 6" Gun batteries
at Cape Henlopen and Cape May
dismantled.
|
|
1920's |
1925
May 15 -
Lt. General Nelson A. Miles dies
of a heart attack saluting the US
flag during the national anthem at a
circus in Washington DC.
|
|
1930's |
1933
May 11 - Harbor Defense of
the Delaware project approved by the
Secretary of War.
1934
April 20 - Construction
approved for
Battery Smith, but
funds would not be appropriated
until FY1941 and FY1942.
|
|
1940's |
1940
Summer - US Army begins
surveying land at Cape Henlopen for
a future coastal fortification.
1941
January 27 - Executive Order
8627 calls
261st Coast Artillery to federal
service.
March 24 - Construction
begins on
Battery Smith.
March 27 - General Order #4
establishes directive for
Harbor
Entrance Control Post (HECP) at Cape
Henlopen.
April 14 - Battery of (4) 155mm guns
(Battery
22)
installed at Cape Henlopen.
April 16 - Battery C,
261st Coast
Artillery assigned to new 155mm
(Battery
22) Battery at Cape
Henlopen. Major Ralph S.
Baker, 261st, assumes command of
Fort Miles.
June 3 - Secretary of War orders
that the military reservation at
Cape Henlopen be officially
designated "Fort Miles" in honor of
Lt. General Nelson A. Miles.
June 5 - Second battery of (4) 155mm
(Battery
26) guns established at Fort
Miles. Battery B,
261st Coast
Artillery assigned.
June 14 -
Battery
22 (155mm) ordered
on 24 hour alert status.
June 30 - Battery B,
261st Coast
Artillery moves 155mm guns (Battery
26) to Cape
May, NJ.
October 2 - War Department Letter: 2
Oct. 1941 directed the establishment
of 8
Harbor Entrance Control Posts (HECP)
in First Army Area, including at
Cape Henlopen, Delaware.
November - Cantonment construction
begins at Fort Miles.
December 4 -
HECP for Harbor
Defenses of the Delaware (HDD)
operational at Fort Miles.
December 7 - Pearl Harbor attacked
by Imperial Japanese Forces.
At 1745 hours General Arthur G.
Campbell commanding
2nd District
Coastal Artillery Sector sent
message from
Fort DuPont to all installations
reading "condition 2
immediately."
December 8 - United States declares
war on Japan.
December 10 - Germany declares war
on United States.
December 20 - General Order #23
establishes Fort Miles and Fort
Saulsbury as sub-posts of
Fort DuPont. Battery C,
21st Coast Artillery sent to Cape
May, NJ to operate
Battery 26. Battery B,
261st CA assigned to Fort
Saulsbury.
December 23 - War Department ordered
all
Harbor Entrance Control Posts in
United States placed on “war basis”.
December 24 - Letter to Chief of
Coast Artillery dated 24 Dec. 1941
advised that third supplemental
National Defense Appropriations Act
of 1942 had appropriated additional
funds for the improvement of Harbor
Defense Control Posts - including
$10,900 for Fort Miles.
December 27 - Lt. Colonel Henry K.
Roscoe,
261st, assumes command of Fort
Miles.
1942
January 5 - General Order #3
establishes
mine command for Harbor
Defenses of the Delaware.
Battery A and Battery B,
21st CAC
assigned. 155mm guns (Battery
22) at Fort
Miles are proof fired.
January 14 - Tanker
Norness, Panama, sunk by
U-123 off coast of New Jersey.
January 17 - Freighter San Jose,
United States, sunk by
U-123 off coast of New Jersey.
January 18 - Improvised Mine Planter
Colonel Henry R. Casey
stationed at Fort Miles (mine
battery).
January 25 - Construction begins on
Battery Herring. Tanker
Varanger, Norway, sunk by
U-130 off coast of New Jersey.
February 5 - Tanker
India Arrow, United States,
sunk by
U-103 off coast of New Jersey.
February 23 - Headquarters Battery,
261st, transferred to Fort
Miles.
February 27 - Tanker
R.P. Resor, United States,
sunk by
U-578 off coast of New Jersey.
February 28 -
USS Jacob Jones, US
Destroyer, sunk by
U-578 off coast of New Jersey.
March 9 - Freighter
Cayru, Brazil, sunk by
U-94 off coast of New Jersey.
March 10 - Tanker
Gulftrade, United States,
sunk by
U-588 off coast of New Jersey.
March 11 - Freighter
Hvoslef, Norway, sunk by
U-94 off coast of New Jersey.
March 14 - Collier
Lemuel Burrows, United
States, sunk by
U-404 off coast of New Jersey.
March 15 - Battery C,
52nd Railway
Artillery arrives at Fort Miles
(Railway
Batteries).
Construction begins on temporary
wooden barracks.
March 16 - US Navy installs AMTB
boom at Reedy Island in the Delaware
River.
March 23 - General Order #1
establishes the
Eastern Defense
Command.
April 15 - Construction begins on
Battery Hunter.
April 21 - Colonel Robert E.
Phillips, CAC, assumes command of
Fort Miles.
April 28 - Freighter
Arundo, Netherlands, sunk by
U-136 off coast of New Jersey.
May 1 - Tanker
Bidevind, Norway, sunk by
U-752 off coast of New Jersey.
May 15 - Battery C,
52nd Coast Artillery (Railway)
arrives at Fort Miles (Railway
Battery).
May 22 - General Order #9 assigns
Battery C,
261st CAC to
Battery 519.
Battery C (det),
261st CAC assigned
to
Battery #5 (3 inch) at Ft. Miles.
May 25 - Tanker
Persephone, Panama, sunk by
U-593 off coast of New Jersey.
June 6 - Planting of buoyant
mine
field at Fort Miles complete.
June 10 - Harbor Defense of the
Delaware
command post transferred to
Fort Miles. General Order #7
moves HQ Battery,
21st CAC to Fort
Miles.
June 11 - General Order #5 names
Battery Herring for deceased LTC
Ralph E. Herring, CAC US Army and
Battery Hunter for deceased COL
Charles H. Hunter, CAC US Army.
June 16 - Temporary
HDCP established at
Construction #119, Fort Miles.
June 22 - Freighter
Rio Tercero, Argentina, sunk
by
U-202 off coast of New Jersey.
August 10 - US Army Mine Planter
Ord stationed at Fort Miles for
temporary duty (Mine
Battery).
August 29 - US Army Mine Planter
Hunt stationed at Fort Miles for
temporary duty (Mine
Battery).
September 10 - Battery D,
52nd
Coast Artillery (Railway) arrives at Fort Miles (Railway
Battery).
September 11 -
Battery #5 (3 inch)
operational at Fort Miles.
September 12 - Construction begins
on
Battery 223 (Battery Dunn) in
Cape May.
September 13 - War Department halts
construction on proposed Battery 119
(2 - 16")
October 31 - Construction on
Battery
Smith (2 - 16") completed.
Cost: $1.3 million.
November 1 - US Army Mine Planter
Sylvester (MP-5) arrives at Fort
Miles and is manned by 12th Coast
Artillery Mine Planter (CAMP)
battery.
November 15 - Construction on
Battery 519 begins
from halted Battery 119 project.
December 4 - Navy AMTB boom removed
from Reedy Island and
EDC directs
removal of
Battery #5 from Fort
Miles.
December 19 - US Army Mine Planter
Frank (MP-12) arrives at Fort
Miles and is manned by 19th Coast
Artillery Mine Planter (CAMP)
battery.
1943
January 1 - Construction
begins on
Battery #7 (90mm) in Cape
May, NJ.
January 8 - Dismantling of Battery
Haslet, Fort Saulsbury begins.
January 17 - Delaware Bay
Mine
Project completed and approved by
War Department.
January 18 - Battery B (det),
261st
CAC transferred from Fort Saulsbury
to
Battery Smith, Fort Miles.
January 23 - Battery C,
261st CAC assigned to
Battery #5 (3 inch).
Battery A,
261st CAC assigned to
Battery 22 (155mm).
Batteries A & B,
21st CAC assigned to
Battery Herring.
Headquarters Battery,
261st CAC assigned to
searchlights.
February 6 -
Battery #5 (3 inch)
dismantled. Battery C (det),
261st CAC assigned to
Battery #5A
(90mm), Fort Miles.
March 12 - 12 inch guns removed from
Battery Haslet, Fort Saulsbury for
installation at
Battery 519, Fort
Miles.
March 16 -
Battery #5A (90mm)
operational and manned by Battery C
(det),
261st CAC.
March 27 -
HDCP moves out of
temporary facility at Construction
#119 and into permanent
HDCP
casemate.
April 22 - Battery C,
52nd Railway
Artillery is re-designated Battery
A, 287th Coast Artillery.
Battery D,
52nd Railway Artillery is
re-designated Battery B, 287th Coast
Artillery (Railway
Batteries). Planting of the M-4
ground mines commenced in
mine
field.
April 31 - Construction on
Battery
Herring complete. Cost:
$181,300.
May - Battery of 90mm guns
(Battery
7) operational at Cape May, NJ.
June 8 - HECP occupies new station
in
Tower #9.
June 15 - Construction on
Battery #7
(90mm), Cape May complete.
Cost: $15,300.
June 23 - Construction on
Battery
223 (Battery Dunn), Cape May
complete. Cost: $342,000.
August 31 - Construction on
Battery
519 complete. Cost: $857,000.
September 15 - 16" guns at
Battery
Smith proof fired.
September 16 - 6" guns at
Battery
Herring proof fired.
October 14 - General Order #11 names
Battery Smith for Major General
William R. Smith, US Army.
October 23 - Planting of the M-4
ground
mine field completed.
October 29 - Construction on
Battery
Hunter complete. Cost:
$180,200.
November 15 - 6" guns at
Battery
Hunter proof fired.
1944
February 1 - 155mm guns
removed from Fort Miles (Battery
22).
February 4 - 155mm guns removed from
Cape May (Battery
26).
March - Phase III Cantonment
construction completed.
April 16 - Tanker
Pan Pennsylvania, United
States, sunk by
U-550 off coast of New Jersey.
May 9 - General order #7 makes the
following tactical assignments:
|
HQ Battery,
21st CAC |
Tower 12
HDCP |
|
Batteries A & B,
21st CAC |
Underwater Defenses
Tower 5, Level B
Tower 7, Level C
Tower 9, Level C |
|
Battery C,
21st CAC |
Battery 7 (90mm)(Cape
May)
Tower 23 (Cape May)
Tower 24 (Cape May)
Searchlights (Cape May)
SCR-582 |
|
Battery A,
261st CAC |
Battery Hunter
Tower 3, Level C
Tower 6, Level B
Tower 9, Level B
Searchlights
SCR-296A Set 4 |
|
Battery B,
261st CAC |
Battery 5B (90mm)
Tower 10
Searchlights |
|
Battery C,
261st CAC |
Battery Herring
Tower 4, Level C
Tower 6, Level C
Tower 9, Level A
Searchlights |
|
Per General Order #7, the
following maintenance
assignments were made: |
|
Battery C,
21st CAC |
HD installations in New
Jersey |
|
Battery A,
261st CAC |
Battery 519 |
|
Battery B,
261st CAC |
Battery 5A |
|
Battery C,
261st CAC |
Battery Smith, Fort
Saulsbury |
August 22 - The
287th Coast
Artillery moved from Fort Miles to
Fort Bragg, NC.
Redesignated the 539th Field
Artillery Battalion on 30 Aug.
September 14 -
The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944
hits Fort Miles and Cape May Point
as a category 1 with 90 mph sustained winds.
Property damage: $67,475.00.
The same hurricane was responsible
for the sinking of the
USS Warrington.
September 19 - Battery A,
261st CAC redesignated Battery
E,
21st CAC. Battery B,
261st CAC redesignated Battery
D,
21st CAC. Battery C,
261st CAC redesignated Battery
F,
21st CAC.
October 16 - General order #15
rescinds General Order #7, making
the following tactical assignments:
|
HQ Battery,
21st CAC |
Tower 12
HDCP |
|
Batteries A & B,
21st CAC |
Underwater Defenses
Tower 5, Level C
Tower 7, Level A
Tower 9, Level C |
|
Battery C,
21st CAC |
Battery 7 (90mm)(Cape
May)
Tower 23 (Cape May)
Tower 24 (Cape May)
Searchlights (Cape May)
SCR-582
2 - 40mm guns
4 - 50 gal MG |
|
Battery D,
21st CAC |
Battery 5B (90mm)
2 - 40mm guns
4 - 50 gal MG
Tower 10
Searchlights |
|
Battery E,
21st CAC |
Battery Hunter
1 - 40mm gun
2 - 50 gal MG
Tower 2, Level C
Tower 3, Level C
Tower 6, Level B
Tower 9, Level B
Tower 13, Level B
Tower 14, Level B
SCR-296A Set 4 |
|
Battery F,
21st CAC |
Battery Herring
1 - 40mm gun
2 - 50 gal MG
Tower 2, Level C
Tower 4, Level C
Tower 6, Level C
Tower 9, Level A
Tower 13, Level C
Tower 14, Level C |
|
Battery G,
21st CAC |
Searchlights |
|
General Order #15 makes the
following maintenance
assignments: |
|
Batteries A & B,
21st CAC |
Tower 5,Level B
Tower 7, Levels B & C |
|
Battery C,
21st CAC |
All HD installations in NJ
not already assigned. |
|
Battery D,
21st CAC |
Battery 5A |
|
Battery E,
21st CAC |
Battery 519
Tower 2, Level B
Tower 3, Level B
Tower 14, Level A |
|
Battery F,
21st CAC |
Battery Smith
Tower 2, Level C
Tower 4, Level B
Tower 6, Level A |
|
Battery G,
21st CAC |
All
searchlights not already
assigned. |
1945
February 11 -
U-869 sunk by
USS Howard D. Crow and
USS
Koiner off coast of New
Jersey.
May 8 - Teletype message received at
0914 indicating "Action 87
completed." Upon receipt of
"Action 87" all organized resistance
in Germany was considered ended.
May 14 -
U-858 surrenders to US
forces at Fort Miles.
July 14 - Lt. Colonel Samuel S.
Neill, CAC, assumes command of Fort
Miles.
August 14 - Headquarters,
Eastern
Defense Command notifies
Headquarters, Harbor Defenses of the
Delaware at Fort Miles of Japanese
surrender.
1946
June - Fort Miles serves as
a test facility for "Operation
Bumblebee," the US Navy's supersonic
RamJet rocket project. Fort
Miles was only used for a few months
as a test facility before full
testing was transferred to Topsail
Island, NC.
Photo of a Cobra RamJet rocket being
fired at Fort Miles.
1948
April 26 - A portion of Fort
Miles is declared inactive by the
Department of the Army for use by
the Lewes School District.
May 5 - Department of the Army
declared permanently emplaced
seacoast artillery batteries at Fort
Miles as surplus.
July 12 - The following structures
are considered surplus by the
Department of the Army:
FC
Tower #1,
FC Tower #2,
FC Tower #14,
FC Tower #26.
1949
March 5 - Naval detachment
arrives at Fort Miles to effect the
transfer of the
USS Milwaukee (CL-5), a US light
cruiser that ended its war days as
the ship Murmansk of the Soviet
Navy.
December 31 - The following
structures are considered surplus by
the Department of the Army:
FC
Tower #3,
FC Tower #4,
FC Tower #5,
FC Tower #6, and
FC Tower #13.
The Cape May Reservation of Fort
Miles is also considered surplus and
is released to the State of New
Jersey. The following towers
in New Jersey are considered
surplus:
FC Tower #23,
FC
Tower #24, and
FC Tower #25.
|
|
1950's |
1951
December 26 - Portions of
Fort Miles are turned over to
control of the Department of the
Navy.
1955
June 10 - Mine wharf is
considered surplus by the Department
of the Army and is recommended
destroyed.
August 15 -
Naval Facility (NAVFAC)
Cape May is commissioned.
|
|
1960's |
1960
October 26 - 626 acres of
Fort Miles is considered surplus and
control is transferred to the
Department of the Navy.
1962
March - Ash Wednesday storm
destroys
NAVFAC Cape May.
Equipment is shipped by LST across
the Delaware Bay to former Fort
Miles site at
Battery Herring.
May 1 -
NAVFAC Lewes is
commissioned. Lieutenant
Commander Orville L. Tomlinson, USN
assumes command.
November 16 - Lieutenant Bruce L.
Pickett, USN assumes command of
NAVFAC Lewes.
1964
No date - 564 acres of land
considered surplus by the Department
of the Army and transferred to the
State of Delaware, establishing
Cape Henlopen State Park.
1965
February 15 - Commander John
M. Liston, USN assumes command of
NAVFAC Lewes.
1967
April 20 - Commander Robert
H. Fall III, USN assumes command of
NAVFAC Lewes.
1969
July 11 - Commander George
W. Stewart, USN assumes command of
NAVFAC Lewes.
|
|
1970's |
1972
August 31 -
NAVFAC Lewes
awarded Navy Unit Citation for
period 1 August 1969 to 31 August
1972.
December 12 - Commander
William H. Maier, USN assumes
command of
NAVFAC Lewes.
1974
September 4 - Lieutenant
Commander Robert J. Eastman, Jr.,
USN assumes command of
NAVFAC Lewes.
1977
September 16 - LCDR Margaret
Anne Fredrick, USN assumes command
of
NAVFAC Lewes. She is the
first female commanding officer of a
NAVFAC facility.
1978
December 31 -
NAVFAC Lewes
awarded Navy Meritorious Unit
Citation for period 1 October 1975 -
31 December 1978.
1979
No Date - Commander William
J. Zuberbuhler, USN assumes command
of
NAVFAC Lewes.
|
|
1980's |
1980
September 30 -
NAVFAC Lewes
awarded Navy Meritorious Unit
Citation for period 1 October 1977
to 30 September 1980.
1981
September 30 -
NAVFAC Lewes
is decommissioned. HQ building
(Biden Center),
Battery Smith, and
Battery Herring retained by US
Navy as a Naval Reserve Facility.
|
|
1990's |
Fort Miles serves as a bivouac for
recalled personnel serving in the
first gulf war.
1996
August 23 - Naval Reserve
Facility at Cape Henlopen
decommissioned.
1998
Summer - 12 inch gun arrives
at Fort Miles from the Naval Surface
Warfare Center in Dahlgren, VA.
No additional data - research is
continuing.
|
|
2000's |
2004
Summer - First public tours
of Battery 519 are conducted.
First tour group included over 100
people.
Fall - Work crews begin
interior cleanup and restoration of
Battery 519. Initial
cleanup of barracks buildings begin.
2005
April - Fort Miles on-site
assets are added to the National
Register of Historic Places
April 30, May 1 - First re-enactment
event takes place at Fort Miles
Historic Site.
2006
May 26 - New 8 inch railway
gun and 3 inch gun arrive at Fort
Miles from Dahlgren, VA.
2007
April - 12 inch gun
installed in
Battery 519.
July 6 - CNN arrives at Fort
Miles to shoot a news segment to run
in conjunction with VJ day
programming.
July 28 - Veterans of the
SOSUS program dedicate a plaque at
the Biden Center, commemorating the
26 years of dedicated service by
NAVFAC, Lewes.
Summer - Restoration of Rec Hall
T-600 and Supply & Admin T-601
(phase one) completed.
August 14 - CNN airs Fort Miles
segment shot in July.
September - Fort Miles off-site
assets are nominated for addition to
the National Register of Historic
Places.
September 30 -
M4 Ground Mine arrives at Fort
Miles.
October 10 -
Tower 3 restoration project
officially begins with
ribbon-cutting ceremony at the base
of the structure.
October 22 - 1942 Sperry Searchlight
arrives at Fort Miles.
November - US Army Corps of
Engineers begin additional
unexploded ordnance cleanup at Fort
Miles.
December - Roof construction on Fort
Miles Orientation Building completed.
December 10 - WWII Admirable Class
Minesweeper
USS Cruise (AM-215) sunk
26 miles off coast of Indian River
Inlet, Delaware to serve as an
artificial reef.
2008
January 23 - Restoration on
Barracks T-606 begins. Work
includes new windows and doors,
concrete restoration (walls &
floor), and roof repair.
June 1 - Fort Miles Orientation
Building opened and begins daily
operations on site.
Construction begins on operations
office in FMOB.
June 15 - Glass wall surrounding
12-inch gun in
Battery 519 completed.
June 29 - Initial site prep
completed for installation of
railway for 8-inch gun display.
July 4 - Flagpole installed at main
gate of Fort Miles Historic Site. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Visit
What Price Glory for your WWII
supply needs. Commission from
sales will be donated to the Fort
Miles Restoration Project! |
|
© 2006 - 2009 FortMiles.org
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in
part
without permission is
prohibited.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
