An American Forts Network historical website
CAPE MAY MILITARY
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NEW TO THIS SITE:
References of guns/carriages to Mark Berhow's "American Seacoast Defenses:
A Reference Guide" Second Edition, CDSG Press 2004, which will aid you in your
personal research.
Note on GPS coordinates for most of the featured sites:
I used WGS 84 except where noted by "USCGS" or "USACE."
Those marked "USCGS" or "USACE" use NAD 83 and are listed at
http://www.geocaching.com/mark/.
The accuracy between WGS 84 and NAD 83 is slightly off,
but should not cause you any difficulties in finding locations
since many GPS devices allow you to switch between them.
The military base established here in 1942 was built to compliment Fort Miles
on Cape Henlopen near Lewes, Delaware. Very little remains here due to
excessive beach erosion over the years. There was previously a World War I
emergency battery (1917-1919) near here which consisted of
a single 6-inch gun, a magazine, CRF station, and storehouse. It was located
on Beach Avenue. The World War II battery here is Battery 223 (1944 - 1947).
There was also Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 7 (1943 - 1946) (two 90mm guns)
which washed away in the 1970's, and an unnamed battery of four 155mm guns on
Panama mounts (1942 - 1944) which also washed away in the 1970's. A Coast Guard
life saving station was also here, the site of which has also washed away. The Navy
continued to use the base after the war as a hydrophone station. A fire-control tower is located
at Sunset Beach to the north of the lighthouse, and another at the Grand Hotel on Beach
Ave. & Philadelphia St. Two fire-control towers were also once located at Wildwood Gables
and at North Wildwood. Searchlight towers were also located around the area. The Cape
May Lighthouse was erected in 1859, replacing earlier lighthouses from 1824 and 1847.
Other nearby points of intrest are: the concrete ship Atlantus which was
sunk by a storm in 1926; the remains of the HMS Martin which was grounded and
burned in 1813; the USCG base which was a World War II Navy section base; and the Cape
May County Airport which was a World War II Naval Air Station.
Satellite Images of Cape May
courtesy of Microsoft TerraServer
* Official link to Cape May Point State Park *
* Cape May Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts *
Launched: August 31, 2002
last updated: 7 February 2008