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Harbor Defense Command facts for kids

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A Harbor Defense Command was a special military group in the United States Army. Their main job was to protect important harbors and rivers. They did this by using forts, hidden underwater mines, and other defenses along the coast. These commands started around 1895 and were officially named Harbor Defense Commands in 1925. They were eventually stopped in 1950.

History of Harbor Defenses

These defense groups first started as "Artillery Districts" in 1895. They were set up to manage new forts built under a plan called the Endicott Program. These districts had different parts. For example, they might have a "Mine Command" to handle underwater mines.

Special ships called mine planters helped. They would place and take care of these controlled minefields. In 1913, the districts got a new name: "Coast Defense Commands." They were known as "Coast Defenses of..." the area they protected.

Some of these commands were taken apart after World War I. Their weapons were removed. However, some minefields might have stayed. In World War II, some of these places got new defenses. They used "Panama mounts," which were round concrete platforms. These platforms held large, movable 155 mm guns. Some areas with these new defenses were called "Temporary Harbor Defenses."

In 1925, the "Coast Defense Commands" changed their name again. They became "Harbor Defense Commands." After World War II, all these commands were slowly closed down. By 1950, they and the Coast Artillery Corps were completely stopped.

Harbor Defense Command Areas in the United States

The table below shows the main Harbor Defense Commands inside the United States. It lists their names, the states they protected, the forts they included, and when they were active.

Name State(s) Forts Years active in coast defense Notes
The Kennebec Maine Fort Baldwin, Fort Popham 1899-1924 Probably merged with Coast Defenses of Portland prior to 1917 (not listed in Rinaldi WWI), rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II
Portland Maine Fort McKinley, Fort Lyon, Fort Levett, Fort Preble, Fort Williams, Peaks Island Military Reservation 1898-1948
Portsmouth New Hampshire, Maine Fort Foster, Fort Constitution, Fort Stark, Fort Dearborn 1898-1948
Boston Massachusetts Fort Ruckman, Fort Banks, Fort Heath, Fort Dawes, Fort Warren, Fort Standish, Fort Strong, Fort Andrews, Fort Duvall, Fort Revere, East Point Military Reservation 1896-1948
New Bedford Massachusetts Fort Rodman 1899-1946
Narragansett Bay Rhode Island Fort Adams, Fort Church, Fort Wetherill, Fort Getty, Fort Burnside, Fort Greble, Fort Kearny, Fort Varnum, Fort Greene 1898-1947
Long Island Sound New York, Rhode Island Fort Mansfield, Fort H. G. Wright, Fort Michie, Fort Terry, Fort Tyler, Camp Hero 1900-1948
Eastern New York New York Fort Slocum, Fort Schuyler, Fort Totten 1897-1935 Anti-aircraft training center in World War II
Southern New York New York, New Jersey Fort Tilden, Fort Hamilton, Fort Wadsworth, Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook Proving Ground, Highlands Military Reservation 1890-1948 Also separate Harbor Defenses of Sandy Hook since at least World War I, merged in World War II as Harbor Defenses of New York
Sandy Hook New Jersey Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook Proving Ground, Highlands Military Reservation 1915?-1942 Probably split from HD Southern New York 1915, merged with HD Southern New York in World War II as Harbor Defenses of New York
The Delaware Delaware, New Jersey, Philadelphia Fort Mott, Fort Delaware, Fort DuPont, Fort Saulsbury, Fort Miles, Cape May Military Reservation 1899-1948
Baltimore Maryland Fort Howard, Fort Carroll, Fort Armistead, Fort Smallwood 1899-1927
The Potomac Maryland, Virginia Fort Washington, Fort Hunt 1898-1929
Chesapeake Bay Virginia Fort Monroe, Fort Wool, Fort John Custis, Fort Story 1897-1948
Beaufort North Carolina Fort Macon 1941-1945 Temporary in World War II with 155 mm GPF guns
The Cape Fear North Carolina Fort Caswell 1899-1925
Wilmington North Carolina Kure Beach Military Reservation 1940-1945 Temporary in World War II with Panama mounts
Charleston South Carolina Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter 1898-1947
Port Royal Sound South Carolina Fort Fremont 1897-1914
Savannah Georgia Fort Screven, Fort Pulaski 1898-1928 rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II
Key West Florida Fort Taylor 1900-1946
Tampa Bay Florida Fort Dade, Fort DeSoto 1899-1926 rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II
Pensacola Florida Fort Pickens, Fort McRee 1898-1947
Mobile Alabama Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines 1898-1928 rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II
The Mississippi Louisiana Fort St. Philip, Fort Jackson 1898-1920 rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II as Temporary Harbor Defenses of New Orleans
Galveston Texas Fort Travis, Fort San Jacinto, Fort Crockett 1898-1946
San Diego California Fort Rosecrans, Fort Emory 1900-1946
Los Angeles California Fort MacArthur, White Point Military Reservation, Bolsa Chica Military Reservation 1917-1948
San Francisco California Fort Funston, Fort Miley, Presidio of San Francisco, Fort Winfield Scott, Fort McDowell, Fort Baker, Fort Barry, Fort Cronkhite 1894-1948
The Columbia Oregon, Washington Fort Stevens, Fort Columbia, Fort Canby 1898-1947
Puget Sound Washington Fort Ward, Fort Whitman, Fort Flagler, Fort Casey, Fort Worden, Fort Ebey 1899-1943
Cape Flattery Washington Camp Hayden, Cape Flattery Military Reservation 1942-1948

Harbor Defense Commands in US Territories

Here are the main Harbor Defense Commands that were located in US territories.

Name Territory Forts Years active in coast defense Notes
Honolulu Hawaii Fort Ruger, Fort DeRussy, Fort Armstrong 1910-1946 Coast Defenses of Oahu divided into Honolulu and Pearl Harbor in March 1921
Pearl Harbor Hawaii Fort Barrette, Fort Weaver, Fort Kamehameha 1914-1948 Coast Defenses of Oahu divided into Honolulu and Pearl Harbor in March 1921
Kaneohe Bay and the North Shore Hawaii Fort Hase 1940-1946
Manila and Subic Bays Philippines Fort Mills, Fort Drum, Fort Frank, Fort Hughes, Fort Wint 1910-1942
Cristobal Panama Canal Zone Fort Randolph, Fort De Lesseps, Fort Sherman 1912-1948 Atlantic side
Balboa Panama Canal Zone Fort Kobbe, Fort Amador, Fort Grant 1912-1948 Pacific side
Sitka Alaska Fort Babcock, Fort Peirce, Fort Rousseau 1944-1950
Seward Alaska Fort McGilvray, Fort Bulkley 1941-1945 Only Panama mounts completed
Kodiak Alaska Fort J.H. Smith, Fort Tidball, Fort Abercrombie 1944-1950
Dutch Harbor Alaska Fort Learnard, Fort Schwatka 1944-1950
Vieques Sound Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Fort Segarra, Fort Charles W. Bundy 1944-1948 Protected the approaches to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
San Juan Puerto Rico Fort Amezquita, Fort Mascaro, Fort Brooke 1941-1948

Harbor Defense Commands from the Destroyers for Bases Agreement

These Harbor Defense Commands were set up because of a deal made in 1940. The Destroyers for Bases Agreement was between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Name Territory Forts Years active in coast defense Notes
Argentia and St. John's Newfoundland Fort McAndrew, Fort Pepperrell 1941-1946 Only two 8-inch and two 155 mm guns at St. John's
Bermuda Bermuda Fort Victoria, Scaur Hill Fort, Tudor Hill 1941-1946
Trinidad Trinidad Fort Read, Chacachacare Island 1941-1946 Only Panama mounts completed
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