Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story
Fort Story | |
---|---|
Part of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story | |
Virginia Beach, Virginia | |
Coordinates | 36°55′38″N 76°00′59″W / 36.9273°N 76.0164°W |
Type | Army Base |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Navy |
Site history | |
In use | 1914–present |
Joint Expeditionary Base-Fort Story, commonly called simply Fort Story is a sub-installation of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story, which is operated by the United States Navy. Located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia at Cape Henry at the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay,[1] it offers a unique combination of features including dunes, beaches, sand, surf, deep-water anchorage, variable tide conditions, maritime forest and open land. The base is the prime location and training environment for both U.S. Army amphibious operations and Joint Logistics-Over-the-Shore (LOTS) training events.
Overview
The base includes 1,451 acres (5.9 km²) of sandy trails, cypress swamps, maritime forest, grassy dunes and soft and hard sand beaches. The western beaches are wide, gently sloped and washed by the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Eastern beaches are exposed to the rougher waters of the Atlantic surf.
Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story has three historic sites. The
Also of historical interest, the new Cape Henry Lighthouse was completed in 1881 and is still maintained by the
History
World War I
Fort Story became a military installation in 1914 when the Virginia General Assembly gave the land to the U.S. Government "to erect fortifications and for other military purposes". The base was named for Major General
Fort Story remained a
Between the wars
Battery Pennington, consisting of four
In 1924, the coast defense command was designated a Harbor Defense Command and entered a period of post-war inactivity which lasted until the beginning of World War II. Following regimentation of the Coast Artillery Corps, the Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay were garrisoned by the
A 1922 map shows positions for a 12-inch (305 mm) Batignolles railway gun and a 14-inch (356 mm) M1918 railway gun; these were probably for trials rather than operational weapons. The Batignolles mount was a French design used with 12-inch guns to produce U.S.-made railway artillery during World War I.[11] The 14-inch gun M1918 was a developmental weapon that did not see active service;[12] the 14-inch M1920 railway gun was eventually deployed instead, though not at Fort Story.[13]
World War II
In 1941, prior to the United States entering World War II, more land was acquired at Fort Story. Following the
In addition to the 16-inch (406 mm) howitzers, four
The batteries that existed during World War II at Fort Story included:[3][15]
Name | No. of guns | Gun type | Carriage type | Years active |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ketcham (Battery 120) | 2 | 16-inch (406 mm) Navy MkIIMI gun |
barbette M4 | 1943–1948 |
Battery 121 | 2 | 16-inch (406 mm) Navy MkIIMI gun | barbette M4 | 1943–1948 |
Pennington | 2 | 16-inch (406 mm) howitzer M1920 |
barbette M1920 | 1922–1947 |
Walke | 2 | 16-inch (406 mm) howitzer M1920 | barbette M1920 | 1922–1947 |
Worcester (Battery 224) | 2 | 6-inch (152 mm) gun M1900 |
pedestal M1900 | 1941–1947 |
Cramer (Battery 225) | 2 | 6-inch (152 mm) gun M1903 |
shielded barbette T2-M2 | 1943–1948 |
Battery 226 | 2 | 6-inch (152 mm) gun T2-M1 |
shielded barbette M4 | 1943–1949 |
Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) 19/ Examination battery |
2 | 3-inch (76 mm) gun M1902 |
pedestal M1902 | 1942–1945 |
AMTB 21 | 4 | 90 mm (3.54 in) gun | two fixed T3/M3, two mobile | 1943–1945 |
AMTB 22 | 4 | 90 mm (3.54 in) gun | two fixed T3/M3, two mobile | 1943–1950 |
Battery 155 (1) | 4 | 155 mm (6.1 in) gun |
Panama mounts | 1942–194? |
Battery 155 (2) | 4 | 155 mm (6.1 in) gun | Panama mounts | 1942–194? |
In 1944, Fort Story began to transition from a heavily fortified coast artillery garrison to a convalescent hospital for returning veterans. By the time of its closing March 15, 1946, the hospital had accommodated more than 13,472 patients.
Post World War II
In 1946 the first amphibious training at Fort Story began with the arrival of the 458th Amphibious Truck Company and Army DUKWS. Fort Story was officially transferred to the Transportation Training Command, Fort Eustis, and designated a Transportation Corps installation for use in training amphibious and terminal units in the conduct of Logistics-Over-The-Shore operations.
Following World War II, coast defense guns and the Coast Artillery Corps were considered obsolete, and Fort Story's guns were scrapped by 1949.[3] Fort Story was declared a permanent installation on December 5, 1961.
As a result of a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendation, Fort Story operations were transferred to the United States Navy. On October 1, 2009, Fort Story and Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek merged, and Fort Story officially became Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort Story.
Tenants
The following organizations are present at Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story:
- AAFES
- 11th Transportation Battalion
- Army Reserve Center
- U.S. Army School of Music
- Directorate of Training and Doctrine
- FORSCOM Logistics Training Cluster, Saltwater Annex
- U.S. Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group
- Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Ranges
- Navy Explosive Ordnance DisposalTraining and Evaluation Unit Two
- Navy Explosive Ordnance DisposalExpeditionary Support Unit Two
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center
- Shipboard Electronic Systems Evaluation Facility
- NATO Communication Logistical Activity
See also
- Seacoast defense in the United States
- United States Army Coast Artillery Corps
- Harbor Defense Command
- List of coastal fortifications of the United States
References
- ^ Area map Archived 2009-04-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 0-88365-775-9.
- ^ a b c d e f Fort Story at FortWiki.com
- ^ Fort Monroe at FortWiki.com
- ISBN 978-0-9748167-3-9.
- ^ Berhow 2015, pp. 227–228.
- ^ Gaines, William C., Coast Artillery Organizational History, Regular Army regiments, 1917-1950, Coast Defense Journal, vol. 23, issue 2, p. 10
- ^ National Guard Coast Artillery regiment histories at the Coast Defense Study Group
- ^ Gaines regular army, p. 5
- ^ Staff, "Coast Defense Guns Boom Again In First Mock Battle Since War", San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Saturday 2 June 1928, Volume LXII, Number 94, page 3.
- ^ Miller, H. W., LTC, USA (1921), Railway Artillery, Vols. I and II, vol. I, pp. 197–225
- ^ Miller vol. I, pp. 367–380
- ^ Berhow 2015, pp. 216, 223.
- ^ Battery Pennington at FortWiki.com
- ^ a b Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay at cdsg.org
- ^ JEBLC Home Page
- ^ JEBLC History[permanent dead link]
- ^ Navy: Master-At-Arms killed by gate runner, Courtney Mabeus, Navy Times, 2019-12-01