Field Trip: World War II Firepower Tour at Fort Miles; Lewes, Delaware
Lying amidst rolling dunes, in the shadow of a World War II observation tower in Cape Henlopen State Park, is Fort Miles Historical Area.
During World War II, the Delaware River was a chief priority for defense planners because of the access it afforded to the giant trade centers of Wilmington, Philadelphia, and beyond. Fort Miles, located in what is now Cape Henlopen State Park, was a key piece in the nation's coastal defense at that time.
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The heavy guns, mine fields and searchlights of Fort Miles provided in-depth defense.
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| Sixteen-inch gun from the Missouri |
The boys took the Firepower Tour at Fort Miles and they learned about all the guns that were there during World War II.
They got to work some of them to get an idea what that was like.
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| "Franken-gun" made from different pieces of different guns. |
They learned how the guns were fired.
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| Fourteen-Inch Gun at Battery 519. |
Fort Miles Historical Area is located at 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE 19958. The Fort Miles Historic Area grounds are open 8 a.m. to sunset daily. The Fort Miles Orientation Building is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from April 1 through October 30. From November 1 through March 31, the Orientation Building is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Public access to Battery 519 is only through guided tours.
Here is the post for the last field trip we took here, four years ago.
