Protecting American Coasts

Protecting American Coasts. Coastal Defense. Established in 1943, to store and supply ammunition for the Atlantic fleet, the Earle Naval Weapons Station plays a key role in protecting American coastal cities and ports. Its deep-water pier is 2.9 miles long and can service several naval vessels at a time. It is located at the confluence of several major transatlantic routes and easily accessible to the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean., Earle is one of several military bases that have ringed the New York Harbor over the past two centuries. Fort Hancock’s massive concrete gun batteries and their succeeding replacements defended the entrance to the harbor until it was deactivated in 1974. Fort Wadsworth is one of the oldest military installations in the United States. First used during the Revolutionary War, the fort was a key component of the New York Harbor defense system until the early 1960s. The site was closed by the military in 1994., Identifying Homeported Vessels , On a clear day using the silhouettes below, and with the aid of a good pair of binoculars, perhaps you’ll be able to identify some of the homeported ammunition and support vessels using the Earle pier. Navy personnel from these types of ships provide the laborious job of supplying American armed forces around the world during times of peace and war.