The Beaches in Atlantic Beach in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Combat Team Camp Atlantic Beach
Photographed by Jay Kravetz, July 12, 2017
1. Combat Team Camp Atlantic Beach Marker
Inscription.
Combat Team Camp Atlantic Beach. . Constructed by the U.S. Army in 1942, Combat Team Camp Atlantic Beach was the headquarters of the Harbor Defenses of Jacksonville during World War II. The camp was tasked with defending Floridas Atlantic coast from Axis invasion following the sinking of the tanker SS Gulfamerica off Jacksonville Beach and the capture of Nazi saboteurs in Ponte Vedra. The 149-acre camp was leased by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and supported rotating infantry and coastal artillery units. In its early days, the soldiers slept in tents on wooden platforms. Later, wooden huts housed six men each and had shutters that could be opened for ventilation. The 53rd Coast Artillery Regiment, which manned the four 155-mm long-range guns known as “Long Toms," was the camps anchor unit. The four artillery guns were flanked by 60-foot observation towers, though there are no visible remains today. The main camp was situated at present-day Selva Lakes and the gun placements were located at what is now Area 7 of Hanna Park. Although the camp never saw enemy action, it remained in service for 18 months until the U. S. military began a rapid reduction of its beach defense forces in 1944.
Constructed by the U.S. Army in 1942, Combat Team Camp Atlantic Beach was the headquarters of the Harbor Defenses of Jacksonville during World War II. The camp was tasked with defending Floridas Atlantic coast from Axis invasion following the sinking of the tanker SS Gulfamerica off Jacksonville Beach and the capture of Nazi saboteurs in Ponte Vedra. The 149-acre camp was leased by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and supported rotating infantry and coastal artillery units. In its early days, the soldiers slept in tents on wooden platforms. Later, wooden huts housed six men each and had shutters that could be opened for ventilation. The 53rd Coast Artillery Regiment, which manned the four 155-mm long-range guns known as “Long Toms," was the camps anchor unit. The four artillery guns were flanked by 60-foot observation towers, though there are no visible remains today. The main camp was situated at present-day Selva Lakes and the gun placements were located at what is now Area 7 of Hanna Park. Although the camp never saw enemy action, it remained in service for 18 months until the U. S. military began a rapid reduction of its beach defense forces in 1944.
Erected 2016 by City of Atlantic Beach, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-917.)
Topics. This historical marker
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is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.
Location. 30° 19.98′ N, 81° 24.128′ W. Marker is in Atlantic Beach, Florida, in Duval County. It is in The Beaches. It is at the intersection of Plaza Drive and Seminole Road, on the right when traveling east on Plaza Drive. Marker is in Jack Russell Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Atlantic Beach FL 32233, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s First Coast, in Greater Jacksonville, and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2017, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 643 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 29, 2017, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
