"Downtown" Camp Hero
The U.S. Army commissioned Camp Hero in May 1942 as a coastal artillery installation to defend against German ships, particularly submarines. Batteries 112 and 113 each contained two 16-inch guns. Battery 216 was equipped with two 6-inch guns. The base housed 600 enlisted men and 37 officers and was disguised as a seaside fishing village. The fire control and observation stations, for example, were designed as cottages, complete with artificial wood siding and painted-on windows. The gymnasium building in front of you was constructed to look like a church and is all that remains of Camp Hero's original "downtown."
In 1947, the U.S. Army deactivated Camp Hero, and its coastal artillery was subsequently removed. The following year, radar was installed at Camp Hero, and in 1951, part of the base was transferred to the Air Force for an aircraft control and warning station. During the 1950s, anti-aircraft artillery provided a last defense against Soviet bombers, and the base was used extensively as a live fire training range. In 1960, the Air Force constructed the AN/FPS-35 Radar as part of the nation's air defense network. The Montauk Air Force Station remained active until 1982.
[Photo captions, from top to bottom, read]
A 1955 postcard scene of the anti-aircraft artillery at Camp Hero.
Photograph of a 16-inch gun during firing. Camp Hero was named in honor of Major General Andrew Hero, Jr., the Army's Chief of Coastal Artillery between 1926 and 1930.
Erected by New
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Man-Made Features • War, Cold • War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1942.
Location. 41° 3.888′ N, 71° 52.544′ W. Marker is in Montauk Point, New York, in Suffolk County. It is on Colonel Daniel Road 0.1 miles north of Camp Hero Road, on the left when traveling north. Marker is in Camp Hero State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1898 Montauk Highway (New York Route 27), Montauk NY 11954, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the New York City Metropolitan Area and on Long Island. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Montauk Air Force Station (approx. 0.2
Also see . . .
1. Camp Hero State Park. (Submitted on October 5, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Camp Hero State Park at Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 5, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,609 times since then and 132 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 5, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
