Fort Miles in World War II

Fort Miles in World War II. Welcome to Fort Miles Historic Area. , Just before World War II, the U.S. War Department began upgrades of the harbor defenses that protect the Delaware Bay. They built new fortifications here at Cape Henlopen that became known as Fort Miles. The fort grew as the members of the 261st and 21st Coast Artillery Units constructed new buildings., After the war, the U.S. Army used the post for research and development, and this cantonment area became a recreational post. In 1964, the Army gave the first parcel of Fort Miles to the state of Delaware, creating Cape Henlopen State Park. The Army continued to turn over land, with the last parcel coming in 1996., Eventually, the fort housed 2,300 soldiers, guns that could fire more than 25 miles out to sea, and the second largest underwater minefield along the east coast of the United States., Delaware State Parks, in partnership with the Fort Miles Historical Association, is working to preserve this cantonment area, restore Battery 519 and showcase representative artillery pieces as a way to remember Delaware's role during World War II.