Association’s annual meeting, historic lecture set March 14 at Fort Miles
The Fort Miles Historical Association will conduct its annual meeting at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 14, at the Officers Club in Cape Henlopen State Park.
Right after the meeting, FMHA member Harry Winn will deliver a presentation on the 8-inch railway guns at Fort Miles during World War II. Both the meeting and the program are open to the public. Attendees may arrive at 9:30 a.m. to enjoy coffee, bagels and donuts while mingling with neighbors and FMHA members.
Installed as part of America’s coastal defense network, the massive 8-inch railway guns were among the most formidable weapons deployed to protect the Delaware Bay and vital East Coast shipping lanes from potential enemy naval attack. Mounted on railroad carriages for mobility, these long-range artillery pieces represented the cutting-edge military engineering of their time and played a critical role in national defense strategy during the early 1940s.
One four-gun battery was placed in service at Fort Miles in March 1942, with a second four-gun battery added in September. Capable of firing 260-pound, armor-piercing shells at targets up to 20 miles away, they were the most powerful guns at Fort Miles until the larger 16-inch and 12-inch casemated guns were placed in service later in the war. The 8-inch railway guns are often mentioned as part of the Fort Miles arsenal, but details of their operation are rarely explained. Winn has gathered considerable data about the guns and will describe how they were transported, positioned, manned and operated.
The Winn family legacy includes military roles reaching all the way back to the American Civil War. Winn served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1966-72, reaching the rank of sergeant and carrying on the Winn family legacy that includes military roles reaching all the way back to the American Civil War. He began volunteering with FMHA as a bunker buster in 2010 and later served as treasurer and board member.
Attendance at the March 14 program is free, but online registration is recommended to ensure a seat. To register, go to fortmilesmuseum.org.
