Fort Miles railway guns – thunder on wheels

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, trains were the most-used form of transportation in the United States.

Both passengers and cargo rode the rails throughout the country. Perhaps it isn’t surprising, then, that railways and trains were also pressed into service to defend the coast during World War II, including in Delaware. 

The Coast Artillery Corps was formed by the Army in 1901 to defend America’s shores. The CAC used many different weapons including railway guns. A railway gun is a piece of artillery that can be moved and fired while on top of a reinforced train car. As long as there was good track laid down, railway guns could quickly be brought into and out of combat areas. They were first used during the American Civil War by both Union and Confederate forces, but the CAC really became familiar with these weapons during World War I. Units of soldiers specifically trained to operate railway guns were created. One of these was the 52nd Artillery.

The 52nd was formed in 1917, and just one month later, these men were sent to fight in France. The unit was later reorganized several times, but by the 1930s, three batteries, or sections of the unit, were stationed at Fort Hancock, N.J.: C, E  and Headquarters. They trained regularly, firing huge 12-inch seacoast mortars and 8-inch artillery guns from railways into the ocean. C and E batteries sometimes practiced farther afield, and in 1938, they found themselves at Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen in 1938 was a perfect training ground. It was uninhabited, so no one would be bothered by the noise of the guns. Rail lines ran into the area from the west and south, bringing visitors to Lewes and hauling fish to inland markets. The first thing the 52nd did was extend the railway to firing zones near the beach. They spent two weeks training on the guns, narrowly avoiding catastrophe when the force of an artillery piece firing sheared off several important bolts securing the weapon.

During this time, the CAC had been developing plans for Fort Miles, an installation at Cape Henlopen that defended the Delaware Bay during World War II. In 1942, batteries C and D of the 52nd were ordered to man a total of eight 8-inch railway guns at Fort Miles. They could fire a 260-pound projectile 20 miles and were meant to destroy enemy warships. In 1943, these batteries were reorganized and became part of the 287th Coast Artillery, and they left Fort Miles in 1944.

Although the railway guns at Fort Miles were never fired in combat, the soldiers who operated them were an important piece of the region’s defense. Evidence of their stay can still be found on the Pinelands Trail; look for large U-shaped mounds called revetments that used to protect four of the guns. 

To discover more about these unique weapons, visit the Fort Miles Museum in Cape Henlopen State Park and go to destateparks.com/FortMiles.