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Cape Henlopen State Park

Fort Miles Historic Area at Cape Henlopen State Park

About Fort Miles Lying amidst rolling sand dunes at Cape Henlopen State Park, on a high bank overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, is the Fort Miles Historical Area, a former World War II military base that was a key piece of our nation's coastal defense from World War II through the early 1970’s. Today, Fort Miles is home to the Fort Miles Museum, encompassing a gun battery, six barracks buildings, a fire control tower, an orientation building, and an artillery park. The history of Fort Miles exemplifies America’s call to action to stem the tide of war against German invasions along the Atlantic Seaboard that, at the onset of World War II, appeared virtually unstoppable. The gun batteries of Fort Miles, secret state-of-the-art installations built within the massive sand dunes of Cape Henlopen, were designed to defend against the powerful German navy. With more than 2,500 soldiers stationed on high alert, the heavy guns, mine fields, and searchlights of Fort Miles defended the vital trade centers of Wilmington, Philadelphia, and beyond. As America moved into the cold war, the role of Fort Miles shifted to highly classified missions defending against the threat of Soviet submarine operations off our coastline.

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