World War Two Coastal Gun Emplacements of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan De Fuca

When thinking of 20th Century coastal gun emplacements, Puget Sound and The Strait of Juan De Fuca don't typically come to mind. However, by the end of the Second World War the approaches to Seattle featured some of the most powerful gun batteries found anywhere in the world. Camp Hayden on The Strait of Juan De Fuca (roughly 20 minutes west of Port Angeles) featured two of the biggest such gun emplacements. 

Protection for the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Canadian border region first came to fruition in the late nineteenth century. At that time a collection of well armed coastal gun emplacements were created on Puget Sound to protect the naval shipyard located therein and the port of Seattle. At the same time the British built a fort of their own on Vancouver Island to defend a naval base and the port of Victoria. After the U.S. entered World War II, Camp Hayden was constructed as part of a modernization effort of these existing forts. 

Camp Hayden featured two massive gun emplacements (with one such emplacement shown in these pictures), each of which featured a potent 16-inch gun capable of launching a one ton projectile (examples of which are seen here) across the Strait of Juan De Fuca.

The picture taken from within the gun emplacement shows the "turntable". This is where the gun and loading mechanism revolved to direct fire where needed. This turntable was powerful enough to rotate a small locomotive. Nevertheless, these capabilities were never employed in combat. Only one of the two 16-inch gun emplacements discharged its weapon, and that was merely for testing and practice.  

Following the war advances in military technology and the dawn of the missile age had made these gun emplacements obsolete. Though the guns were ripped out and sold for scrap, the emplacements remain. I was lucky enough to visit this summer. If you come to Olympic National Park and have an interest in coastal gun emplacements, then this is a nearby stop just outside the park that is well worth your time.