# Harbor Defense Command

A Harbor Defense Command was a military organization of the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps designated in 1925 from predecessor organizations dating from circa 1895. It consisted of the forts, controlled underwater minefields, and other coastal defenses of a particular harbor or river. Harbor Defense Commands, along with the similar Coast Artillery Corps, were disestablished in 1950.

## History

These commands originated as Artillery Districts, to control groups of forts constructed under the Endicott Program beginning in 1895. A 1909 reference shows that districts could include (depending on size) a Battle Command (later Fort Command), Fire Command, Mine Command, and Battery Commands. Mine planter vessels were also attached to these commands to plant and maintain controlled minefields. In 1913 the districts were redesignated as Coast Defense Commands, called "Coast Defenses of..." the area protected. At this time Coast Artillery Districts became regional commands, each controlling several Coast Defense Commands. Several of these commands were disarmed and disestablished between World War I and World War II, although minefield defenses may have been retained (references are unclear). Some of the disarmed commands were rearmed in World War II with "Panama mounts", circular concrete platforms for towed 155 mm guns. Some of these rearmed commands and other hastily-armed areas were designated as "Temporary Harbor Defenses". In 1925 the Coast Defense Commands were redesignated as Harbor Defense Commands, called "Harbor Defenses of..." the area protected. After World War II all of these commands were disarmed within a few years, and they and the Coast Artillery Corps were disestablished in 1950.

## Harbor Defense Command areas

The major Harbor Defense Commands in the Continental United States (CONUS) were:
| Name | State(s) | Forts | Years active in coast defense | Notes |
| The Kennebec | Maine | Fort Baldwin, Fort Popham | 1899-1924 | Probably merged with Coast Defenses of Portland prior to 1917 (not listed in Rinaldi WWI), rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II |
| Portland | Maine | Fort McKinley, Fort Lyon, Fort Levett, Fort Preble, Fort Williams, Peaks Island Military Reservation | 1898–1948 | |
| Portsmouth | New Hampshire, Maine | Fort Foster, Fort Constitution, Fort Stark, Fort Dearborn | 1898–1948 | |
| Boston | Massachusetts | Fort Ruckman, Fort Banks, Fort Heath, Fort Dawes, Fort Warren, Fort Standish, Fort Strong, Fort Andrews, Fort Duvall, Fort Revere, East Point Military Reservation | 1896-1948 | |
| New Bedford | Massachusetts | Fort Rodman | 1899-1946 | |
| Narragansett Bay | Rhode Island | Fort Adams, Fort Church, Fort Wetherill, Fort Getty, Fort Burnside, Fort Greble, Fort Kearny, Fort Varnum, Fort Greene | 1898–1947 | |
| Long Island Sound | New York, Rhode Island | Fort Mansfield, Fort H. G. Wright, Fort Michie, Fort Terry, Fort Tyler, Camp Hero | 1900-1948 | |
| Eastern New York | New York | Fort Slocum, Fort Schuyler, Fort Totten | 1897-1935 | Anti-aircraft training center in World War II |
| Southern New York | New York, New Jersey | Fort Tilden, Fort Hamilton, Fort Wadsworth, Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook Proving Ground, Highlands Military Reservation | 1890-1948 | Also separate Harbor Defenses of Sandy Hook since at least World War I, merged in World War II as Harbor Defenses of New York |
| Sandy Hook | New Jersey | Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook Proving Ground, Highlands Military Reservation | 1915?-1942 | Probably split from HD Southern New York 1915, merged with HD Southern New York in World War II as Harbor Defenses of New York |
| The Delaware | Delaware, New Jersey, Philadelphia | Fort Mott, Fort Delaware, Fort DuPont, Fort Saulsbury, Fort Miles, Cape May Military Reservation | 1899-1948 | |
| Baltimore | Maryland | Fort Howard, Fort Carroll, Fort Armistead, Fort Smallwood | 1899-1927 | |
| The Potomac | Maryland, Virginia | Fort Washington, Fort Hunt | 1898–1929 | |
| Chesapeake Bay | Virginia | Fort Monroe, Fort Wool, Fort John Custis, Fort Story | 1897-1948 | |
| Beaufort | North Carolina | Fort Macon | 1941-1945 | Temporary in World War II with 155 mm GPF guns |
| The Cape Fear | North Carolina | Fort Caswell | 1899-1925 | |
| Wilmington | North Carolina | Kure Beach Military Reservation | 1940-1945 | Temporary in World War II with Panama mounts |
| Charleston | South Carolina | Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter | 1898–1947 | |
| Port Royal Sound | South Carolina | Fort Fremont | 1897-1914 | |
| Savannah | Georgia | Fort Screven, Fort Pulaski | 1898–1928 | rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II |
| Key West | Florida | Fort Taylor | 1900-1946 | |
| Tampa Bay | Florida | Fort Dade, Fort DeSoto | 1899-1926 | rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II |
| Pensacola | Florida | Fort Pickens, Fort McRee | 1898–1947 | |
| Mobile | Alabama | Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines | 1898–1928 | rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II |
| The Mississippi | Louisiana | Fort St. Philip, Fort Jackson | 1898–1920 | rearmed with Panama mounts in World War II as Temporary Harbor Defenses of New Orleans |
| Galveston | Texas | Fort Travis, Fort San Jacinto, Fort Crockett | 1898–1946 | |
| San Diego | California | Fort Rosecrans, Fort Emory | 1900-1946 | |
| Los Angeles | California | Fort MacArthur, White Point Military Reservation, Bolsa Chica Military Reservation | 1917-1948 | |
| San Francisco | California | Fort Funston, Fort Miley, Presidio of San Francisco, Fort Winfield Scott, Fort McDowell, Fort Baker, Fort Barry, Fort Cronkhite | 1894-1948 | |
| The Columbia | Oregon, Washington | Fort Stevens, Fort Columbia, Fort Canby | 1898–1947 | |
| Puget Sound | Washington | Fort Ward, Fort Whitman, Fort Flagler, Fort Casey, Fort Worden, Fort Ebey | 1899-1943 | |
| Cape Flattery | Washington | Camp Hayden, Cape Flattery Military Reservation | 1942-1948 | |
The major Harbor Defense Commands in US territories were:
| Name | Territory | Forts | Years active in coast defense | Notes |
| Honolulu | Hawaii | Fort Ruger, Fort DeRussy, Fort Armstrong | 1910-1946 | Coast Defenses of Oahu divided into Honolulu and Pearl Harbor in March 1921 |
| Pearl Harbor | Hawaii | Fort Barrette, Fort Weaver, Fort Kamehameha | 1914-1948 | Coast Defenses of Oahu divided into Honolulu and Pearl Harbor in March 1921 |
| Kaneohe Bay and the North Shore | Hawaii | Fort Hase | 1940-1946 | |
| Manila and Subic Bays | Philippines | Fort Mills, Fort Drum, Fort Frank, Fort Hughes, Fort Wint | 1910-1942 | |
| Cristobal | Panama Canal Zone | Fort Randolph, Fort De Lesseps, Fort Sherman | 1912-1948 | Atlantic side |
| Balboa | Panama Canal Zone | Fort Kobbe, Fort Amador, Fort Grant | 1912-1948 | Pacific side |
| Sitka | Alaska | Fort Babcock, Fort Peirce, Fort Rousseau | 1944-1950 | |
| Seward | Alaska | Fort McGilvray, Fort Bulkley | 1941-1945 | Only Panama mounts completed |
| Kodiak | Alaska | Fort J.H. Smith, Fort Tidball, Fort Abercrombie | 1944-1950 | |
| Dutch Harbor | Alaska | Fort Learnard, Fort Schwatka | 1944-1950 | |
| Vieques Sound | Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands | Fort Segarra, Fort Charles W. Bundy | 1944-1948 | Protected the approaches to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station |
| San Juan | Puerto Rico | Fort Amezquita, Fort Mascaro, Fort Brooke | 1941-1948 | |
The Harbor Defense Commands established as a result of the 1940 Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom were:
| Name | Territory | Forts | Years active in coast defense | Notes |
| Argentia and St. John's | Newfoundland | Fort McAndrew, Fort Pepperrell | 1941–1946 | Total of 22 battery sites across the country |
| Bermuda | Bermuda | Fort Victoria, Scaur Hill Fort, Tudor Hill | 1941–1946 | |
| Trinidad | Trinidad | Fort Read, Chacachacare Island | 1941–1946 | Only Panama mounts completed |