Delaware Trip

[Aragorn243]

Our trip to Delaware was pretty productive in terms of learning about military history. We first went to FT Miles which was a WWII shore battery installation. We had been there before, many years ago and I remember it as being the place we could sit on the guns and rotate and elevate them with the hand controls. Sadly, sometime between then and now, they all got chained up. They did add some things I don't remember. They have a 16inch barrel from the Missouri that was present at the Japanese surrender. They have a piece of the USS Arizona as well so parts of the Battleships that started and ended WWII. Another sad part is the one 12" battery that remains can now only be seen by taking one of their special tours. You used to be able to walk a path outside to at least see it but they even took that away making the dunes off limits. I was persistent and my daughter and I still walked along the beach so we could see the emplacement at least from long distance.

After that we climbed up one of the submarine watch towers that dot the coast in Delaware. I did get a couple good books, Coastal defenses of the Delaware Bay and the Chesapeake Bay and one on the towers.

Next stop was Lewes Delaware where we were going to a civilian maritime museum, we were told was closed but was actually open. I learned this small town was bombarded by the British in 1813 during the war of 1812. Over 800 rounds were fired.

[Aragorn243]

Sunday we went to the Dover Air Force Museum. My computer is acting up and I can barely type without it going nuts. I have 650 photos and will try to get a few posted when I can. We were at this many years also and it changed considerably for the better.

[Doco overboard]

Bob Steele has a nice gun shop on rt 9 just west of Lewes. Maybe 3 miles on the right heading west.
Its definitely worth stopping in.
If your tall, watch your head, becuase of all the FA equipment hanging from the ceiling.
And your step, because all the ammo can be like marbles and the place is usually packed to the gills with vintage weapons lining the walls.

[Aragorn243]

---------- Post added at 08:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 AM ----------

We were going to Fort Delaware also, but they closed it due to inclement weather. We were not happy, we checked ahead, called the office with no answer and arrived with a closed sign on the door. It is a Civil War fort/prison. We've been there before also but my kids hadn't and that's why we went.

The Air Force Museum is mostly transport and refueling related, but the B-17 is awesome, you can walk right up to it, get under it, take interior bomb bay photos, etc. The inside displays are pretty nice. The planes outside are deteriorating, which is not good, would like to see them kept better but they are huge so other than a massive hanger, I don't know what else you could do with them.

I'll keep the gun shop in mind for the next time we are down there. We just kept finding things to do wherever we went. I've been to Lewes dozens of times but always straight in to the charter boats and straight out. Never had a clue they were bombarded in the War of 1812.

[browningautorifle]

That's the sort of trip my wife would actually like too, maybe we should go...

[fjruple]

Plenty to see in Delaware. In addition to Fort Delaware, you have Fort DuPont in Delaware City and on the Jersey side of the Delaware you have Fort Mott. When Fort Delaware was used during the American Civil War many of the Confederate prisoners died. There a Confederate grave yard just North of Fort Mott. This is a rather odd area as part of the land is actually in the State of Delaware not New Jersey.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Thanks for documenting and sharing your travels to places I would likely never see otherwise.