Category:Harbor Defense of Willapa Harbor

World War I

Part of the Defenses of Western Washington were administered by the Columbia River defenses. The defenses were established on the North side of the Harbor entrance in two separate locations with two unnamed batteries (named here as Battery Willapa-1 and Battery Willapa-2 to more specifically identify them).

Battery Willapa-1 located Near the Cape Shoalwater Lighthouse emplaced two 6" pedestal mounted guns on simple concrete blocks. (Note: there were two lighthouses built, known as the old and the new Cape Shoalwater Lighthouses, both now gone from erosion).

Battery Willapa-2 located just north of North Cove at Cape Shoalwater had emplacements for, four 12" breech-loading mortars that were never mounted. These mounts were also simplified concrete mounts with some earthwork protections.

Post World War I

The harbor entry shifted after 1921. The 6" guns in Battery Willapa-1 were transferred to Battery Tolles-B at Fort Worden on 28 Aug 1932 leaving the Willapa Harbor defenses unarmed.

World War II

Almost immediately after the 7 Dec 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, field artillery units from Fort Lewis were deployed to Willapa Harbor and Gray's Harbor with field mounted 155mm and 75mm guns. During World War II the two harbor defenses were considered as one under the Gray's Harbor name. See Harbor Defense of Grays Harbor.

• The History of the Western Defense Command, Appendix No. 4 - Chronological History of The Harbor Defenses of Gray’s Harbor, Washington, typescript reprinted by the CDSG Press.