The Army had plans in place to upgrade the Puget Sound harbor defenses when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The attack prompted a feverish scramble to implement those WWII plans.
Fort Ebey was constructed from 1942 to 1944. It overlooked the Straight of Juan de Fuca and the open Pacific Ocean. It was the first of a series of defensive positions that also included forts Casey, Worden and Flagler, also on Puget Sound.
Date on the main bunker entrance
Historic Fort Ebey State Park on Widbey Island is home to the remains of Battery 248 of the Coast Artillery Regiment of the Washington National Guard. The guns are gone, having been melted down for scrap at the end of the war. What remains, however, are the two circular gun emplacements and the supporting large concrete bunker where ammunition, powder bags, and other equipment was stored.
Forward observation post facing Puget Sound
In front of the bunker towards the edge of the steep cliff you will see the forward observation bunker. A narrow slit provided a panoramic view of the waters. No ships could enter the Sound without being spotted.
One of the remaining two gun turret foundations
The main armament of the fort was provided by two guns on swivel turrets. These guns fired a 108 pound shell with a range of 15 miles. The 26 man gun crews could fire a round every 12 seconds.
Take a step back in time with a visit to Fort Ebey State Park. Walk where the artillerymen walked. Explore the bunker. Stand near the forward observation position and imagine being on the lookout for enemy ships trying to invade the Puget Sound. More information about Fort Ebey State Park may be found at the park website.
Roadtirement 
Wow!!!
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It is an impressive piece of history. Thanks!
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Cool memories of when my sons had field trips to Fort Ebey.
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Glad to bring the field trip memories back. Good stuff.
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We have such observation post relics nearby
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They harken back to a terrible time in history. Thanks, Derrick.
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My father, Jack Watson, worked at Fort Worden from 1941 to 1953 from where they went out to maintained all the defensive gun emplacements in western Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
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That is fascinating, Ron. Do you have any pictures of him with any of the guns? My dad flew B-29’s in the war.
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Interesting. If we don’t keep these bits of history in the forefront, they will be forgotten. Great post!
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So true, so much history has already been lost. These old WWII structures are fascinating. Thanks!
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My dad was a medic at Fort Casey.
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Fascinating, thanks for sharing. Is there anything left of Ft. Casey? (My dad flew B-29’s.)
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