Thread: During WWII, Los Angeles Braced for a Japanese Invasion

From the Los Angeles Times
November 3, 2002
Read more at the link: During WWII, the City Braced for a Japanese Invasion


During WWII, the City Braced
for a Japanese Invasion
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A shallow bluff-top trench covered with ice plant overlooks the coastline and marks the spot where infantrymen once guarded Los Angeles Harbor against a Japanese invasion. Ft. MacArthur, now the centerpiece of Angels Gate Park, was the "Guardian of Los Angeles," the coast's first line of defense from 1914 through 1982.
More than half a century ago, these peaceful hills bristled with 30,000 soldiers, 5,000 feet of tunnels, gun crews, machine-gunners and aircraft spotters. The fort, one of nine along the California coast, was named for Civil War hero Lt. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Today, it's a reminder of World War II's profound effect on the Pacific Coast, as well as evidence that today's anxieties about terrorism are nothing new. Back then, people on this side of the ocean lived in fear. Newspaper stories asked readers to heed blackouts, prepare for air raids and learn to extinguish incendiary bombs.
Before Pearl Harbor, no one dreamed that Ft. MacArthur -- the only fort in the nation with 14-inch disappearing gun batteries -- would actually be called upon to defend the harbor. But after Dec. 7, 1941, nine Japanese submarines moved east to target merchant ships off the Pacific Coast.

Originally Posted by Andy in West Oz

14-inch disappearing gun batteries

What's a disappearing gun battery? Concealed when not in use?

According to the US Army R.O.T.C. Manual, Coast Artillery Basic, 1942, the 14inch Coastal Artillery gun was basicly a WWI era railroad gun with one of two basic mounts. It ws either a mobile, or semi-mobie rail mount, which employes a detachable locamotive when moved; or it can be deployed in a "fixed carriage" mount. The fixed mount is such that it, too, can be swiveled arounded a fixed base-plate in what seems to be a 360-degree arc (probably less). And in this fixed mount, the gun must be raised into firing position, and lower into service/loading position.

I know from other studies that the US Army Officer Corps divides officers into professional "tracks". Before and during WWII this tracks included Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineering, Aviation, Medical, Quartermaster, Judge Advocate, Sgnal Corp, Chemical, Chaplain, Ordinace, and COASTAL ARTILLERY.

The Coastal Artillery Corp is a specialized profesional branch which dealt with the specialized big guns meant to be the bulwark of the national defence throughout the nation's history, from the Revolution up to and through WWII, when the development of Aircraft made the 12-mile range of the coastal guns a no longer practical deterent.

I once had a brief interview of a WWII veteran who was assigned to Coastal Artillery somewhere along the Pacific Coast. The imagry I retain from his remarks was that the weapons were old, in dis-repair, and the morale of the men and officers both were fairly low. He very distinctly recalled that it was a standing order that no requests for transfer would be entertained. From that I was lead to understand that already the professional officers were seeing their career being terminated as redundant.

And from what I could recall of a book by Homer Lea, the areas along the Pacific Coast which were defended by Coastal Artillery were North-west region, the San Francisco Region, and the Los Angeles-San Diego Region.