Atlantic Dr
Highlands, NJ 07732
USA
Volunteers from the Army Ground Forces Association will be uniformed as soldiers of Battery K, 245th Coast Artillery Regiment, stationed at Fort Hancock in 1943, and will escort you on a first-person World War II Fort Hancock Harbor Defense Lantern Tour of the fort’s military fortifications during WWII – the Harbor Defense Command Post (HDCP), located in the old mortar battery next to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, and Battery John Gunnison / New Peck, the “Exam Battery” for the Harbor Entrance Control Post. This gun emplacement is undergoing a full restoration to its 1943 configuration and features two working 6″ M1900 coastal guns and the only restored – and functional – seacoast artillery Plotting Room in the nation. This is the most extensively restored seacoast artillery gun battery in America and it will truly become 1943 when you enter inside of it! You will get to see the daily life of a soldier at Fort Hancock and learn about the nerve-wracking stressful environment that came with the responsibility of protecting New York and New Jersey – the industrial heartland of America during WWII – and 20 million people from the shores of Sandy Hook! The tour will also visit other gun batteries and structures that were part of the World War 2 defenses throughout the walk. Please bring a flashlight or a lantern, and certainly bring your camera. Also, sturdy walking shoes, long pants and a jacket are recommended, as it can get unseasonably chilly at night on Sandy Hook during this time of year. Bringing water and a snack are also highly recommended. Please also note World War II Harbor Defense Lantern Tour is held rain or shine. This one of a kind tour is not to be missed, and will take you straight into one of the most important and forgotten battles of WWII… The Battle of the Atlantic.
