Fort Rousseau (Sitka, Alaska)
Sitka · Alaska · World War II
History & Significance
In March 1941 United States Army forces arrived in Sitka and began construction of a coastal defense battery on Makhnati Island. An 8,100-foot causeway was constructed from Japonski Island through seven islands to Fort Rousseau on Makhnati Island, which became the Army's headquarters in Sitka when it was completed in 1943.
The major facility, Fort Rousseau, housed two six-inch guns, two 155mm guns, magazines, and the army command post. The fort was part of a U.S. Army Coastal Defense network established to defend the base, which included construction of three forts in Sitka Sound.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the base at Sitka was the only major military base on the west coast, north of Puget Sound, Washington. The batteries were not completed until after the Japanese had been driven from Attu and Kiska, and saw no action.
The army closed its base at Sitka in spring 1944. The fort's significance as the headquarters for the harbor defenses of Sitka during World War II earned it designation as a State Historical Park in April 2008. The Sitka facilities were designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1986.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Concrete foundations and structural remnants of a WWII coastal artillery battery
- Six-inch and 155mm gun positions defending against potential Japanese attack
- Part of Sitka's National Historic Landmark District
- Island setting accessible by boat from Sitka
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/places/sitka-naval-operating-base-and-us-army-coastal-defenses.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitka_Naval_Operating_Base_and_U.S._Army_Coastal_Defenses
- https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/southeast/ftrousseau.htm
- https://www.army.mil/article/233803/environmental_restoration_success_at_fort_rousseau