Kapolei

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War Ruins in South Oahu

Kapolei

• Fort Barrette
• Commander's Station
• Battery Hatch west
• Battery Hatch east

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⌈Fort Barrette⌋

Fort Barrette is left in Kapolei where the town has been rapidly developed by new residents these days. West part of the fort was turned into a large park. (←)

The fort had Battery Hatch inside armed with two 16-inch Mk II guns. The gun emplacement can be seen on the hill from the park. (→)

The fort was constructed between July 1931 and late 1934, and handed over to a coastal artillery next year to defend the south west coast of Pearl Harbar.

The area is shut in by a wire fence. Some buildings can be seen over the fence. (←)(→)

Some structures are left outeside the fence. (←)(→)

During the war there were many army facilities around the fort such as headquaters, barracks, and even a recreation hall.

After the war it had been used for a support base for a nearby Makakilo Hawaii National Guard Nike Hercules missile batteries during Cold War.

The field is now owned by City and County of Honolulu. A local archery group is currently useing the site in exchange for maintaining the site. (←)

Many targets shaped in the form of animals are set up. (→)

Take "Country Express C" from Ala Moana Center to Kapolei Transit Center. It takes about 1 hour.

When going north east on Haumea St, You will see Kapolei Reagional Park ahead. The fort can be seen over the park. There is an entrance on the north edge of the fort.

⌈Commander's Station⌋

This is the Commander's Station located 200-300 yards behind the batteries from the sea. A observation tower is on the top of the station. Rooms below it were served as the Plotting and Switchbord Rooms. (←)

The tower is accessible through steps beside the station. (→)

A telescope and a range finder were probably set here to give instruction about an aiming point to the guns. (←)

There is a rusty steps below the tower, but door is locked. (→)

This buildings near the commander's station was headquaters and now the roof is gone and only the wall is left. (←)

There are barracks beside the headquater.(→)

Proceed 200 yards south on a dirt road from the entrance.

The station is located on the right side of the road.

⌈Battery Hatch west⌋

This is a west casemate of Battery Hatch. The gun emplacement had been originally open air, but this casemate was added after the air raid. (←)

There is a circle inside the casemate. (→)

In this picture the 16-inch Mk II gun on a railway bogie was being installed in the battery. It was able to shoot two ton explosive shells 28 miles out to the sea. The scale of the gun was larger than main guns on U.S. battle ships. (←)

Looking south from the battery, you cannot get a direct view of the sea. The fort is 2 miles and a half apart from the shoreline. There was Barbers Point Field on the just hither sid of the shoreline. (→)

In front of the casemate there is a pillbox which is about 10 ft square and is equipped with a loophole on its front side. It might be prepared for expected Japanese landing operations on Oahu island while Japanese overwhelmed U.S. in the beginning of the war. (←)

It seems to have capacity for four or five soldiers inside. (→)

The casemate has two entrances on back side. (←)

The gun emplacement and these entrances are connected with galleries equipped with a light railway. (→)

An Army railway engineer, Caorporal Joseph Medlan was killed during the Attack on Perl Harbor. 43 A6M2 "Zero" fighters were lunched on first wave.

After attacking Wheeler Field, 14 "Zero" lunched from Soryu and Hiryu, Japanese aircraft carrier, headed to Barbers Point Field which was just south of the fort, and was turned into a joint civil-military regional airport in 1999. The fort wasn't targeted, but he might get involved in the attack.

This is Entrance 1 on the map above. (←)

This is Entrance 2. (→)

The casemate is located on the south west corner of the fort.

⌈Battery Hatch east⌋

This is another casemate. The layout is almost same as former one. (←)

It also has galleries inside, but rubbish is left in the gallery a lot. (→)

After the war 12-inch guns were removerd by 1948.

The casemate is located on the east corner of the fort.

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