TO WASHINGTON
Trestle
Bay
South
Jetty
Clatsop
Spit
Columbia
Columbia
Wildlife
Viewing
Bunker
River
Observation
Platform
HAMMOND
ASTORIA
Fort Stevens
State Park
30
military base and the target of a surprise World War II naval attack.
Wreck of the
“Peter Iredale”
Battery Russell
Youngs
River
OCEAN
PA C I F I C
OCEAN
Coffenbury Lake
oad
Lewis
and Clark
River
WARRENTON
Ridge R
101
HAMMOND
Day-Use
Area
BUS
Lewis
and Clark
National
Historical
Park
Fort Stevens may be a peaceful park today, but it was once an active
Fort Stevens
State Park
Wildlife Viewing
Deck
101
PA C I F I C
Historic Area
Military Museum
Batteries
Swash Lake
202
WARRENTON
River
101
To Seaside
Columbia
Wildlife
Viewing
Bunker
Observation
Platform
River
Historic Area
Military Museum
Batteries
HAMMOND
Battery
Russell
Swash Lake
Wildlife Viewing
Deck
H
Day-Use
Area
Wreck of the
“Peter Iredale”
WARRENTON
OCEAN
Coffenbury Lake
Ridge R
PA C I F I C
oad
101
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
725 Summer St NE, Suite C, Salem OR 97301
1-800-551-6949
Check out other Oregon State Parks by visiting
www.oregonstateparks.org
H
Printed on recycled paper.
Information subject to change without notice.
This publication is available in alternative formats on request.
Write to OPRD: 725 Summer St. NE, Salem, OR 97301;
or call 1-800-551-6949 (hearing impaired: dial 7-1-1).
Photo of the 2nd Coast Artillery unit from Coos Bay that became part of the 249th Coast Artillery Corps of the Oregon National Guard.
63400-8065-(7/13)
©The Oregonian. All
“A Triangle of Fire”
Battery Russell was a later addition to a large military
installation built in the 19th century to defend the mouth
of the Columbia River. Fort Stevens, which dates back
to the Civil War, protected the Oregon side of the river,
while Fort Columbia and Fort Canby stood guard on the
Washington side. Together, these three forts comprised the
Harbor Defenses of the Columbia.
Battery Russell was constructed
between 1903 and 1904 by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers for the U.S.
Army Coast Artillery Corps. It was
one of nine concrete gun batteries
(emplacements for cannon or heavy
artillery) built at Fort Stevens to
conceal and protect mounted guns
from enemy ships. Battery Russell was
Brigadier General
David A. Russell
named for Brigadier General David A.
Russell, who served with the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment in
the Oregon Territory and commanded Fort Yamhill before
he was killed in action during the Civil War.
Battery Russell was built separate from the other gun
batteries at Fort Stevens clustered along the banks of the
Columbia River. It faced the ocean to the south, expanding
the network of artillery and the “triangle of fire.” It was
armed with two 10-inch “disappearing guns” whose barrels
could retract from view into the gun pits to provide cover
rights reserved. Reprin
ted with permission.
for soldiers while they reloaded. Each gun was manned
by a team of 35 men. A well-trained gun crew could fire
a 600-pound shell once every minute with an effective
range of eight miles.
Fire Control Hill
and Squirrelsville
Firing the guns at Battery Russell required gathering
data from the stations located at either end of each base
line. The two stations reported the target’s angle from
their position to the plotting room, enabling the soldiers
to use triangulation to aim. A number of base lines for
guns on both sides of the Columbia River ended at Fire
Control Hill, directly above Battery Russell.
Throughout the 1930s, Battery Russell was the practice
battery for a coast artillery regiment with the Oregon
National Guard. In September 1940, the unit was
federalized; after receiving new training at nearby Camp
Clatsop (now Camp Rilea), the regiment was moved
back to Fort Stevens in February 1941. But it was only
after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th that
Battery Russell was manned on a regular basis. Because
it was some two miles from the main fort, primitive
housing was hastily constructed for the gun crews in the
wooded area behind the dune. This area was known as
“Squirrelsville” to the soldiers who were rotated in and
out every few days.
Soldiers reloading
a 10” disappearing
rifle from behind the
parapet, or wall, of
the battery.
Overlapping arcs representing the effective range of
the guns on both sides of the Columbia River.
Attack!
At about 11:30 p.m. on the night of June 21, 1942, an
imperial Japanese Navy submarine bypassed the entrance
of the Columbia River. It was the I-25, a member of the
I-class of long-range submarines dispatched to go after
military targets and naval vessels along the western coast
of the U.S. The sub surfaced just south of Fort Stevens
about 10 miles offshore and began firing shells from its
5.5-inch deck gun in the direction of the fort.
Soldiers scrambled out of bed and raced to their posts.
They located the submarine by its gun flashes, but were
told to hold their fire. It’s unclear why the order was
given—perhaps those on Fire Control Hill thought the
sub was beyond the reach of the guns, or the harbor
defense commander may have wanted to avoid revealing
This June 23, 1942 front page of The Oregonian and its use of
derogatory language documents the fear and hostility of the wartime period.
the precise location of the fort and the extent of its
arsenal. It’s also possible that a conflict between the
newly federalized artillery regiment and the officer in
charge may have played a factor.
Fortunately, most of the I-25’s shells landed harmlessly
in isolated swamp and beach areas, although several
did touch down near Battery Russell. A regional
newspaper at the time said that the sub “peppered the
Fort Stevens area… for approximately sixteen minutes”
before it ceased firing, submerged, and retreated
beneath the waves.
A photograph of the
I-15, a submarine
from the same class
as the I-25.
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1.Powder magazine: Gunpowder was kept in silk bags sealed in metal cans. Each bag weighed more than 180 lbs. Two bags were used per firing.
1. Powder Magazine: Powder was
2.Shell
room: The projectiles,
or was
high kept
explosive-filled
were
kept
here.
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weighed
more
than 600
lbs.180
each.
kep
t inbags
silkshells,
bag
s sea
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1. Powder
Powder
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silk
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cans.The
bags
weighed
over
lbs. each. Two bags were used per firing.
tal can
s.The pow
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der bag
ll Room: The
s weighe
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ove
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jectiles
r 180
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,had
or
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3.Shot
room:
Shot
were
either
or
much
smaller
explosive
filler.
For
safety,
the
highly
explosive
shells
were
battery
room
2. firing.
losi
bag
ve
s wereinuse
fille
d
she
lls,
d per
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2 Shell
Room:
The
projectiles,
or
high
explosive
filled
shells,
were
kept
here.
They
weighed
over
600
lbs.
each.
e
kep
t here. They weighed over 600 lbs. stored deeperTw
3. Shot Room: Shot were either
eac
h.
soli
d
or
a mu
4.Shell
Shells were
delivered
here or
from
the
shell
room
on explosive
overhead
tracks,
placed
the
loadingexplosive
table, connected
to a stored
conveyer
chain,inand
uproom
to the“2.”
gun deck.
ch sm
alle
r explosi
3. Shot
Room:
were
either solid
had
ahad
much
smaller
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shells were
deeper
the brought
battery in
ve fille
r. safety,
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4.hoist:
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ety,highly
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5.Plotting
room:
crew
receivedhere
raw from
rangethe
data
from
the
base
endove
stations.
It placed
was
into firing
data and
up to
the gun
moverhead
on
4. Shell
Hoist:
Shells
were
delivered
shell
room
on
tracks,
connected
to aphoned
conveyer
chain
and
brought
uptery
to the
gun
rhe
in roo
ad trac
m deck.
“2.”
5. Plo
ks, converted
plaon
tting Here,
cedthe
Room:the
ontable,
the tab
In this room a crew received raw
le, connected to a conveyer chain
ran
ge
and
dat
bro
a
from
ugh
5. Plotting
Room:
In
this
room
a
crew
received
raw
range
data
from
base
end
stations.
Here
it
was
digested
into
firing
data
and
phoned
up
to
the
gun
deck.
6.Office:
This
room
also
served
as
the
location
of
storage
batteries
for
an
alternate
communication
system
with
the
gun
deck.
t
base end stations. Here it was dig
up to the gun deck.
6. Office: Also the location of sto
ested into
rag
e batteri
esa for
a commu
nicastorage
6. Office:
Also
the
locationAfter
of storage
batteries
for
communications
system
with
the
gun
deck
that
did
not work out.firing data and phoned up to the gun deck.
tion
s sysspace
tem with
7.Sleeping
remodeling,
this
room
became
a
new
for
projectiles
(see
#3).
7. Oriroom
the
gin
gun
allyfor
dec
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slee
k
tha
ping Room
t
did
not work out.
for Guards. After a remodeling
7. Originally
a ʼssleeping
became
a new
projectile
storage
space (See note for
Room 3)..
it becam
e a new
8. Offroom
project
8.Officer’s
icer
ile storag
Room. Room for Guards. After a remodeling job itjob
e space (See note for Room 3)..
8.
Officerʼs
Room.
9. for
Clohoses,
set for chain
9.Closet
shell tongs.
hoses,hoists,
chain and
hosits,
ll tongs.
9. Closet for hoses, chain hosits, and and
shellshe
tongs.
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Lantern
Niche
Shell Hoist
TwoLantern
-wa
y LanNiche:
tern Niche
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t one
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enisted
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right
one
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enisted
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The
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ng powder
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assembly.
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der
the powder
hoist assembly.
leading
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the
B. Opening
thempowder hoist assembly.
the powder
leading
from
theshell
shell
The
overhe
ad
C. room
tracks
Guardfor
the powmagazines.
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der
C.Guard
magazines.
and
enclosed
on
both
room
are
visible
in the
this
C. Guard
Room
They
were
enclosed
room
are
visable.
lea
din
g
from
shell
Tool Room
The
y werewith
enclosed
D.ToolD.room
sides
by doors
photo,
which
shows
D. Tool
Room
on
both
sides
by
doors
Shells
are
seen
on
the
roo
m
are
visa
E. Ma
ble
.
p
on
Vau
both side
lt
by doors
metal
frames
and sglass
E.Map
vault
shells
placed
onwith
theone
E. Map
Vault
withwith
metal
frames
loading
table
She
lls are
see
F. Sto
n on the
rage Room
me
tal
fram
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inserts.
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niches
are
F.Storage
room
loading
table
with
one
F. Storage
Room
and
glass
inserts.
ready
to
be
hoisted
loa
din
g
tab
le withtoone
G. Oil Room: Storage for oil lam
and
glass inse
rts.
ps.
found
throughout
the
G.Oil
room:
Used
to
store
oil
lamps.
G. H.
Oil
Room:
Storage
for
oil
lamps.
Blind
niches
are
found
the
gun
deck.
readyrea
to dy
be to
hoisted
be hoito
sted to
Electrical Room: Lighting panel &
Blind niches are found
gen
erafor
battery.
tor for
H.Electrical
room:
Contained
a
lighting
panel
and
generator
for
H. Electrical
Room:
Lighting
panel
&
generator
throughout
the
battery.
the
gun
dec
the
gun
deck.
k.
the gun carriage and its lighting.
throughout the battery.
theDE
gun
carriage
and4.1
its lighting.
the
and
its lighting.
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201carriage
3/Rev.
0.13. Consult : GH
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Aftermath
The attack by the I-25 may have been in retaliation for
“the Doolittle Raid,” a surprise attack on the Japanese
home islands by American B-25 bombers two months
earlier. All told, approximately seventeen shells were
fired at Fort Stevens. A monument now marks the site
where one of the shells landed along the road from
DeLaura Beach to the fort, creating a five-foot crater.
Although there were no casualties, and
the shelling caused minimal damage
to property, it alarmed local residents
about the possibility of further attacks
or even an invasion. Barbed wire was
strung along the beach, including
through the wreck of the Peter Iredale,
and civilian guards were assigned to
patrol the coast.
became the first U.S. mainland military base to be fired
upon by a foreign power since the War of 1812—at the
time of the attack, a period of 130 years. It still holds
that distinction. The I-25 went on to sink two U.S.
freighters and launch aerial bombings of forested land
in southern Oregon near Brookings. It was destroyed in
1943 in the South Pacific by an American warship.
With the attack, Fort Stevens saw its
only wartime action. It also took on
heightened historical significance: it
A crater resulting from the shelling. Courtesy National Archives.
Battery Russell Today
After 40 years of protecting the harbor, Battery Russell
fired its last shells on December 29, 1944 in a closing
ceremony as it was replaced by the more modern Battery
245 to the northeast. Shortly after World War II, all the
guns at Fort Stevens were removed, and the property was
turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Battery
Russell became part of Oregon State Parks in 1975.
Today, Battery Russell is visited by more than 170,000
people each year. It serves as both an artifact of early
20th-century U.S. military history and a reminder of past
conflict. It is home to the Pacific Rim Peace Memorial,
which is dedicated to the American and Japanese
soldiers who were involved in the shelling of Fort
Stevens and which calls for an everlasting peace between
their two countries. The memorial was dedicated on
June 21, 1992, the 50th anniversary of the attack. More
than 150 veterans of the Harbor Defenses of the
Columbia attended. In 2012, a ceremony was held to
commemorate the 70th anniversary of the event.
The guns at Battery Russell fired 10”-diameter shells that
weighed approximately 620 pounds.