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The Blunts Point Battery, also known as Blunts Point Naval Gun or Matautu Ridge Gun Site, is a gun battery on Matautu Ridge near
Blunts Point is a projection on the west side of the mouth of Pago Pago Harbor, on the south side of the island of
"Great Guns: Archaeologists uncover traces of a Pacific island’s wartime preparations."
Natural History Magazine. Vol. 120 Issue 10. December 2012. {{National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in American Samoa Pago Pago Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in American Samoa United States Marine Corps installations Military installations closed in the 1940s World War II on the National Register of Historic Places 1942 establishments in American Samoa
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Pago Pago ( ; Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the territorial capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, which is American Samoa's main island.
...
. It was part of the fortification of the Samoan Islands
The Samoan Islands ( sm, Motu o Sāmoa) are an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Independent State of Samoa ...
which took place after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the ...
, and is a rare example of a World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
Pacific coastal gun which remains in relatively pristine condition. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1987. and
On August 28, 1941, the two guns shot sixteen rounds at a target floating in Pago Pago Harbor
Pago Pago Harbor on Tutuila Island in American Samoa is one of the world's largest natural harbors. The capital, Pago Pago is located on the inner reaches of the harbor, close to its northwesternmost point. It has the highest annual rainfall of ...
. The guns’ discharge could be heard for miles away. Approximately one week after the guns were tested, ten rounds were shot from each of the two recently placed guns at Breakers Point.Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). ''American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag''. Island Heritage. Page 169. .
Description and history
Blunts Point is a projection on the west side of the mouth of Pago Pago Harbor, on the south side of the island of Tutuila
Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa (and its largest), and is part of the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, A ...
, southeast of the village of Utulei
Utulei or Utulei is a village in Maoputasi County, in the Eastern District of Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. Utulei is traditionally considered to be a section of Fagatogo village, the legislative capital of American Samoa, and is l ...
. Two six-inch naval guns are mounted at a point about above sea level, at this point, which has a commanding view of the harbor entrance. The guns are mounted in circular concrete structures with a parapet about high around the outside. A short way below the emplacement is a magazine which is built into the hillside. The battery has recently been restored and is in good condition. It is accessible to the public via a moderately difficult hiking trail.
The tensions of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
prompted the United States government to begin fortifying American Samoa in 1940. United States Marines installed the two guns at Blunts Point, and another two on the east side of the harbor at Breakers Point. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawa ...
in December 1941 and the capture of Guam
The Capture of Guam was a bloodless engagement between the United States and Spain during the Spanish–American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garri ...
shortly thereafter, American Samoa became of critical importance as the only major American base in the western Pacific, and it was further fortified in anticipation of attack. Although no attack ever came, American Samoa was a critical supply and training point for American military actions in the Pacific.
See also
*Breakers Point Naval Guns
The Breakers Point Naval Guns are a historic World War II-era defensive fortification on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa. It consists of two six-inch Mark 8 Model 2 naval guns, mounted on circular concrete platforms about 200 feet above se ...
, across the harbor
*List of United States National Historic Landmarks in United States commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states
This is a list of National Historic Landmarks in U.S. commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states.
Included are lists of National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and of National Park Service administered areas in U.S. Commonw ...
*National Register of Historic Places listings in American Samoa
File:American Samoa Districts.png, 250px, American Samoa districts (clickable)
poly 520 1249 517 1248 482 1247 473 1230 456 1230 450 1237 440 1228 432 1218 428 1216 432 1210 431 1202 429 1198 429 1190 434 1182 438 1180 420 1158 393 1137 396 1133 ...
*Naval Base Samoa
Naval Base Samoa, codename ''Operation Straw'', was a number of United States Navy bases at American Samoa in the central Pacific Ocean. The bases were used during World War II to support the island hopping Pacific war efforts of the allied nati ...
References
External links
*Kennedy, Joseph"Great Guns: Archaeologists uncover traces of a Pacific island’s wartime preparations."
Natural History Magazine. Vol. 120 Issue 10. December 2012. {{National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in American Samoa Pago Pago Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in American Samoa United States Marine Corps installations Military installations closed in the 1940s World War II on the National Register of Historic Places 1942 establishments in American Samoa