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The natural coastal cut of Sabine Pass has long been an important military strategic point, as evidenced by the battle that took place here during the Civil War. It was no less significant in World War II, when it became one of the primary points of defense along the United States Gulf Coast. In 1941, the U.S. Navy established a Harbor Entrance Control Post (HECP) at the pass to provide defenses against potential enemy activity in the area. Soon after, the U.S. Army installed artillery emplacements at Texas Point (3.62 mi. S) that included two 155mm Howitzer guns on Panama mounts, as well as four munitions magazines at this site. The Army's lease of land at Sabine Pass resulted in the location of a temporary harbor defense unit manned by the 256th Coastal Artillery Regiment at Texas Point. Other elements of the defense system included two base end stations, an observation tower, signal stations, large coastal searchlights, a battery commander post and part of the Coast Guard lifeboat station, originally established in the 1870s as part of the U.S. life-saving service. The munitions magazines also held other ordnance for area installations. Working together, the HECP and the Army post utilized these storage magazines to service the war effort. The defense system remained in full operation until 1944, when the naval section base at Sabine Pass was decommissioned and patrols were discontinued. A caretaker force remained for some time, but the Army declared the post surplus and abandoned it in January 1945. Today, these munitions magazines serve as evidence of military preparedness and the strategic value of Sabine Pass during World War II. (2004) |
