US ResearchConflictsIndian Wars and Frontier ConflictsOregonBombardment of Fort Stevens
Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts

Bombardment of Fort Stevens

1942
Oregon
Era
Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts
Year
1942
Location
Oregon
Status
Verified engagement
The Battle

History & Significance

Bombardment of Fort Stevens was a Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts engagement fought in Oregon, 1942.

On the night of June 21, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-25, under Lieutenant Commander Akiji Tagami, surfaced near the mouth of the Columbia River and fired its deck gun at Fort Stevens, a coastal defense post in Oregon. About seventeen shells fell around the fort. Its commander ordered a blackout and, judging the submarine out of range, told the gun crews not to return fire so as not to reveal the fort's positions to the enemy. The shelling did little harm, most rounds landing in a marsh or a baseball field, with damage limited chiefly to telephone cables. An Army bomber spotted the submarine but failed to hit it before it dived away. Minor as it was, the attack has the distinction of being the only time during the war that a military base in the contiguous United States came under fire from an enemy warship.

Forces engaged
No casualties; minor damage (telephone cables)

Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Bombardment of Fort Stevens take place?
Bombardment of Fort Stevens took place in 1942.
Where was Bombardment of Fort Stevens fought?
Bombardment of Fort Stevens was fought in Oregon, United States.
What was the significance of Bombardment of Fort Stevens?
On the night of June 21, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-25, under Lieutenant Commander Akiji Tagami, surfaced near the mouth of the Columbia River and fired its deck gun at Fort Stevens, a coastal defense post in Oregon. About seventeen shells fell around the fort. Its commander ordered a blackout a
Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Bombardment of Fort Stevens

This page covers Bombardment of Fort Stevens. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Bombardment of Fort Stevens report
Or see a real report first
More from this era

Other Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts Engagements

Lookout Air Raids
1942
Oregon
Fu-Go balloon bomb (Bly incident)
1945
Oregon
All battles in OregonIndian Wars and Frontier Conflictsconflicts ›Historic sites in Oregon
Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Wikipedia source.

Aubrey Research

Explore the history around Oregon

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the US, drawing on NRHP records, battlefield archives, census history and geological data to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near OregonView a free sample report
All Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts Battles