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Military History of Colon, the Opportunity to Create a Unique Tourist Experience for Panama

Colon province has one of the richest and most diverse histories of our country and the entire continent. The City of Colon and its architectural legacy, Portobelo with its colonial forts and fairs, Nombre de Dios the starting point of Camino de Cruces, one of the most important commercial routes of those times. However, there is a military history that is little promoted and is related to the First and Second World War.

Three Great Defenses for the Panama Canal

In 1909 the construction of the Panama Canal was in its last phase and war resounded in Europe, which led the United States army to plan the defense of the canal. For this mission, they created the Panama Board made up of high-ranking soldiers, who visited the Isthmus in 1910 and suggested a large complex of fortifications at both entrances to the Canal.

Lesseps Fort

The first was built between 1913 and 1916 at the northern end in the Manzanillo point sector called Fuerte de Lesseps in honor of Fernando De Lesseps, who constructed the Suez Canal and the first to try to build the Panama Canal. Inside this fort is also the famous Morgan Battery used as the first line of defense and located next to the famous Washington Hotel. Although the name seems to be related to the famous pirate Morgan who sacked Panama City in 1671, it was actually named after Charles Hale Morgan, Brigadier General of the United States Army who ended his career as Commander of Alcatraz Penal Island.

The fort had two 6-inch cannons, their bullets could travel 15,000 yards in order to repel light warships that threatened the Canal, the Gatun and Colon locks.

In 1936, Fort De Lesseps and Morgan Battery had 190 soldiers, officers’ houses, barracks, a recreation pavilion for 200 people and a 3-bed clinic. As a result of the Remon-Eisenhower treaties, Fort De Lesseps returned to Panama and its cannons were dismantled and melted down.

Defense to Repel Attacks from Military Ships

To defend the route of the most powerful weapon of the time: the naval cannons of battleships, Fort Sherman was built, to the west of Colon Bay and to the east, on Margarita Island, Fort Randolph. Both strong armed with huge 12-inch and 14-inch guns, capable of delivering half-ton bombs 25,000 yards.

Fort Randolph: Located on Margarita and Galeta Islands, four coastal artillery batteries were built here in 1912. Two firing points were later built for the two 14-inch railway guns brought to the Canal Zone in 1929 to be used at both Fort Randolph and Fort Amador on the Pacific side. The guns were manned during World War I and World War II and all were disassembled and removed from the Canal Zone between 1946 and 1948. Their facilities reverted to Panama on October 1, 1979 as one of the first US assets to revert in compliance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

Fort Sherman: Started operations in 1914 as part of the coastal defense fortification complex for the defense of the Panama Canal; it was the Atlantic counterpart to Fort Kobbe in the Pacific. Four coastal artillery batteries equipped with 14-inch and 6-inch guns were built here. This fort was also the site of the first installation of the United States Army Air Services in Panama (March 1917). In 1941, it was the first base in the United States to install and operate its first early warning radar. From 1951 until 1999, it housed the US Army’s Jungle Operations Training Center (JOTC), since it was suitable for jungle training. Finally, its destination was to revert to Panama on June 30, 1999. Currently, a large part of its facilities is covered by the dense tropical jungle of the San Lorenzo Natural Park, in a total state of abandonment, using a tiny area as yacht marina with restaurant, yacht shipyard and other light tourist facilities.

Today there are only memories of these historic fortifications, restoring them would make them one of the biggest tourist attractions in Colon and Panama, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. It is important to declare them heritage of the history of Panama due to its strategic importance during the 20th century.

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