Blunts Point Battery, Artillery battery site at Matautu Ridge, American Samoa.
Blunts Point Battery is an artillery installation on Matautu Ridge overlooking the entrance to Pago Pago Harbor, with two 6-inch naval guns mounted in circular concrete structures. The site rises about 200 feet (60 meters) above the water and includes a magazine structure integrated into the hillside.
The battery was built in the early 1940s as part of American defensive preparations in the Pacific. In August 1941, military personnel tested the guns by firing sixteen rounds at floating targets in the harbor.
The battery reflects the military role American Samoa played during World War II, when the islands became a crucial point in the supply chain to Australia. This presence shaped how the territory was experienced and remembered in that era.
The site is accessed by steep and rocky trails that require physical effort to navigate. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for rough terrain on the ridge.
The guns were tested in August 1941, months before the United States officially entered the war, revealing early strategic preparations in the Pacific. This early testing is documented in historical records.
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