Piti Guns
Encyclopedia
The Piti Guns or Piti Coastal Defense Guns is the site of three Vickers-type Model 3 140 millimetres (5.5 in) coastal defense guns in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park
in Piti, Guam
. The Japanese manufactured these Model 3 coastal defense guns in 1914. During the Japan
ese Occupation of Guam from 1941-1944, they built up defensive positions on the island. The Chamorro population was forced to work in building up these defenses, and did so here at the Piti Guns.
The Piti guns were strategically placed in a village consisting mostly of rice paddies in 1944. This area was chosen to defend the beach at Asan
from a possible invasion. These guns have a firing range of close to 10 miles (16.1 km) and were intended for use against ships and landing craft. When the United States Armed Forces came to retake the island on July 21, 1944 these guns were not fully operational. Consequently, not one of the three coastal defense guns was ever fired. However, these guns are representative of the type of weapons used by the Japanese on Guam for fortification efforts.
, and are freely accessible by the general public. The trailhead is located at 13.4621N, 144.6942E in a residential neighborhood behind a church social hall on Father Mel Street in Piti, Guam
. The guns are located a short walk up a staircase from the trailhead.
War in the Pacific National Historical Park
The War in the Pacific National Historical Park is a protected area that was established in 1978 in honor of those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Various sites on the island of Guam comprise the Park...
in Piti, Guam
Piti, Guam
Piti is a village located on the western shore of Guam. It contains the commercial port of Guam at Apra Harbor as well as several of the island’s largest power plants.- Education :Guam Public School System serves the island....
. The Japanese manufactured these Model 3 coastal defense guns in 1914. During the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Occupation of Guam from 1941-1944, they built up defensive positions on the island. The Chamorro population was forced to work in building up these defenses, and did so here at the Piti Guns.
The Piti guns were strategically placed in a village consisting mostly of rice paddies in 1944. This area was chosen to defend the beach at Asan
Asan, Guam
Asan is a village located on the western shore of the U.S. territory of Guam. The municipality of Asan-Maina combines Asan with Maina, a community in the hills to the east. It was a primary landing site for United States Marines during Guam's liberation from the Japanese in World War II. Asan...
from a possible invasion. These guns have a firing range of close to 10 miles (16.1 km) and were intended for use against ships and landing craft. When the United States Armed Forces came to retake the island on July 21, 1944 these guns were not fully operational. Consequently, not one of the three coastal defense guns was ever fired. However, these guns are representative of the type of weapons used by the Japanese on Guam for fortification efforts.
Visiting
The Piti Guns are located in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Piti, GuamPiti, Guam
Piti is a village located on the western shore of Guam. It contains the commercial port of Guam at Apra Harbor as well as several of the island’s largest power plants.- Education :Guam Public School System serves the island....
, and are freely accessible by the general public. The trailhead is located at 13.4621N, 144.6942E in a residential neighborhood behind a church social hall on Father Mel Street in Piti, Guam
Piti, Guam
Piti is a village located on the western shore of Guam. It contains the commercial port of Guam at Apra Harbor as well as several of the island’s largest power plants.- Education :Guam Public School System serves the island....
. The guns are located a short walk up a staircase from the trailhead.