Near Pensacola Beach in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Battery Cooper
Shoot and Duck
— Fort Pickens —
Battery Cooper's rifles popped up, disappeared, and reappeared like a jack-in-the-box. The battery, built in 1906, had two 6-inch rifles mounted on disappearing carriages. When the guns were fired, the recoil automatically lowered them behind the concrete wall, which protected the crews while they reloaded the guns. Counterweights returned them to the firing position. During World War I the U.S. Army removed the guns for possible use as railway guns in France. The guns you see today came from the Smithsonian Institution.
Erected by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 30° 19.26′ N, 87° 16.938′ W. Marker is near Pensacola Beach, Florida, in Escambia County. Marker can be reached from Fort Pickens Road, 9½ miles Pensacola Beach Boulevard (State Road 399). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Fort Pickens Road, Gulf Breeze FL 32561, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Battery 234 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Battery Worth (approx. ¼ mile away); William Bartram Trail (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chasefield Plantation Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Apache Prisoners (approx. 0.6 miles away); Fort within a Fort (approx. 0.7 miles away); Converting a Cannon (approx. 0.7 miles away); Deadly Explosion (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola Beach.
Regarding Battery Cooper. Completed in 1906, Battery Cooper mounted two 6-inch guns on disappearing carriages. During World War I, the guns were removed for use on railway mounts in France. In 1937, four emplacements for 155mm guns were constructed around Battery Cooper and designated Battery GPF, remaining part of the Harbor Defense Project until the spring of 1945 when it was disarmed.
Also see . . . Fort Wiki article. (Submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 429 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.