Near Pensacola Beach in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Battery Payne

Killed in Gun Drill

— Fort Pickens —

Battery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014

1. Battery Marker

Inscription.
In 1922 Hugo W. Papp looked on as the gun crew practiced firing one of Battery Payne's rapid-fire rifles. The recoil tore the gun from its mount and hurled it down the steps at Papp. In an instant he was dead. This was the only time that a life was taken by any of the guns at Fort Pickens' batteries, which never saw combat. The two 3-inch rifles here, like those at Battery Trueman, had a 360-degree sweep of fire, making them excellent protectors of the inner harbor and the Pensacola Navy Yard.

Erected by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.

Location. 30° 19.676′ N, 87° 17.75′ W. Marker is near Pensacola Beach, Florida, in Escambia County. Marker is on Fort Pickens Road, 10½ miles west of Pensacola Beach Boulevard (State Road 399), on the right when traveling east. 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 Van Swearingen (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Cullum, Battery Sevier (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Colonial Power Struggle (approx. 0.2 miles away); Battery Trueman

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); Hurricane Ivan (approx. 0.2 miles away); Massive Smoothbore (approx. ¼ mile away); Fort within a Fort (approx. 0.3 miles away); Apache Prisoners (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola Beach.

Regarding Battery Payne. Constructed in 1904, the design and mission of this battery was identical to Battery Trueman.

Also see . . . Fort Wiki article on Battery Payne. (Submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Former gun mount location image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014

2. Former gun mount location

Battery Payne bunker and mounts. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014

3. Battery Payne bunker and mounts.

Fort Pickens entrance sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, January 1, 2015

4. Fort Pickens entrance sign

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 440 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.