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Fort Funston: Battery Bluff
by Al Grobmier
Coast Defense Study Group
 
Battery Bluff, 1942. Photo Courtesy of San Francisco Public Library
 
Davis and named Battery Bluff. These first Panama mounts and guns were located about 1,200 feet north of Battery Davis's Gun No. 1, close to the edge of the cliffs overlooking the beach. One of its primary missions was to defend Battery Davis against fast and small enemy vessels. There were no fire control stations for this battery. In 1941, due to erosion of the cliff and three years of recession due to normal wave action which was accelerated by severe storms during the winter of 1940-41, the guns (but not the mounts) were moved to the south of Battery Davis, which are the second set of Panama mounts. Due to erosion, the original Panama Mounts of Battery Bluff have slid onto the beach below the bluffs.
A Panama Mount was concrete pedestal at the center of a circular, semi-circular, or three-quarters circular rail supported the gun and its carriage. The gun carriage trail ends rode on the rail, which is also embedded in concrete. The model French made M1917A1 and nearly identical U.S. made M1918 guns used in many Coast Artillery Panama Mount installations was about 19 feet long, weighed about 8,700 pounds and could fire a projectile up to about 19,000 yards (10.9 miles).
Plans in the Park Archives and Record Center show this second 155mm Battery located at the extreme southwestern corner of the post, just west of where the Nike barracks are now located. This area was completely graded over by the Veterans' Administration for a planned medical center that was not built. No traces of that battery are visible today.

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