Battery Mendell

Built in 1905, Battery Mendell was positioned as far west on the headlands as possible to keep enemy warships farther from San Francisco's harbor than earlier coastal defenses could. Armed with the biggest guns in America, its two 12-inch cannons could hit a vessel 8 miles out to sea. It was designed for disappearing guns that rose up for firing and then dropped back down behind the protective parapet, giving the weapons and troops greater cover than older batteries had provided. However, new technology, such as that employed at nearby Battery Wallace, soon enabled high-angle fire and nearly doubled the distance guns could shoot.

California · United States