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When the 261st Coast
Artillery mobilized to build
a temporary facility at Cape
Henlopen, they were pulling
their 155MM guns along with
them. Three days after
setting up camp, they were
informed that their training
exercise would become a
permanent assignment and
were instructed to establish
a battery of 155MM guns on
the coast. Battery B
would establish a second
battery of 155MM guns on the
Cape May side of the bay on
30 June, 1941. The
weapons were built on
concrete "Panama Mounts"
which would allow for an
additional 120 degrees of
fire, thus making the
weapons more effective.
The mounts were first used
in defense of the Panama
Canal, hence the name.
The panama mounts still
exist near the beach bath
house today. The 155MM
batteries were removed in
February 1944. |
