Napier of Magdala Battery
| Napier of Magdala Battery | |
|---|---|
100-Ton Gun | |
| Part ofFortifications of Gibraltar | |
| Rosia Bay,Gibraltar | |
 The 100-ton gun at Napier of Magdala Battery | |
 Rear view of the 100-ton gun | |
  Napier of Magdala Battery | |
| Coordinates | 36°07′22″N5°21′15″W/ 36.1227°N 5.3541°W |
| Type | Coastal battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Gibraltar |
| Controlled by | Gibraltar |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Good |
| Site history | |
| Built by | British Government |
| Events | Calpe Conference(2002) |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
Napier of Magdala Batteryis a formercoastal artillerybatteryon the south-western cliffs of theBritish Overseas TerritoryofGibraltar,overlooking theBay of Gibraltar.It also overlooksRosia Bayfrom the north, as doesParson's Lodge Batteryfrom the south.[1]It contains one of two survivingArmstrong 100-ton guns.
History
[edit]In 1883 theBritish Governmentinstalled a single100-ton gun:a 450 mmrifled muzzle-loading(RML) gun made byArmstrong Whitworth,at the battery by Rosia Bay that they namedNapier of Magdala BatteryafterField MarshalRobert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala,who had served asGovernor of Gibraltarfrom 1876 to 1883.[2]
Earlier, in 1879, they had mounted another such gun in Gibraltar atVictoria Battery.These two batteries, together with two inMalta(Cambridge BatteryandFort Rinella), were a response to theItalianshaving, in 1873, built thebattleshipDuilio,which was to receive fourArmstrong Gunsof the same design. The British authorised the construction of Victoria and Napier of Magdala batteries in December 1878; they completed Victoria in 1879 and Napier of Magadala in 1883, at a total cost of£35,707. Because the British viewed the two batteries as part of the one large fortress that was theRock of Gibraltar,the batteries lacked all-round protection and any of the close-in defences such as the dry moats withcaponiersorcounterscarpgalleries that the British installed at Cambridge Battery and Fort Rinella, both of which were free-standing pentagonal forts.
The gun that is now at Napier of Magdala Battery originally armed Victoria Battery, but the British moved it to Napier when the original gun there split during firing practice. The gun at Napier Battery received the nickname, "The Rockbuster".
DuringWorld War II,theBritish Armystationed a battery of four3.7 "and two Boforsquick-firinganti-aircraft gunsat the site. In 1945 they almost fired upon anIberia AirlinesJunkers Ju 88that had wandered into Gibraltar's airspace while on a flight fromMálagatoTetouan.[3]
The "Rockbuster" was last fired in 2002 (with a very small signaling charge) to mark the 2002Calpe Conferencebetween Gibraltar and Malta.
Philately
[edit]In 2010 Gibraltar and Maltajointly issueda four-stamp set of stamps featuring the two countries' 100-ton guns. Two stamps show the gun at Napier of Magdala Battery, and two the gun at Fort Rinella. One of each pair is a view from 1882, and the other is a view from 2010. The stamps from Gibraltar bear a denomination of 75pence,while those from Malta bear a denomination of 0.75 euros.
Gallery
[edit]-
100 ton gun firing from Napier of Magdala Battery in the 1880s -
A replica of the 100-ton gun's 17.72 inch projectile
Notes
[edit]- ^Finlayson (2006), p.34.
- ^Moreman, T. R. (May 2008)."Robert Napier".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
- ^Galliano (2003), p.76.
References
[edit]- Fa, Darren; et al. (2006).The Fortifications of Gibraltar 1068-1945.Gibraltar Museum. p. 64.ISBN9781846030161.
- Paco Galliano (2003).History of Galliano's Bank (1855 - 1987): The Smallest Bank in the World.Gibraltar: Gibraltar Books.
External links
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