Princess Royal's Battery

Last updated

Princess Royal's Battery
Part of Fortifications of Gibraltar
Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Gibraltar
Princess Royal's Battery 1903.png
Princess Royal's Battery in 1903 with 6 inch BL Mark VII gun
Princess Anne's Battery diagram.png
Map of a portion of Willis's Plateau, including Princess Anne's Battery, Princess Amelia's Battery, Willis' Magazine and Princess Royal's Battery
Gibraltar location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Princess Royal's Battery
Coordinates 36°08′46″N5°20′46″W / 36.146180°N 5.346166°W / 36.146180; -5.346166
Type Artillery Battery
Site information
Owner Government of Gibraltar
Site history
Builtc. 1705
In use Decommissioned

Princess Royal's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Willis's Plateau at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just southeast of Princess Anne's Battery. Formerly known as Willis' Battery , and later, Queen Anne's Battery or Queen's Battery, it was renamed in the late 18th century after Charlotte, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of George III. The battery was active from the early 18th century until at least the mid-20th century. However, it has been decommissioned and guns are no longer present. Princess Royal's Battery is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

Contents

Early history

Charlotte, Princess Royal Von Hetsch - Charlotte of Great Britain, Queen of Wurttemberg.jpg
Charlotte, Princess Royal

Princess Royal's Battery is in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. [1] [2] The artillery battery is one of several located on Willis's Plateau, named after a British artillery officer commended for his actions during the capture of Gibraltar in 1704. [3] [4] During the early 18th century, the batteries on that plateau were referred to as the Willis's Batteries. [5] [6] [7] Princess Royal's Battery is positioned at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, southeast of Princess Anne's Battery, and in proximity to the entrance to the Middle Galleries, the 18th century tunnels. [8] [9] [10]

While referred to in the early 18th century as Willis's Battery, it was later known as Queen Anne's Battery or Queen's Battery. [4] [9] After the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–1783), it was again renamed after Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766–1828), the eldest daughter of King George III (1738–1820) and Queen Charlotte (1744–1818). [9] [11] In 1797, at age 30, the Princess Royal married Frederick, the Crown Prince of Wurttemberg (1754–1816). [11]

The battery was constructed about 1705, "upon the second declivity" at the north end of the Rock of Gibraltar. [12] It had a fan-like plan and, in 1727, featured twelve guns. [9] At that time, "nearly all the guns in Willis's were six-pounders, and in the journal of the siege it is mentioned that a three-pounder in Queen Anne's battery did great execution in the enemy's works." [13] That year, the guns at Queen's Anne's Battery were sufficiently effective during the thirteenth siege of Gibraltar that the Spanish officers were prompted to devise a plan to silence them. They started a mine in a cave below the battery, the intent being to excavate a chamber directly below the battery, load it with explosives, and blow it up. However, the undertaking required a great deal of labour. Not only was the rock hard, but the mine was started at a considerable height, close to the battery, not at the base of the Rock. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful. [14] [15] [16]

In February 1782, Princess Royal Battery was the site of the first use of Lieutenant George Koehler's depressing gun-carriage. [17] This allowed the angle of the gun to be aimed down at an angle of seventy degrees. This enabled the defending soldiers to take advantage of the height of the Rock of Gibraltar. It was ingenious because the sliding carriage allowed the gun to recoil without sending the gun carriage into the air. This idea was later built into more conventional gun carriages. [18] Colonel John Drinkwater in his accounts claimed that the gun hit its target 28 times out of 30 when aimed at the Spaniard's San Carlos Battery.

In August 1782, during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, the Garrison strengthened the works at Willis's Plateau, and orders went out for the Princess Royal's Battery "to be caissoned with ship-timber." [19]

In the period from 1834 to 1859, Princess Royal's Battery had nine 24-pounders. However, four years later, by 1863, the guns had been switched out for two 7-inch (180 mm) rifled breech loaders and seven 32-pounders. There were further changes later that century. The battery mounted five 64-pounder rifled muzzle loading guns in 1885 and three of the same in 1889. About that time, a proposal was made to mount a 6-inch breech loading Mark IV gun. A drawing (pictured below) made of Princess Royal's Battery in 1895 includes not only the 6-inch emplacement, but also Gun No. 1 of Princess Anne's Battery. [9]

Recent history

Princess Royal's Battery with Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun AA gun, 17 Nov 1941 Princess Royal's Battery 1941.png
Princess Royal's Battery with Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun AA gun, 17 Nov 1941
Underground layout of Princess Royal's Battery Princess Royal's Battery underground layout.png
Underground layout of Princess Royal's Battery

In 1901, approval had been given for two 6-inch (152 mm) guns at Princess Royal's Battery. One emplacement was to have a range of 6,000 yards (5,500 m), to bear on the enemy's land batteries. The other was to feature double the range, 12,000 yards (11,000 m), to target vessels on the Mediterranean. On 21 July 1902, work began on a 6-inch breech loading Mark VII gun with barbette armour. By November 1903, that 6-inch BL Mark VII gun had been mounted, as documented in a photograph (pictured above) of that date, with the installation finished by 24 May 1904. In December 1915, the second 6-inch breech loading Mark VII gun was mounted on the battery. It is believed to have stayed there until about 1924–1925. [9] By World War II, at least one gun was still present, a Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun anti-aircraft gun, as documented in an Imperial War Museum photograph (pictured at left). [20]

The battery features subterranean, bombproof storage areas for shells and cartridges. Underground, there are also shell hoists and a room for the gun crew. [9] [21] The largest room inside the entrance to the left has sustained heavy vandalism (B in diagram). A central hallway runs the length of the underground complex (C). Interior windows, lighting holes, along that corridor helped to avoid the risk of interaction of flame and gunpowder (D). [21] [22] Wooden doors at the entrance of the shell storage room are extant, but their condition was poor as of 2005 (E). [21]

Princess Royal's Battery is protected as a listed building under the Gibraltar Heritage Trust Act 1989. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Siege Tunnels</span>

The Great Siege Tunnels in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, also known as the Upper Galleries, are a series of tunnels inside the northern end of the Rock of Gibraltar. They were dug out from the solid limestone by the British during the Great Siege of Gibraltar of the late 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Caroline's Battery</span>

Princess Caroline's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, at the junction of Willis's Road and Queen's Road. The nearby Princess Anne's Battery is often mistakenly referred to as Princess Caroline's Battery. The latter was built in 1732 and named after Princess Caroline, the daughter of King George II. Princess Caroline's Battery was updated in 1905, and a 6 inch Mark VII gun was mounted above the magazine. Later, the battery was decommissioned and the gun removed. The underground magazine is now home to the Military Heritage Centre, which includes the Memorial Chamber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Anne's Battery</span>

Princess Anne's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Willis's Plateau at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, above Princess Caroline's Battery. It was named after Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, the eldest daughter of George II. However, its name is often confused with those of other batteries in the area. In 1732, guns were first mounted on the battery, which also saw action during the Great Siege of Gibraltar. Princess Anne's Battery was updated in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with the latter modernisation entailing the installation of four QF 5.25 inch guns with both anti-aircraft and coastal defence capabilities. The battery was manned into the early 1980s, after which it was decommissioned. The guns were refurbished in the early twenty-first century, and represent the world's only intact battery of 5.25 inch anti-aircraft guns. Princess Anne's Battery is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Hara's Battery</span> Artillery battery in Gibraltar

O'Hara's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the highest point of the Rock of Gibraltar, near the southern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, in close proximity to Lord Airey's Battery. It was constructed in 1890 at the former site of a watchtower that had earned the name O'Hara's Folly. The battery and tower were both named after the Governor of Gibraltar Charles O'Hara. The first gun mounted on the battery was a 6-inch breech loading gun, which was replaced with a 9.2 inch Mark X BL gun in 1901. The battery was in use during World War II and was last fired during training exercises in 1976. O'Hara's Battery has been refurbished and is open to the public. The battery and its associated works are listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Amelia's Battery</span>

Princess Amelia's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Willis's Plateau at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, adjacent to Gun No. 4 of Princess Anne's Battery. It was named after Princess Amelia of Great Britain, the second daughter of George II. It was formerly referred to as the 2nd Willis's Battery. The plateau and its batteries had previously been named after an artillery officer by the name of Willis who was outstanding during the capture of Gibraltar in 1704. Princess Amelia's Battery saw action during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, during which it sustained substantial damage. Little remains of the original site, aside from two derelict buildings. The battery is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Airey's Battery</span> Artillery battery in Gibraltar

Lord Airey's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located near the southern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just north of O'Hara's Battery. It was named after the Governor of Gibraltar, General Sir Richard Airey. Construction of the battery was completed in 1891. The first gun mounted on the battery was a 6-inch breech loading gun, which was replaced with a 9.2-inch Mark X BL gun by 1900. The gun at the battery was last fired in the 1970s. In 1997, it was discovered that Lord Airey's Shelter, adjacent to Lord Airey's Battery, was the site chosen for a covert World War II operation that entailed construction of a cave complex in the Rock of Gibraltar, to serve as an observation post. The battery is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breakneck Battery</span> Artillery battery in Gibraltar

Breakneck Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Ministry of Defence property at the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, north of Lord Airey's Battery. It is one of a dozen batteries in Gibraltar that had 9.2-inch (233.7 mm) guns installed around the turn of the twentieth century. The emplacement features a 9.2-inch Mark X breech-loading gun on a Mark V mounting. The battery was refurbished by 10 Signal Regiment in 2012 and 2016 whilst being on Ceremonial duties whilst the Gibraltar Regiment where on exercise and is one of three surviving 9.2-inch gun emplacements at the Upper Ridge of the Rock of Gibraltar. By the late twentieth century, the 9.2-inch guns in Gibraltar, Bermuda, Portugal, South Africa, and Australia were the remaining examples of an emplacement that at one point had been mounted at strategic locations across the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spur Battery</span> Artillery battery in Gibraltar

Spur Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located in the Upper Battery area of the southern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just southwest of O'Hara's Battery. A 9.2-inch Mark X breech-loading gun was mounted on the emplacement in 1902, with improvements made to the battery after World War I. In 1981 the 9.2-inch gun at Spur Battery was dismantled and transferred to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England, for preservation. The operation was known as Project Vitello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project Vitello</span>

Project Vitello was a military operation that transferred the 9.2-inch Mark X breech-loading gun at Spur Battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England. Project Vitello I, the first phase, entailed the dismantling of the gun by the Royal Engineers at the artillery battery and transporting it to the Gibraltar dockyard in 1981. It was then shipped to Portsmouth on a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel. Project Vitello II, the second phase, began with the arrival of the gun in Portsmouth and involved transporting the gun to the Duxford Aerodrome. The Royal Engineers not only reassembled the gun and its mount, but also constructed a base, shell pit, and parapet, with the operation completed in 1982. The Gibraltar Gun was inaugurated that year by Sir John Grandy, Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levant Battery</span>

Levant Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Windmill Hill, at the southern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, below observation post Fire Control South. It was named after the Levanter cloud, below which it perched, giving it an unobstructed view. Construction started in 1901 and, by 1903, a 9.2-inch Mark X breech-loading gun had been mounted. The battery was decommissioned in the 1970s and the gun was later removed, to rest in a scrap yard. A community group has been formed to garner support for the gun's recovery and restoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green's Lodge Battery</span>

Green's Lodge Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on the North Face of the Rock of Gibraltar at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, above Farringdon's Battery. Also known as the Superior Battery, it was named after General Sir William Green, who served in Gibraltar for twenty-two years, most of them as the chief engineer of Gibraltar. In 1776, guns were first mounted on the battery, which also saw action during the Great Siege of Gibraltar. The emplacement also underwent reconstruction in the early and mid twentieth century. Green's Lodge Battery is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Gun Battery</span>

Rock Gun Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on the North Face of the Rock of Gibraltar at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, above Green's Lodge Battery. The emplacement on Middle Hill is at the northern summit of the Rock. It was constructed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, due to its advantageous position and the success of the gun at Green's Lodge Battery. It was used effectively during the Great Siege and was rebuilt during the Second World War. During the mid-twentieth century, the Ministry of Defence began to use the site as an aerial farm, which was then refurbished in 1958. The Rock Gun Battery and the Middle Hill Battery were closed to the public for decades. In 2005, the radio farm was closed and the Ministry of Defence withdrew from most of the area, transferring it to the Government of Gibraltar. However, the summit, the site of the Rock Gun Battery, continues to be under MOD authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Hill (Gibraltar)</span>

Middle Hill is a hill in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. It figured prominently in the early history of the 1704 siege of Gibraltar by the Spanish and French. The artillery battery at Middle Hill had been constructed by 1727 and was active for more than two centuries. In the mid twentieth century, Middle Hill transitioned to use as an aerial farm for the Ministry of Defence. The radio farm was refurbished in 1958. About 1970, the Princess Caroline's Battery Group of Barbary macaques were moved to Middle Hill, where they were provisioned at a group of derelict buildings that were part of the battery complex. In 2005, much of Middle Hill was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Government of Gibraltar, and is now managed by the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Hill Battery</span> Artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar

Middle Hill Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Middle Hill, at the northeastern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just south of Green's Lodge Battery and Rock Gun Battery. The emplacement dates to 1727, when a single gun was mounted. By the turn of the twentieth century, six 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns were present at Middle Hill Battery. Other buildings documented at that time as part of the battery complex included the Nursery Hut and the Middle Hill Group, the latter a cluster of buildings which perched on the cliff edge. An anti-aircraft Bofors gun had been installed at the battery by the Second World War. After the war, the area transitioned to use as a Ministry of Defence aerial farm. In 2005, the battery and surrounding area were transferred to the Government of Gibraltar. The site is now managed by the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farringdon's Battery</span> Artillery battery

Farringdon's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Named after Sir Anthony Farrington, 1st Baronet, it is located above the north face of the Rock of Gibraltar within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor's Lookout Battery</span>

Governor's Lookout Battery is one of the many artillery batteries in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, which served to protect it against its many sieges. It is located off Signal Station Road within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.

Willis' Battery is a former artillery battery on the north side of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It overlooks the isthmus between Spain and Gibraltar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortifications of Gibraltar</span> Defensive military constructions at the Rock of Gibraltar

The Gibraltar peninsula, located at the far southern end of Iberia, has great strategic importance as a result of its position by the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. It has repeatedly been contested between European and North African powers and has endured fourteen sieges since it was first settled in the 11th century. The peninsula's occupants – Moors, Spanish, and British – have built successive layers of fortifications and defences including walls, bastions, casemates, gun batteries, magazines, tunnels and galleries. At their peak in 1865, the fortifications housed around 681 guns mounted in 110 batteries and positions, guarding all land and sea approaches to Gibraltar. The fortifications continued to be in military use until as late as the 1970s and by the time tunnelling ceased in the late 1960s, over 34 miles (55 km) of galleries had been dug in an area of only 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koehler Depressing Carriage</span>

The Koehler Depressing Carriage was a novel type of gun carriage invented in 1782 by Lt George Frederick Koehler of the Royal Artillery. It was devised to enable cannon to be fired at a steeply downward-facing angle and was made necessary by the peculiar circumstances that the British Army faced during the Great Siege of Gibraltar between 1779 and 1783. The carriage saw active service during the siege, when it was used to support the British counter-bombardment of Spanish and French artillery batteries during the successful defence of Gibraltar. Its success made Koehler famous and has been commemorated in a number of different forms over the last 230 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince's Lines</span>

The Prince's Lines are part of the fortifications of Gibraltar, situated on the lower slopes of the north-west face of the Rock of Gibraltar. They are located at a height of about 70 feet (21 m) on a natural ledge above the Queen's Lines, overlooking the landward entrance to Gibraltar, and run from a natural fault called the Orillon to a cliff at the southern end of the isthmus linking Gibraltar with Spain. The lines face out across the modern Laguna Estate, which stands on the site of the Inundation, an artificial lake created to obstruct landward access to Gibraltar. They were constructed to enfilade attackers approaching Gibraltar's Landport Front from the landward direction.

References

  1. ↑ "List of Crown Dependencies & Overseas Territories". fco.gov.uk. Foreign and Commonwealth Office . Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Roach, John (10 October 2006). "Neandertals' Last Stand was in Gibraltar, Study Suggests". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 14 November 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  3. ↑ Ehlen, Judy; Harmon, Russell S (2001). The Environmental Legacy of Military Operations (illustrated ed.). Geological Society of America. p. 110. ISBN   9780813741147.
  4. 1 2 Drinkwater Bethune, John (1786). A history of the late siege of Gibraltar (2 ed.). p. 65. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  5. ↑ Solas Dodd, James (1781). The ancient and modern history of Gibraltar. With an accurate journal of the siege of that fortress, Feb. 13 to June 23, 1727. p. 195. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Princess Anne's Battery No.4 Gun (E)". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Princess Anne's Battery, then E 360 view at No.4 Gun). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "Princess Anne's Battery No.1 Gun (A)". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Upper Rock Nature Reserve, then Princess Anne's Battery). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "Google map of Princess Royal's Battery". maps.google.com. Google Maps. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Princess Royal's Battery (F)". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Princess Anne's Battery, then F Princess Royal's Battery). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Site Name: Gibraltar – Princess Anne's Battery". subbrit.org.uk. Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  11. 1 2 Beatty, Michael A (1 April 2003). The English Royal Family of America, from Jamestown to the American Revolution. McFarland. pp. 192–194. ISBN   9780786415588 . Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  12. ↑ Solas Dodd, James (1781). The ancient and modern history of Gibraltar. With an accurate journal of the siege of that fortress, Feb. 13 to June 23, 1727. p. 60. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  13. ↑ Sayer, Frederick (1865). The history of Gibraltar and of its political relation to events in Europe (2 ed.). Chapman and Hall. p.  204 . Retrieved 23 October 2012. Queen Anne's Battery, Gibraltar.
  14. ↑ López de Ayala, Ignacio (1845). The history of Gibraltar: from the earliest period of its occupation by the Saracens. W. Pickering. p.  167 . Retrieved 22 October 2012. Queen Anne's Battery.
  15. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica; or A dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature, Volume 9 (6 ed.). Printed for Archibald Constable and Company. 1823. p. 707. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  16. ↑ Gilbard, Lieutenant Colonel George James (1881). A popular history of Gibraltar, its institutions, and its neighbourhood on both sides of the Straits, and a guide book to their principal places and objects of interest. Garrison Library Printing Establishment. p. 7. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Red Plaque at Grand Casemates Square". Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  18. ↑ Finlayson, Darren Fa & Clive (2006). The fortifications of Gibraltar : 1068-1945 (1. publ. in Great Britain. ed.). Oxford [u.a.]: Osprey. p. 29. ISBN   9781846030161.
  19. ↑ Drinkwater Bethune, John (1786). A history of the late siege of Gibraltar (2 ed.). Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  20. ↑ "The British Army of Gibraltar 1941". iwm.org.uk. Imperial War Museums . Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  21. 1 2 3 "Princess Royal's Battery underground facilities". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Princess Anne's Battery, F Princess Royal's Battery, then Click here for underground layout). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "Princess Caroline's Battery and Military Heritage Centre". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Upper Rock Nature Reserve, then Princess Caroline's Battery and Military Heritage Centre). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  23. ↑ "Gibraltar Heritage Trust Act" (PDF). gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.