| Lembi Battery | |
|---|---|
|
Batterija t'Għar il-Lembi | |
| Part of Fort Manoel | |
| Sliema, Malta | |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1757 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| In use | 1757–1795 |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Fate | Demolished |
Lembi Battery, also known as Qala Lembi Battery (Maltese language: Batterija t'Għar il-Lembi), was an artillery battery in Sliema, Malta. It was built in 1757 by the Order of Saint John, and was considered as an outerwork of Fort Manoel. The battery became obsolete with the construction of Fort Tigné in 1795, and was converted a summer residence, but was later demolished. In the 19th century, Cambridge Battery was built close to the site of Lembi Battery.[1]
The battery was also referred to as Fort Lembi, Lembi Tower or Lembi Redoubt.
History[]
Lembi Battery was built in 1757, and was considered to be an outerwork of Fort Manoel, since it was intended to prevent an attacking enemy from bombarding the northern flank of the fort. The battery had a triangular gun platform and a small blockhouse attached to one side.[2] It was armed with six 12-pounder guns.
The battery became obsolete when Fort Tigné was built in 1795, and its artillery was removed. It became a summer residence of the knight Fra Amante de Fargues.[3]
During the French blockade of 1798–1800, Maltese insurgents built a number of batteries close to the former Lembi Battery in order to bombard Fort Tigné, which was then held by the French.[4]
The battery was demolished later on in the 19th century. In 1878, Cambridge Battery began to be built close to its site.
References[]
- ↑ "Fort Cambridge Development Brief". January 2006. p. 11. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6ZI3M7JLL.
- ↑ Thake, Conrad (25 September 2005). "A Case of mistaken identity". The Malta Independent. http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2005-09-25/letters/a-case-of-mistaken-identity-81554/. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- ↑ Spiteri, Stephen C. (2014). "Fort Manoel". http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/index.php/Journals/arx-fort-manoel-occasional-papers-4.html. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- ↑ Spiteri, Stephen C. (May 2008). "Maltese ‘siege’ batteries of the blockade 1798–1800". pp. 41–43. http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/images/stories/Arx/arx6-2008.pdf. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
The original article can be found at Lembi Battery and the edit history here.