| Wolseley Battery | |
|---|---|
|
Batterija ta' Wolseley | |
| Marsaxlokk, Malta | |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1897–1899 |
| Built by | British Empire |
| In use | 1899–1916 |
| Materials | Concrete |
Wolseley Battery (Maltese language: Batterija ta' Wolseley) is an artillery battery in Delimara, Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built by the British between 1897 and 1899, and is located close to Fort Tas-Silġ. Today, the battery still exists, but it is not accessible to the public.
History[]
Wolseley Battery was built between 1897 and 1899 to defend the area stretching from Delimara Point to Xrobb l-Għaġin. It formed part of a new series of fortifications meant to house breech-loading (BL) guns. The 18th century Tombrell Battery was demolished to clear Wolseley Battery's line of fire.[1]
The battery has an oval plan with four gun emplacements, which originally contained two 9.2 inch and two 6 inch BL guns.[2] The gun emplacements are surrounded by a shallow ditch, which was originally defended by barbed wire entanglements. The rear of the battery was sealed off by an iron fence. The battery also had machine gun emplacements, and it was the first fortification in Malta to have these features.[3]
Wolseley Battery became obsolete by 1906, and its 6-inch guns were transferred to the newly built Wardija Battery near St. Paul's Bay in 1915.[4] The battery was fully decommissioned a year later in 1916.[1]
A stone-clad pillbox was built behind the officers' quarters in the 1930s.
Present day[]
Today, the battery still exists, but there is no public access since it is private property.[2] It is located close to the Delimara Power Station.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Delimara Gas and Power Combined Cycle Gas Turbine and Liquefied Natural Gas receiving, storage and re-gasification facilities - Environmental Impact Assessment - Appendix Two Volume One". ERSLI Consultants Ltd on behalf of Enemalta Corporation. 20 December 2013. pp. 28–31. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. http://web.archive.org/web/20150329025345/http://www.mepa.org.mt/EIACMS/documents/Delimara/B02i_CCGT-LNG_DPS_EIS_App02i_ESRs_A4_Simplex.pdf.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Marsaxlokk, Delimara-St Thomas Bay Trail: Wolseley Battery". http://www.eh4-marenostrum.net/virtualtour/Marsaxlokk/trail_3/Marsaxlokk_trail_3_1.php. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ↑ Stephenson, Charles (2004). The Fortifications of Malta 1530-1945. Osprey Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 1841766933. https://books.google.com.mt/books?id=XsQ1CdqvyqUC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ↑ Debono, Charles (26 April 2015). "Major land, sea, air offensives during the first half of 1915". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. http://web.archive.org/web/20150612140838/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150426/life-features/major-land-sea-air-offensives-during-the-first-half-of-1915.565835.
The original article can be found at Wolseley Battery and the edit history here.