User:Gibmetal77/sandbox/Tovey Battery
| Tovey Battery | |
|---|---|
| Part of Fortifications of Gibraltar | |
| Queen's Road, Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Gibraltar | |
 Tovey Battery | |
 Tovey Battery | |
  Tovey Battery | |
| Coordinates | 36°08′34″N 5°20′53″W / 36.142833°N 5.347949°W |
| Type | Twin artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Gibraltar |
| Site history | |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
Tovey Batteryis 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 Queen's Road within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.
History[edit]
The Battery was named after Lietenant colonel A. Tovey, Commander of the Royal Artillery in Gibraltar during its Great Siege and serving on the Rock from 1771 until his death on 27 March 1781.[1][2] The site of Tovey's Battery had two 6 inch guns by the end of the 19th century which were part of fourteen available for close range defense.[3]
Construction of the battery began in 1909 and was completed on 31 March 1911. By this time the battery was equipped with two 6 inch breechloading guns Mk VII on central pivot mountings. The battery's importance by this time led to the closure of the inferior Hayne's Cave Battery which was only equipped with 4 inch guns.[4]
The battery was manned during both World Wars and the Gibraltar Defence Force took part in its manning. A 6 pounder 6 cwt quick-firing hotchkiss gun was deployed at the battery in 1940 but removed shortly thereafter following the reorganisation of the anti-tank defences at North Front.[1]
Tovey Battery was abandoned in 1956 following the abolition of coastal artillery in the United Kingdom. The battery's guns were left in-situ but were subsequently removed sometime after 1960 for scrap metal.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Hughes, Quentin; Migos Migos, Athanassios (1995). Strong as the Rock of Gibraltar. Exchange Publications. p. 252.
- ^ Chartrand, Rene (25 July 2006). Gibraltar 1779 - 1783. Osprey Publishing. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-84176-977-6. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ Fa, Darren; Finlayson, Clive (2006). The fortifications of Gibraltar: 1068-1945 (1. publ. in Great Britain. ed.). Oxford [u.a.]: Osprey. p. 36. ISBN 9781846030161.
- ^ Crone, Jim. "Royal Anglian Way". DiscoverGibraltar.com. Retrieved 30 March 2013.