Defensive wall along whole Europa cliff edge

Ref: HLFP3/102

This defensive wall stretches from Buena Vista to Europa Point and covers a number of batteries situated along the defensive sea wall.

The present wall is contemporary with the latter, although within its foundations parts of the original Moorish wall which stretched all the way to Europa Flats. This wall was heavily neglected during the Spanish period but reinforced and strengthened during the 18^th and 19^th Centuries by the British.

The wall built by Emperor Charles V during the 1540’s follows the outline of the cliff edge along the steep cliffs surrounding the coastal contours of the south, and is around 2.5 kilometre long. After 1704, the British sited a number of batteries along the cliffs. These are:

1^st and 2^nd Europa Pass Batteries

The Devil’s Bowling Green Battery

Prince George's Battery (old 1^st Europa Battery)

Practice Battery

Elliot's Battery (4^th Europa Battery or Lady Louisa’s Battery)

Europa Hutment Battery (old 5^th Europa Battery)

Woodford's Battery (old 2^nd or Five Gun Battery)

1st Europa Battery (old 6^th Europa Battery)

Harding's Battery (on site of old 7^th Europa Battery)

2^nd Europa Battery (old 8^th Battery also known as Dead Man’s or Point Battery)

3rd Europa Battery (old 9^th Europa Battery or Lighthouse Battery)

1799, Barbié du Bocage map showing the defensive walls of Europa.

The first battery below Buena Vista was the 1^st Europa Pass Battery which according to the 1834 armaments list consisted of six 24-pounders. These were changed to five 24-pounder carronades and a single 68-pounder in 1850. In 1859, a single 8-inch shell gun and two 9-inch Howitzers were sited there. The number of guns were increased to two 8-inch shell gun and four 9-inch Howitzers in 1863. In 1885, four 64-pounder RML were sited but all guns were removed entirely in 1898 at the start of the quarrying works. From the maps and plans it appears that the original battery was much larger than what remains today, possible due to scarping of the cliff edge.

The 1^st Europa Battery was overlooked by the 2^nd Europa Battery which covered the approach to the Europa Pass from the heights above. In 1834, the battery mounted seven 24-pounders reduced to two 24-pounder carronades in 1850. In 1859, it mounted seven 8-inch Howitzers but five of these were replaced with 8-inch shell guns by 1863. The battery was obsolete by 1885.

1st Europa Pass Battery, 1861

2nd Europa Pass Battery, 1861.

Another battery that disappeared altogether was the Devil's Bowling Green Battery, which stood at a height of 154 feet on the headland that separated the two small coves of Camp Bay and Little Bay. The Battery was overlooked by both the Buena Vista Battery and the seven guns of the Europa Pass Battery. The first guns recorded on this Battery was in 1781 when two 24-pounders were sited. More guns were added or upgraded in 1834 and 1856 respectively. In 1872, a 9-inch RML gun, including gun shield was mounted and removed in 1893. The remains of this Battery was destroyed during quarrying works that began in 1898.

The Devil's Bowling Green extending all the way to sea, 18th Century.

Devil's Bowling Green from 1st Europa Battery (Prince George's).

Devil's Bowling Green smooth bore Battery, 1861.

Devil's Bowling Green, RML battery, 1890.

Prince George’s Battery was the natural bastion covering the left flank for Camp Bay and Little Bay beaches, with Parson’s Lodge covering the right flank. Behind Prince George’s Battery stood three mortar batteries.

During WWII, numerous machine gun positions covering the access to both Camp Bay and Little Bay where constructed into the cliff face below Prince George’s Battery. They were abandoned at the end of the war.

An AASL No. 11 was manned on this site from 1939 and for the duration of the war. In addition, a DEL directing station (No. 1) was also located within the gun pit of the old 9-inch RML gun.

Prince George's Battery, Plan of 1861 showing 6 guns and 3 mortars.

Prince George's Battery, Gun emplacement for one 9-inch RML.

Little Bay WWII defences below George's Battery.

To the left of Prince George stood Practice Battery that initially formed part of Elliot’s Battery and sited just north of Bleak House. Practice Battery was constructed in 1897 and consisted of four 3-pounder QF guns and three 64-pounder RML's. The QF guns were removed in 1902 and the RML's in 1904.

Elliot’s Battery was constructed in 1845 to accommodate 32-pounder guns. It was built on the former site of the 4^th Battery or Lady Louisa’s Battery, named after the youngest daughter of King George II. In 1771, this battery is recorded to have mounted five iron 24-pounders.

In 1858, Elliot’s Battery recorded a single 68-pounder but no less than sixteen 32-pounders. By 1863, three of the 32-pounders had been replaced by 7-inch RBL guns. By 1874, there were eleven 80-pounder RML's but these were reduced to eight by 1885. In 1892, these guns were removed and replaced by three 64-pounder RML’s remaining on site until 1904.

The area was used again from August 1940 when two 4.5-inch howitzers of the moveable armament were stationed there. These were replaced by two 25 pounders in 1941.

A DEL (No. 2) directing station was located just to the south of Elliot’s Battery, in the car park that now stands behind Bleak House.

Elliot's Battery, Plan of 1861.

Elliot's Battery, Plan of 1874.

To the south of Bleak House on the cliff edge stands the gun pit for the Europa Hutment Battery, which was the site for a gun marked as Prince of Wales gun on the 1861 map. The name given to this gun derives from 1859, when the Prince of Wales visited the site. In commemoration of this event a plate was placed upon the gun which read "The Prince of Wales Gun' and stated that 'This gun was laid and fired for the first time by Colonel His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Hales HG on 9 May 1859 at Gibraltar'. This gun was probably a 7-inch RBL according to Rollo.

The battery is on the site of the former 5^th Europa Battery and was constructed, probably at the same time as Harding's, in 1876, to take a 12.5-inch RML gun, both of which were built in an open barbette emplacement. These guns arrived in Gibraltar in 1877 and mounted soon after. Their exposed positions on open barbettes attracted a lot of criticism and it was suggested to re-site the two guns to more retired positions but they became obsolete by the time a decision was made. The actual gun is believed to lie in the sea below the cliffs.

During WWII, the centre of the 12.5-inch gun pit was filled with concrete and a Bofors LAA gun installed on the base.

Europa Hutment Battery, Plan of 1861.

Europa Hutment Battery, with gun emplacement for 12.5-inch gun.

Woodford’s Battery was constructed in 1844 on what was formerly the 2^nd Europa Battery. It took its name from Sir Alexander Woodford, Governor of Gibraltar from 1836 to 1842.

Guns had been sited here since the early 18^th Century and known as Five Gun Battery because of the five embrasures mounting 18-pounders. However by 1781, only three guns remained.

Woodford Battery takes the shape of a small demi-bastion with two embrasures on the right flank and four on the left where it overlooks the low ground under Bombproof Barracks.

Woodford's and Europa Hutment Batteries, 1861.

To the west of the battery and alongside Bombproof Barracks is another battery referred to as Woodford's left Flank. This is the left flank battery that complements 1^st Europa Right Flank at the other end of Bombproof Barracks.

In 1859, it was reported that five 32-pounders and two 8-inch SB guns were mounted on Woodford’s Battery and a further two 8-inch SB guns were added by 1863. In December 1872, a 9-inch RML gun was to be installed here on a Moncrieff disappearing carriage but never actually implemented.

The 32-pounders were eventually replaced by three 64-pounder RML’s in 1889, but these were removed by 1892.

In 1940, a 6-pounder Hotchkiss was originally located here but this gun was moved soon after to strengthen the Northern Defences and is still there.

It then became a DEL site (No. 3) controlled, as in the case for the other two DEL’s from the South Directing Station at Windmill Hill.

Woodford's battery and Woodford's Left Flank as seen from 1st Europa Right Flank.

Towards the left of Bombproof Barracks (now the University of Gibraltar) and all the way to Europa Point, stands the Europa Batteries numbered 1 to 6. They were all incorporated into the old Moorish wall that was later strengthened by the British during the 18^th Century. In 1720, Dalton recorded seven 12-pounders and three 18-pounders at Europa but does not state under which batteries they were sited.

The first these batteries, situated immediately to the left of the Bombproof Barracks is the 1^st Europa Right Flank Battery and the 1^st Europa Battery which covered the entrance to the Bay.

In 1844, the battery mounted four 32-pounders and two 18-pounders, but by 1859, the battery had been greatly extended and now consisted of thirteen 32-pounders. In 1863, two of the 32-pounders had been replaced by two 8-inch shell guns. These 8-inch guns were still there in 1885 but not the 32-pounders. A 64-pounder RML was added to the battery in 1889 but all guns were finally removed just three years later.

1st Europa Battery, Plan of 1861.

1st Europa Battery showing site for three 5-inch Breech Loading Practice Batteries.

Pivots for 32-pounder guns, right flank.

Pivots for 32-pounder guns, left flank.

A practice battery of three 5-inch BL guns on Vavasseur mountings was authorised in 1900 but these guns were removed by 1910. The racers and pivots for these guns remain on site behind the present Europa Sports Complex.

During WWII, a bunker/pillbox was built over part of the old battery and this structure remains in place today. This bunker provided covering fire to the Europa foreshore.

Gun emplacements for the three 5-inch Practice guns.

Racers and pivots for the 5-inch guns in situ.

Entrance to the WWII bunker.

Interior of the bunker.

Part of the bunker, south side.

Just in front of Harding’s Battery, the defensive wall zigzags in line with the old Moorish wall that during medieval times would have provided mutual covering fire from each flank, supported by intersecting towers. The British later built a second straight wall enclosing this dead spot, with this new wall acting as a sort of counterguard.

This line formed part of the old 7^th Europa Battery which stood along the defensive wall in front of Harding’s. The new battery was built on a cavalier and mounting two 18-pounders, which were later replaced with two 24-pounders. In 1863, two 32-pounders on pivots and traversing carriages were built on the ‘fort’ until finally in 1877 it was re-constructed to accommodate one of two 12.5-inch RML guns in the south built in an open barbette emplacement. It was named Harding’s Battery after Sir George Harding, who was Chief Engineer in 1844 and was constructed on part of the old 7^th Europa Battery ‘Fort’ or cavalier. As in the case of Europa Hutment Battery to the North of Harding’s, their exposed position attracted much criticism and the gun became obsolete even before a decision to re-site it was made. The gun barrel was thrown over the cliffs near Europa Point and remains there today.

During WWII, an AASL was located inside the gun-pit of Harding’s Battery codenamed Q6. The sound locater was sited just in front of the gun-pit and is today used as a viewing platform.

Link to Harding's Battery

12.5-inch RML, Harding's Battery.

Sound locator position for AASL at Harding's Battery.

2^nd Europa Battery stood on a small outcrop in front of the Sikorski memorial. It was formerly known as Point or Dead Man’s Hole Battery and was constructed over the remains of an old Moorish tower. This battery provided left flanking fire on the Europa foreshore and consisted of three embrasures on the right face. In 1859, the battery mounted three 32-pounders on the north-facing embrasures and two 8-inch shell guns facing south. The embrasures on the left flank, which lies just below the outcrop, have been covered up but their outlines remain visible. In 1885, a third 8-inch was added to the battery within a casemate facing west, but by 1889 only a single 64-pounder was mounted here, and removed by 1892.

The casemate was under the 32-pounder platforms on the Right Face. It was reached by a spiral staircase, now blocked up, in the centre of the battery. The aperture is just below the 32-pounder embrasures that could still be seen until quite recently when it was covered up by new tiling during the 2010 enhancement of Europa Point.

Demi-bastion of 2nd Europa Battery.

2nd & 3rd Europa Batteries, Plan of 1861.

The 3^rd Europa Battery was originally known as the 9^th or Point Battery and active since at least 1720, when according to Dalton ten 18-pounder guns were mounted in the area, of which one was located here.

In 1859, the battery consisted of four 32-pounders and one 8-inch shell gun. The 8-inch gun was replaced by a 10-inch howitzer in 1863.

In 1888, four parapet platforms were built to house four 7-inch RML guns and these platforms and iron shields can still be seen there today. All four guns were removed by 1897.

In 1940, two 4.5-inch howitzers were deployed near the old battery, and named Lighthouse. They were placed in protected emplacements for the bombardment of any attack from the direction of Spain. The gun pits were completed in 1942.

In addition, a HAA battery was also sited there in 1942 and consisted of a battery of four mobile 3.7-inch guns, a No. 1 predictor plus a range finder. The battery was manned by 228 HAA Battery of 82 HAA Regt and later by 375 HAA Battery of 175 HAA Regt in 1943. They were in turn relieved by 396 HAA Battery in 1944.

Two DEL’s were also located on 2^nd Europa Battery and 3^rd Europa Battery during WWII, the latter was located just below the Europa Point Lighthouse. They were known as Nos. E1 and E2 respectively.