Saint Paul's Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' San Pawl), also known as Ta' Lombardi Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Lombardi), is an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It stands on high ground at the shoreward end of Delimara Point, above il-Ħofra-z-Zgħira. It is a polygonal fort and was built by the British from 1881 to 1886. It commands a field of fire northwards over St Thomas' Bay and

Marsaskala Marsaskala ( mt, Wied il-Għajn), also written as Marsascala and abbreviated as M'Skala, is a seaside town in the South Eastern Region of Malta which has grown around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long, narrow inlet also know ...

. Approximately south is

Fort Tas-Silġ Fort Tas-Silġ (formerly written as Fort Ta Silc, mt, Il-Fortizza tas-Silġ) is a polygonal fort in Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built between 1879 and 1883 by the British on high ground at the shoreward end of Delimara Point, above il-Ħofra-ż-Żg ...

, a much larger polygonal style fortification.

History

St Paul's Battery was built between 1881 and 1886 by the British to help

cover the defence of St Thomas Bay. The battery has a D-shape, with three gun emplacements for RML 7 inch gun, which were mounted on six-foot platforms. Its gun crew and garrison were stationed at Fort Tas-Silġ. The battery's guns were removed and it was abandoned 1900 since it had lost its importance as a defensive position.

Present day

The battery remains abandoned to this day and in very poor condition. It is covered with trees and shrubs and its ditch is filled with debris, but the gun emplacements, ditch and entrance to its underground magazine are still visible. In 2015, the battery was shortlisted as a possible site for the campus of the proposed

American University of Malta The American University of Malta (AUM) is a private, American-style liberal arts college in Cospicua, Malta. It is a co-educational institution and its launch was announced in May 2015. The project was intended to regenerate the South of Malta a ...

. It was not chosen, and the campus is to be split up between Dock No. 1 in Cospicua and Żonqor Point in

References

Polygonal forts in Malta Marsaxlokk British fortifications in Malta Batteries in Malta Buildings and structures completed in 1886 Limestone buildings in Malta Military installations closed in 1900 19th-century fortifications Military installations established in 1886 {{Malta-struct-stub