Żonqor Battery ( mt, Batterija taż-Żonqor) 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 ...
in
Marsaskala,
Malta, standing on high ground overlooking Marsaskala Bay. It is a
polygonal fort and was built by the
British from 1882 to 1886.
History
Żonqor Battery was built by the British between 1882 and 1886 at a cost of £5000 (or £6000).
It has a pentagonal shape, and it is surrounded by a 6 metre wide ditch. The firing positions and ammunition depots were located below ground level to protect them from enemy fire. Its gun crew and garrison were stationed at the nearby
Fort Leonardo
Fort Leonardo ( mt, Il-Fortizza San Leonardu), also known as Fort San Leonardo or Fort San Anard, is a polygonal fort in Żabbar, Malta. It was built between 1872 and 1878 by the British between the villages of San Leonardo and Żonqor above the s ...
.
Soon after being completed, the battery was found out to be inadequate since the range of its
RML 7 inch guns did not reach the area of the bay they were supposed to defend. Due to this, new plans were made to defend the bay by Governor
Lintorn Simmons, but these were never implemented.
The battery is believed to have been armed with three canons,
[ but it is said that they may have never been adjusted into place for use. The battery's guns were eventually dismantled, and in World War II, the battery was used as a warehouse for ammunition.
]
Present day
The battery is now used for agricultural purposes and it is not open to the public.
References
Polygonal forts in Malta
British fortifications in Malta
Batteries in Malta
Military installations established in 1886
Ammunition dumps
Limestone buildings in Malta
19th-century fortifications
Buildings and structures in Marsaskala
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