Rock Gun Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. It is located on the North Face of the Rock of Gibraltar at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, above Green's Lodge Battery. The

emplacement Emplacement may refer to: * A place where something is located * Fortification ** Artillery battery ** Casemate, fortified gun emplacement ** Redoubt, enclosed defense emplacement * The geological process of pluton emplacement See also * * * P ...

on Middle Hill is at the northern summit of the Rock. It was constructed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, due to its advantageous position and the success of the gun at Green's Lodge Battery. It was used effectively during the Great Siege and was rebuilt during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. During the mid-twentieth century, the Ministry of Defence began to use the site as an aerial farm, which was then refurbished in 1958. The Rock Gun Battery and the

Middle Hill Battery Middle Hill Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located on Middle Hill, Gibraltar, Middle Hill, at the northeastern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just south o ...

were closed to the public for decades. In 2005, the radio farm was closed and the Ministry of Defence withdrew from most of the area, transferring it to the

Government of Gibraltar His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar is the democratically elected government of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The head of state is King Charles III who is represented by the Governor. Elections in Gibraltar are held every four ...

. However, the summit, the site of the Rock Gun Battery, continues to be under MOD authority.

Early history

Rock Gun Battery is in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...

. The artillery battery is located up the North Face of the Rock of Gibraltar, at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, above Green's Lodge Battery. The emplacement is positioned on Ministry of Defence property, at the terminus of Rock Gun Road, on Middle Hill, at the northern summit of the Rock. In October 1779, during the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–1783), the military operations at the recently constructed Green's Lodge Battery were so successful that the British decided to establish a battery even higher on the North Face, at the summit. The chosen site at Middle Hill was leveled and work was begun on a road to access the highest point of the North Face. However, the endeavour required some time, and the enthusiastic artillery gunners became impatient, not wanting to wait for completion of the new road. On their own initiative, they utilised a

block and tackle A block and tackle or only tackle is a system of two or more pulleys with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift heavy loads. The pulleys are assembled to form blocks and then blocks are paired so that one is fixed and on ...

system to drag a 24-pounder up the face of the Rock. After several days and much effort, they were successful. The platform for the gun was completed on 12 October 1779 and the gun was mounted on a traversing carriage. Firing from the battery began the following day. The emplacement was named Rock Gun Battery. From that elevated vantage point, the gunners were able to observe the operations of the enemy and fire upon the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

camp.

The emplacement was rebuilt during the Second World War by the

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regime ...

, and a platform for

anti-aircraft guns Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

was constructed at the edge of the North Face. In the mid-twentieth century, the site shifted to one of radio transmission. In 1958, the Rock Gun radar and Middle Hill aerial transmitter site were refurbished and rebuilt. The work was undertaken by the GRISLY Squadron, more formally the Ground Radio Installation Squadron, of the

Radio Engineering Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering, and now to some extent computer engineering and information technology, which deals with radio and television broadcasting. Audio engineering and RF engineering are also essential ...

Unit of

RAF Henlow RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG), elements of Defence Equipment ...

. Rock Gun Battery was the site of 90-foot wooden towers with VHF and UHF aerials.

Recent history

The Rock Gun Battery and Middle Hill Battery were excluded areas for decades, where entry by the public without authorisation was a criminal offence. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) radio farm at Middle Hill was closed in the early twenty-first century, and

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

(RAF) personnel responsible for rigging were no longer based at

RAF Gibraltar RAF Gibraltar (also formerly known as North Front) is a Royal Air Force station on Gibraltar. No military aircraft are currently stationed there, but RAF, Commonwealth and aircraft of other NATO nations will periodically arrive for transient stop ...

. The fences in the Middle Hill area still bear the Ministry of Defence signs that warn passersby to stay out of the site. After the Ministry of Defence vacated the aerial farm on Middle Hill in April 2005, much of the area was transferred to the Government of Gibraltar. However, the transition was not smooth. While most of the MOD equipment was removed, maintenance of the site stopped and the area was subject to vandalism. More than a year and a half passed before the government took an active role in management of the site. Middle Hill still features numerous concrete platforms, on which MOD radio masts were positioned before 2005. Middle Hill is now under the day-to-day supervision of the

Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (''GONHS''), founded in 1976, is a non-governmental, membership-based organisation committed to research into and conservation of nature in Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar, region of the ...

(GONHS). The organisation is responsible for maintenance of the trails in the area. However, the summit of the Rock, the site of Rock Gun Battery, continues to be under Ministry of Defence authority. It is one of the postings available for the Royal Air Force Aerial Erector School (AES).

References

External links

{{commons category, Rock Gun Battery
Google map of Rock Gun Battery
Batteries in Gibraltar Coastal artillery