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Westreme Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Westreme), also known as ir-Rasus Battery ( mt, Batterija tar-Rasus) or Mellieħa Right Battery ( mt, Batterija tal-Lemin tal-Mellieħa), is a former
The battery consisted of a semi-circular gun platform, with its eastern face having a parapet with five embrasures. There was no parapet around the rest of the platform. This arrangement was similar to the one at the nearby Mistra Battery, but on a larger scale. The battery also had a single blockhouse, placed diagonally along the land front so that its two outer faces functioned as a redan, similar to Saint Mary's Battery. The blockhouse, which was pierced with musketry loopholes, was one of the largest blockhouses in any of the coastal batteries in Malta. These features put together made the battery unique, unlike any other in the Maltese islands.
In 1748, Grand Master
Today, the semi-circular gun platform and the parapet of the battery no longer exist, although some parts of the rock hewn base can still be seen. The blockhouse is still intact, and is open to the public as the Tunnara Museum. Its exhibits relate mainly to Maltese traditional tuna fishing.
The blockhouse was restored in 2007 and 2008. Further restoration works began in 2015. A full renovation project was announced in October 2019, which will take place with a majority of EU funds allocation.
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Batteries in Malta Batteries in Malta Hospitaller fortifications in Malta Military installations established in 1715 World War II sites in Malta Museums in Malta Mellieħa Limestone buildings in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 18th-century fortifications 1715 establishments in Malta 18th Century military history of Malta
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 f ...
in Mellieħa, 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 was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715–1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Maltese Islands.
Most of the battery was destroyed over time, but the blockhouse
A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...
still exists. It is now open to the public as the Tunnara Museum, a museum about tuna fishing.
History
Westreme Battery was built between 1715 and 1716 as part of the Order of Saint John's first building program of coastal fortifications. The battery was probably named after a knight of the same name. No records with details about its construction are known. The battery was one of two batteries guarding Mellieħa Bay, the other one being the now-demolished Fedeau Battery. The area was further defended by Mellieħa Redoubt at the centre of the bay, but this no longer exists.
The battery consisted of a semi-circular gun platform, with its eastern face having a parapet with five embrasures. There was no parapet around the rest of the platform. This arrangement was similar to the one at the nearby Mistra Battery, but on a larger scale. The battery also had a single blockhouse, placed diagonally along the land front so that its two outer faces functioned as a redan, similar to Saint Mary's Battery. The blockhouse, which was pierced with musketry loopholes, was one of the largest blockhouses in any of the coastal batteries in Malta. These features put together made the battery unique, unlike any other in the Maltese islands.
In 1748, Grand Master Pinto
Pinto is a Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all Portuguese-speaking countries and is also widely present in Spanish-speaking countries, Italy, India especially in Mangalore, Karnatak ...
inaugurated the ''tunnara'', a traditional Maltese tuna fishing method, at Westreme Battery. Over the years, the battery's military importance was diminished, and it was used as a store for fishing nets and other equipment used in the ''tunnara''.
During the French invasion of Malta
The French invasion of Malta ( mt, Invażjoni Franċiża ta' Malta) was the successful invasion of the islands of Malta and Gozo, then ruled by the Order of St. John, by the French First Republic led by Napoleon Bonaparte in June 1798 as part of ...
of 1798, Westreme Battery was the first battery to be overrun by the invading forces.
In World War II
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the blockhouse was converted into a beach post. Rectangular machine gun portholes were cut into the corners of the building. Another concrete beach post and a searchlight emplacement were also built near the blockhouse. After the war, the blockhouse was again used in the ''tunnara''.
Present day
Today, the semi-circular gun platform and the parapet of the battery no longer exist, although some parts of the rock hewn base can still be seen. The blockhouse is still intact, and is open to the public as the Tunnara Museum. Its exhibits relate mainly to Maltese traditional tuna fishing.
The blockhouse was restored in 2007 and 2008. Further restoration works began in 2015. A full renovation project was announced in October 2019, which will take place with a majority of EU funds allocation.
Further reading
*References
External links
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Batteries in Malta Batteries in Malta Hospitaller fortifications in Malta Military installations established in 1715 World War II sites in Malta Museums in Malta Mellieħa Limestone buildings in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 18th-century fortifications 1715 establishments in Malta 18th Century military history of Malta