Imperial fortress was the designation given in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

to four

colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

that were located in strategic positions from each of which

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

squadrons could control the surrounding regions and, between them, much of the planet.

History

The Imperial fortresses provided not only safe harbours and (with the advent of

steam propulsion A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tran ...

) coal stores within the area of operation, but also

Royal Naval Dockyards Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of the Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial ...

where ships of the squadrons could be repaired or maintained without requiring their return to a dockyard in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...

. The Imperial fortresses were also locations where

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

stores were stockpiled and numbers of soldiers sufficient not only for local defence, but also to provide expeditionary forces to work with the Royal Navy in amphibious campaigns and raids on coasts throughout the regions, could be garrisoned. These Imperial fortresses originally included: * Halifax, in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

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 = Gibr ...

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 ...

They were the lynch pins in Britain's domination of the oceans and the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

and

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

seas, including its ability to deny safe passage to enemy naval and merchant vessels while protecting its own merchant trade, as well as to its projection of superior naval and military force anywhere on the planet. Halifax and Bermuda controlled the trans-Atlantic sea lanes between North America and Europe, and were placed to dominate the Atlantic seaboard of the United States (as demonstrated during the

American War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

when the squadron of the Royal Navy's North America Station maintained a blockade of the Atlantic coast of the United States and launched the Chesapeake Campaign from Bermuda, defeating American forces in the Battle of Bladensburg, capturing and burning Washington, DC, and raiding Alexandria, Virginia), as well as to control the western Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic to the West Indies (in the Twentieth Century, the Bermuda-controlled

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...

of the Royal Navy would become the 'America and West Indies Station', its area growing to include the western South Atlantic and the Atlantic coast of South America, as well the Pacific Coast from

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla ...

to the Arctic). Gibraltar controlled passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and Malta, aside from supporting operations in the Mediterranean and

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

, served as a base for naval and military forces that would be able to deploy relatively quickly to the Indian and Pacific Oceans once the Suez Canal was completed in 1869. Halifax ceased to be an Imperial fortress with the 1867

confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical iss ...

of the

Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, military defence of Canada would be transferred to the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

of the government of the dominion and the British Army withdrew most of its establishment from the continent; the Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax, was closed in 1905, and sold to the government of the dominion in 1907. The lack of such an Imperial fortress in the region of Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean was always to be a weakness throughout the nineteenth century (the British Government, ever unwilling to increase, or even maintain, its defence expenditure, relied on there being few nations outside of the Atlantic and its connected seas that possessed fleets capable of threatening British trade or territories, though the former North American colonies that had become the United States of America were multiplying towards the Pacific coast of North America, and the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

and

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

both had ports on the Pacific and were keen to build large, modern fleets). With no base comparable to an Imperial fortress in East Africa,

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologic ...

, Britain instead relied on

, in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

, to project power over this vast expanse via the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popula ...

after its completion in 1869 (and, relying on amity and common interests between Britain and the United States during and after the First World War, on Bermuda, via the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

, which was completed in 1914), although the rising power and increasing belligerence of the Japanese empire after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

would result in the construction of the

Singapore Naval Base His Majesty's Naval Base, Singapore, also Her Majesty's Naval Base, Singapore (HMNB Singapore), alternatively known as the Singapore Naval Base, Sembawang Naval Base and HMS Sembawang, was situated in Sembawang at the northern tip of Singapore ...

, which was completed in 1938, less than four years before hostilities with Japan did commence 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 ...

. The need to protect these bases of operation, as well as to prevent, via their captures, their becoming bases of similar utility to an enemy, each was heavily defended, making ''fortress'' an apt designation. "Fortress" was often included when giving the names of these colonies, e.g. "Fortress Bermuda". Bermuda, protected by an almost impassable barrier reef and unconnected to any continent, required the least defences, but was heavily garrisoned and armed with

coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

batteries. Defence of Bermuda, and of the region, was greatly weakened by the economic austerity that followed the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812, which resulted in drastic reductions to the regular forces and to Reserve Forces in the British Isles (Militia, Volunteer Force, and Fencibles), and in Bermuda (Militia and volunteer artillery), being allowed to lapse. Bermuda's garrison would slowly increase, with the threat of invasion by the United States during and after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

resulting in further strengthening of the defences. Bermuda's importance to Imperial defence was only increasing, however, and the parlous state of its own defence was commented upon by Sir

Henry Hardinge Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, (30 March 1785 – 24 September 1856) was a British Army officer and politician. After serving in the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign he became Secretary at War in Wellington's ministry. After ...

in the House of Commons on the 22 March 1839: Halifax was much more vulnerable to attack than Bermuda, which might come over land or water from the United States, Gibraltar was vulnerable to overland attack by Spain (which remains anxious to recover it) and by Napoleonic France, and both Gibraltar and Malta were much more vulnerable to the navies of the Mediterranean (notably those of Spain, France, Italy, and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

), and were even more heavily defended.

Naval and military establishments of the imperial fortresses

Bermuda

Royal Navy establishment in Bermuda **

Admiralty House, Bermuda Admiralty House, Bermuda, was the official residence and offices for the senior officer of the Royal Navy in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, originally the Commander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station. Early Admiral ...

***Rose Hill, St. George's Parish (1795 to 1810) ***Mount Wyndham, Hamilton Parish (1810 to 1816) ***St. John's Hill (renamed Clarence Hill in 1822), Pembroke Parish (1816 to 1956) ** Royal Naval Dockyard Bermuda, and the history of the Royal Navy in Bermuda 1795–1995. *** Convict Bay ***

Admiralty Island Admiralty Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, at . It is long and wide with an area of , making it the seventh-largest island in the United States and the 132nd largest island in the world. It is one of the ...

(now ''Hen Island'') ***Daniel's Head wireless station (formerly used by British Army. Later became Royal Canadian Navy NRS Bermuda. See both below) ***

Royal Naval Air Station Bermuda RNAS Bermuda (the personnel of which, as with all members of the America and West Indies Station shore establishment in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda at the time, were part of the strength of the stone frigate HMS ''Malabar'') was a R ...

*** Corps of Colonial Marines. 1814–1816. *** Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps *Dominion of Canada and Commonwealth Realm of Canada establishment ** HMCS Somers Isles 1944–1945 **NRS Bermuda (renamed

CFS Bermuda Canadian Forces Station Bermuda, commonly shortened to CFS Bermuda and popularly known as ''Daniel's Head'' (due to its location on Daniel's Head), was a Canadian Forces Station in Bermuda that was operational from 1963 until 1992. Daniel's Head ...

) (see Royal Navy Daniel's Head wireless station, above) * North America Command * Nova Scotia Command *

Bermuda Garrison The Bermuda Garrison was the military establishment maintained on the British Overseas Territory and Imperial fortress of Bermuda by the regular British Army and its local militia and voluntary reserves from 1701 to 1957. The garrison evolved f ...

(or ''Bermuda Command'' after

Confederation of Canada Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominion of ...

). 1701–1957. **

St. George's Garrison ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

(Eastern District Headquarters) ***

Ordnance Island Ordnance Island is located within the limits of St. George's Town, Bermuda. It lies close to the shore opposite the town square (King's Square), in St. George's Harbour. History The only island in the town, it covers just and was created ...

***Royal Army Service Corps Wharf (St. George's) ***St. George's Armoury ***East Coast Forts (St. George's, Paget, Governor's, and St. David's Islands) **** Fort St. Catherine's **** Fort Victoria ****

Fort Albert Fort Albert (map reference ) is a tower fort nestling under the cliffs south-west of Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight, England. It was also known as Cliff End Fort, named after the Northern extremity of Colwell Bay (Cliff's End). History Fort ...

****

Western Redoubt The Western Redoubt, or ''Fort William'', is a square fort built on a crest on the eastern side of ''Government Hill'', and within the boundaries of the original main British Army camp in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, St. George's Gar ...

**** Fort George ****

Town Cut Battery (or Gates' Fort) A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

****

Alexandra Battery Alexandra Battery is a coastal artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was constructed at the neck of the South Mole (originally the New Mole) to enfilade the coastal fortifications of Gibraltar. The battery stood ...

****

Fort Cunningham A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

****Fort Popple ****Paget Fort ****Smith's Fort ****Peniston's Redoubt **** St. David's Battery *** Castle Islands Fortifications ****Devonshire Redoubt ****Landward Fort ****Queen's Castle (King's Castle, The Castle, or Seaward Fort) ****Southampton Fort (or Brangman's Fort) ****Charles' Fort ****

Martello Tower Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand u ...

****Burnt Point Fort **** Ferry Island Fort ** Prospect Camp (Command Headquarters and Central District Headquarters) *** Warwick Camp *** Agar's Island ***Royal Army Service Corps Wharf (Hamilton) ***Hamilton Armoury ***

Prospect Hill Position Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (mini ...

**** Fort Prospect **** Fort Langton ****

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which i ...

***South Shore Batteries (former fixed batteries adapted for field guns) ****Fort Bruere ****Bailey's Bay Battery (Tucker's Town Battery, and Tucker's Town Bay Fort) ****Newton's Bay Fort (Hall's Bay Fort) ****Albouy's Fort ****Harris' Bay Fort ****Sears' Fort ****Devonshire Bay Fort ****Hungry Bay Fort ****Crow Lane Fort (also known as New Paget's Fort and East Elbow Bay Fort) ****Middleton's Bay Fort (also known as Centre Bay Fort) ****West Elbow Bay Fort ****Warwick Camp Battery ****Warwick Fort ****Jobson's Cove Fort ****Great Turtle Bay Battery ****Jobson's Fort ****Hunt's Fort (Lighthouse Fort) ****Ingham's Fort ****Church Bay Fort East ****Church Bay Fort West ** Boaz Island and Watford Island (Clarence Barracks; Western District Headquarters) ***Somerset Armoury *** Whale Bay Battery (West Whale Bay) *** Whale Bay Fort (West Whale Bay) ***West Side Fort ***Wreck Hill Fort *** Scaur Hill Fort ***Daniel's Island Fort and Daniel's Head (later transferred to Royal Navy then Royal Canadian Navy) ***Mangrove Bay Fort ***King's Point Redoubt ***Maria's Hill Fort * Bermuda Militia. 1612–1815. * Bermudian Militia, Volunteer and Territorial Army Units, 1895–1965 *

Bermuda Militia Artillery The Bermuda Militia Artillery was a unit of part-time soldiers organised in 1895 as a reserve for the Royal Garrison Artillery detachment of the Regular Army garrison in Bermuda. Militia Artillery units of the United Kingdom and Colonies were in ...

* Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps *

Bermuda Volunteer Engineers The Bermuda Volunteer Engineers was a part-time unit created between the two world wars to replace the Regular Royal Engineers detachment, which was withdrawn from the Bermuda Garrison in 1928. History The Military Garrison in Bermuda From 189 ...

Bermuda Militia Infantry The Bermuda Militia Infantry was raised in 1939 as a part-time reserve of the British Army's Bermuda Garrison. History The Bermuda Garrison The Parliament of Bermuda had authorised three part-time reserve units in 1892 to re-inforce the regu ...

Royal Bermuda Regiment The Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR), formerly the Bermuda Regiment, is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single Territorial Army (United Kingdom), territorial infantry battalion#British Army, battalion tha ...

Bermuda Home Guard ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

Bermuda Cadet Corps The Bermuda Cadet Corps was a youth organisation in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, sponsored originally by the War Office and the British Army. Modelled on the Cadet Corps in England, now organised as the Army Cadet Force and the Combined ...

* Royal Air Force, RAF Darrell's Island. 1939–1945. * Royal Air Force Transport Command station, Kindley Field

Halifax, Nova Scotia

* Admiralty House, Halifax * Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax * Halifax Defence Complex **

Citadel Hill (Fort George) Citadel Hill is a hill that is a National Historic Site in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Four fortifications have been constructed on Citadel Hill since the city was founded by the English in 1749, and were referred to as Fort George—but only ...

** Fort Charlotte **

York Redoubt York Redoubt is a redoubt situated on a bluff overlooking the entrance to Halifax Harbour at Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada, originally constructed in 1793. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1962. History York Redou ...

Prince of Wales Tower The Prince of Wales Tower is the oldest martello tower in North America and is located in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was built in 1796 by Captain James Straton and was used as a redoubt and a p ...

Connaught Battery Connaught Battery is a World War I era harbour defence battery located north of York Redoubt at Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. It took its name from the then Governor General of Canada, the Duke of Connaught, who was Queen Victoria's thi ...

**Practice Battery **Sandwich Point ** Camperdown Signal Station ** Fort Chebucto ** Fort Charlotte on George's Island **

Fort Clarence 300px, The archway by the fort's drawbridge was demolished in the 1930s. The fort, on the left, is now converted into flats. Fort Clarence is a now defunct fortification that was located in Rochester, Kent, England. History The fort was built b ...

** Devil's Battery **Five forts on

McNabs Island McNabs Island (formerly Cornwallis Island) is the largest island in Halifax Harbour located in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It played a major role in defending Halifax Harbour and is now a provincial park. The island was set ...

: ***Fort Ives ***Fort Hugonin ***Sherbrooke Tower ***Strawberry Hill ***Fort McNab *5th Battalion,

Royal Garrison Regiment The Royal Garrison Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that formed in 1901 and disbanded in 1908. The regiment was originally formed from personnel of the Royal Reserve Regiments, a reserve force composed of veteran soldiers fo ...

Gibraltar

British Forces Gibraltar British Forces Gibraltar is the British Armed Forces stationed in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopover for aircraft and ship ...

* Royal Navy Dockyard, Gibraltar * Her Majesty's Naval Base Gibraltar * HMS Rooke * Fortifications of Gibraltar **

Civil Hospital Battery Civil Hospital Battery was an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description This battery was south of the Moorish Castle and in 1859 it had six guns. This battery would have been called a "retired" battery as i ...

Cumberland Flank Battery Cumberland Flank Battery was an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description The Cumberland Flank Battery was a large battery that was around the docks area and could fire at enemy shipping that approached Gibra ...

** Eliott's Battery **

Europa Advance Batteries Europa Advance Batteries were a group of three artillery battery, artillery batteries in the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. They are located north east from Europa Point. Description The group of batteries ...

Europa Battery The Europa Batteries are a group of artillery batteries in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Facing the North African coast, they are the most southerly batteries in Gibraltar and were built to cover ships approaching from the Mediterra ...

Europa Pass Battery Europa Pass Batteries are a group of artillery batteries in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. They are located north west of Europa Point in the south of Gibraltar, just off Europa Road. In 1859 the battery had seven guns that looked ...

** Gardiner's Battery **

Genista Battery Genista Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description In 1906 this battery had three guns but by World War II it had two 6 inch guns. The battery was directed from the "Gun Operation Room" which was ...

** Half Way Battery **

Harding's Battery Harding's Battery is a restored artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at Europa Point and includes the Europa Sunken Magazine that is now used as a visitor centre. History This battery is on Europa Poi ...

** Jones' Battery **

King's Bastion King's Bastion is a coastal bastion on the western front of the fortifications of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, protruding from the Line Wall Curtain. It is located between Line Wall Road and Queensway and overlooks the Bay of ...

** Lady Augusta's Battery ** Lady Louisa's Battery **

Lighthouse Battery Lighthouse Battery was an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description Lighthouse Battery had four Anti-Aircraft guns during World War II. It was the penultimate battery at the southern end of Gibraltar which i ...

New Mole Battery New Mole Battery was an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Description The New Mole Battery is used by the Gibraltar Fire Brigade for practise. which has not assisted its condition. The nearby Alexandra Battery A ...

O'Hara's Battery O'Hara's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the highest point of the Rock of Gibraltar, near the southern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, in close proximity to Lord Airey's B ...

Orange Bastion The Orange Bastion is one of the many bastions in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, which served to protect it against its many sieges. It is located along the Line Wall Curtain and was built to protect Gibraltar Harbour against enemy ...

Parson's Lodge Battery Parson's Lodge Battery is a coastal battery and fort in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. History The Moors had been in Gibraltar, and the Spanish had occupied The Rock for over 250 years. In 1704, the British took possession and ...

** Prince Albert's Front ** Prince of Wales Battery ** Raglan's Battery **

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

** Signal Hill Battery *** Bellman's Cave ** Victoria Battery **

Wellington Front Wellington Front is a fortification in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was built in 1840 on a site established by the Spanish in 1618. History Wellington Front is a long stretch of curtain wall that forms part of the Line Wall ...

Windmill Hill Batteries The Windmill Hill Batteries are a series of artillery batteries situated on Windmill Hill, Gibraltar near the south of the peninsula. They are part of the fortifications of Gibraltar. The batteries were originally established by Lt General Edward ...

Woodford's Battery Woodford's Battery was an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at Europa Flats between the Defensible Barracks and the ''Officer's Barracks'' and Eliott's Battery. The battery was built before 1738 ...

** Zoca Flank Battery *

Devil's Tower Camp Devil's Tower Camp is a military installation located just south-east of Gibraltar International Airport on the isthmus between Spain and Gibraltar. History The site dates back to 1713 when Spain ceded land to the United Kingdom under the Treaty ...

Retrenched Barracks The Retrenched Barracks was a fortified barracks located at Windmill Hill in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It stands to the north of the southern tip of Gibraltar, Europa Point, which was long felt to be potentially vulnerable to ...

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 ...

Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop. The regiment is ...

*2nd Battalion,

Malta

Lascaris War Rooms The Lascaris War Rooms are an underground complex of tunnels and chambers in Valletta, Malta that housed the War Headquarters from where the defence of the island was conducted during the Second World War. The rooms were later used by NATO and ar ...

* Admiralty House, Valletta * Royal Naval Dockyard, Malta * HMS Egmont or HMS St Angelo * HMS Phoenicia (Fort Manoel) * HMS Euroclydon * Royal Navy Hospital Mtarfa *

Malta Command Malta Command was an independent command of the British Army. It commanded all army units involved in the defence of Malta. Once mobilised the Command deployed its headquarters to underground hardened shelters and its combat units ...

Fortifications of Malta The fortifications of Malta consist of a number of walled cities, citadels, forts, towers, batteries, redoubts, entrenchments and pillboxes. The fortifications were built over thousands of years, from around 1450 BC to the mid-20th century, ...

Fortifications of Mdina The fortifications of Mdina ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Imdina) are a series of defensive walls which surround the former capital city of Mdina, Malta. The city was founded as Maleth by the Phoenicians in around the 8th century BC, and it later became pa ...

Cambridge Battery Cambridge Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Cambridge) is a Victorian-era battery in Sliema, Malta. It is commonly referred to as Fort Cambridge ( mt, Forti Cambridge), although it was never classified as a fort while in use. It originally contained a ...

Cittadella Cittadella ( vec, Sitadeła) is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around ...

Della Grazie Battery Della Grazie Battery ( mt, Il-Batterija tal-Grazzja), also known as Xgħajra Battery ( mt, Il-Batterija tax-Xgħajra), is an artillery battery in Xgħajra, Malta. It was built by the British between 1888 and 1893. The battery stands above the sho ...

Fort Benghisa Fort Benghisa ( mt, Il-Fortizza ta' Bengħisa) is a polygonal fort in Birżebbuġa, Malta. It was built between 1910 and 1912 by the British on high ground on the seaward face of Benghisa Point, the southern arm of Marsaxlokk Bay. It is the south ...

Fort Chambray Fort Chambray or Fort Chambrai ( mt, Forti Xambrè) is a bastioned fort located in the precincts of Għajnsielem, on the island of Gozo, Malta. It was built in the mid-18th century by the Order of Saint John, in an area known as Ras it-Tafal, be ...

Fort Campbell Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky–Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee (post address is located in Kentucky). Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Divi ...

Fort Delimara Fort Delimara ( mt, Il-Fortizza ta' Delimara) is a polygonal fort in Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built between 1876 and 1888 by the British as part of a chain of fortifications intended to protect Marsaxlokk Harbour. Today, the fort is still intact ...

** Fort Leonardo ** Fort Mellieħa **

Fort Ricasoli Fort Ricasoli ( mt, Forti Rikażli) is a bastioned fort in Kalkara, Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John between 1670 and 1698. The fort occupies a promontory known as Gallows' Point and the north shore of Rinella Bay, commanding th ...

Fort Rinella The Rinella Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Rinella) is a Victorian battery in Kalkara, Malta. It is commonly referred to as Fort Rinella ( mt, Forti Rinella), although it was never classified as a fort while in use. It was armed with an Armstrong 1 ...

Fort St. Angelo Fort St. Angelo ( mt, Forti Sant'Anġlu or ''Fortizza Sant'Anġlu'') is a bastioned fort in Birgu, Malta, located at the centre of the Grand Harbour. It was originally built in the medieval period as a castle called the ''Castrum Maris'' ( en, C ...

Fort Saint Elmo Fort Saint Elmo ( mt, Forti Sant'Iermu) is a star fort in Valletta, Malta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort ...

Fort Saint Michael Fort Saint Michael ( mt, Forti San Mikiel) was a small fort in the land front of the city of Senglea, Malta. It was originally built in the 1552 and it played a significant role in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565. Following the siege, it was r ...

** Fort Saint Rocco **

Fort San Lucian Fort San Lucian ( mt, Forti San Luċjan), also known as Saint Lucian Tower ( mt, Torri ta' San Luċjan) or Fort Rohan ( mt, Forti Rohan), is a large bastioned watchtower and polygonal fort in Marsaxlokk, Malta. The original tower was built by th ...

Fort San Salvatore Fort San Salvatore ( mt, Il-Forti San Salvatur), also known as Fort Salvatore ( mt, Il-Fortizza tas-Salvatur), is a retrenched fort in Birgu, Malta. It was built in 1724 on one of the bastions of the Cottonera Lines. It was used as a prisoner-o ...

** Fort Tas-Silġ **

Fort Tigné Fort Tigné ( mt, Il-Forti Tigné - Il-Fortizza ta' Tigné) is a polygonal fort in Tigné Point, Sliema, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John between 1793 and 1795 to protect the entrance to Marsamxett Harbour, and it is one of the o ...

Fort Pembroke Fort Pembroke ( mt, Il-Fortizza ta' Pembroke) is a polygonal fort in Pembroke, Malta. It was built between 1875 and 1878 by the British to defend part of the Victoria Lines. The fort now houses the Verdala International School. History Fort Pem ...

Fort Verdala Fort Verdala ( mt, Il-Fortizza Verdala), also known as Verdala Barracks, is a fortified barracks in Cospicua, Malta. It was built by the British in the 1850s within part of the bastions of the 17th century Santa Margherita Lines. The fort was us ...

Garden Battery Garden Battery is an artillery battery in Sliema, Malta. It was built by the British between 1889 and 1894. The battery is located at Tigné Point, between Cambridge Battery and Fort Tigné. History The battery was first proposed in 1885, and was ...

Għargħar Battery Għargħar Battery ( mt, Batterija tal-Għargħar), also known as Ta' Ittuila Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Ittuila) and Ta' Xindi Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Xindi), was an artillery battery in present-day San Ġwann, Malta, built by Maltese i ...

Lascaris Battery Lascaris Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Lascaris), also known as Fort Lascaris ( mt, Forti Lascaris) or Lascaris Bastion ( mt, Sur ta' Lascaris), is an artillery battery located on the east side of Valletta, Malta. The battery was built by the Briti ...

** Pembroke Battery **

Saint Mary's Tower Saint Mary's Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Santa Marija), also known as the Comino Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Kemmuna), is a large bastioned watchtower on the island of Comino in Malta. It was built in 1618, the fifth of six Wignacourt towers. The tower was ...

(or ''Comino Tower'') **

Saint Paul's Battery Saint Paul's Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' San Pawl), also known as Ta' Lombardi Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Lombardi), is an artillery battery in Marsaxlokk, Malta. It stands on high ground at the shoreward end of Delimara Point, above il-Ħofra-z- ...

** Sliema Point Battery ** Spinola Battery **

Tarġa Battery Tarġa Battery ( mt, Batterija tat-Tarġa) is an artillery battery on the boundary between St. Paul's Bay and Mosta, Malta. It was built in 1887 by the British as part of the Victoria Lines. The battery is now in the hands of the Mosta Local Cou ...

Victoria Lines The Victoria Lines, originally known as the North West Front, are a line of fortifications that spans 12 kilometres along the width of Malta, dividing the north of the island from the more heavily populated south. Location The Victoria Lines ru ...

*** Fort Binġemma ***

Fort Madalena Fort Madalena, also known as Fort Madliena ( mt, Il-Fortizza tal-Madliena), is a polygonal fort in Madliena, limits of Swieqi, Malta. It was built between 1878 and 1880 by the British as part of the Victoria Lines. The fort now falls under the ...

***

Fort Mosta Fort Mosta (formerly written as Fort Musta, mt, Il-Fortizza tal-Mosta) is a polygonal fort in Mosta, Malta. It was built between 1878 and the 1880s by the British as part of the Victoria Lines. It is still in use today by the Armed Forces of Malt ...

Wolseley Battery Wolseley Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Wolseley) is an artillery battery in Delimara, Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built by the British between 1897 and 1899, and is located close to Fort Tas-Silġ. Today, the battery still exists, but it is not acce ...

Żonqor Battery Żonqor Battery ( mt, Batterija taż-Żonqor) is an artillery battery in Marsaskala, Malta, standing on high ground overlooking Marsaskala Bay. It is a polygonal fort and was built by the British Empire, British from 1882 to 1886. History Żonqor ...

Pembroke Army Garrison Pembroke Garrison is a dispersed collection of former British Army barracks built in the vicinity of Fort Pembroke, northern Malta. History Pembroke Garrison developed around a Victorian fortification (Fort Pembroke), a gun emplacement, a bar ...

Malta Tanks (Royal Tank Regiment) The Malta Tanks was a unit designation for an independent Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) unit made of a mixture of British tank types deployed to Malta in World War 2. Role and Deployment History The first armoured unit destined for Malta was o ...

Royal Malta Artillery The Royal Malta Artillery (RMA) was a regular artillery unit of the British Army prior to Malta's independence. It was formed in 1889, having been called the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery from 1861 until 1889. Initially on the British Esta ...

Malta Fortress Squadron, Royal Engineers The Malta Fortress Squadron was a locally recruited Royal Engineers unit based on Malta and on the British Army colonial list prior to Malta's independence. Its history is intimately tied to the succession of engineer and sapper units that wer ...

Royal Signals in Malta The following is a history of the activities of the Royal Corps of Signals of the British Army while stationed in Malta. Signal troops were stationed in the country from 1923 to 1979. Formation of the Malta Signal Section In 1923 the Malta Sign ...

* The King's Own Malta Regiment *1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions,

Royal Malta Fencible Regiment The Royal Malta Fencible Regiment was an infantry battalion of the British Army which existed from 1815 to 1861 in Malta, then a British colony. The regiment was recruited and organised by Francesco Rivarola in 1815; Rivarola had proved himself ...

* Air Headquarters Malta *

RAF Hal Far The RAF Hal Far airfield was the first permanent airfield to be built on Malta. It was opened on 1 April 1929 as HMS ''Falcon'', a Royal Navy stone frigate, and was used by Fleet Air Arm crews. It was transferred to the Maltese Government and ...

RAF Luqa Royal Air Force Luqa was a Royal Air Force station located on the island of Malta, now developed into the Malta International Airport. It hosted aircraft of Air Headquarters Malta (AHQ Malta) during the Second World War. Particularly during ...

RAF Ta Kali Royal Air Force Ta Kali was a Royal Air Force fighter operations base located on the island of Malta, which started life in 1940 as a diversion airstrip for the main operating bases such as RAF Luqa. Other diversion airstrips similar in functio ...

References

{{Reflist British Overseas Territories Former British colonies and protectorates in the Americas Military units and formations of the British Empire Royal Navy History of the Royal Navy Royal Navy dockyards

History of Bermuda Installations of the British Army British Army deployments Military units and formations of the British Army History of the British Army Military of Bermuda Military locations of Bermuda Military history of Malta

History

Naval and military establishments of the imperial fortresses

Bermuda

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Gibraltar

Malta

See also

References