Wardija Battery ( mt, Batterija tal-Wardija) was 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 f ...

in Wardija, a hilltop in the limits of

St. Paul's Bay St. Paul's Bay ( mt, San Pawl il-Baħar) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, sixteen kilometres () northwest of the capital Valletta. Saint Paul's Bay is the largest town in the Northern Region and the seat of the Northern Regional Comm ...

, on the northern coast of

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

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in 1915, and saw use during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. It became obsolete following the construction of

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 ...

in 1938.

History

In October 1914, the British authorities made St. Paul's Bay an examination anchorage, and decided to build a battery to identify shipping on the way to the

Grand Harbour The Grand Harbour ( mt, il-Port il-Kbir; it, Porto Grande), also known as the Port of Valletta, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks ( Malta Dockyard), wharves, a ...

, and fire

warning shot In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...

s to ships who were not obeying the regulations. In May 1915, two submarines were sighted off Malta outside the range of coastal artillery, hastening the need to build a battery in the north of the island. Wardija Battery 11

Between 30 November and 10 December 1915, the

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 ...

removed two 6-inch QF guns from the obsolete

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 acces ...

in the south of Malta, and mounted them in a position on the eastern end of the

Wardija Ridge Wardija Ridge is a scenic plateau, one of a group in the north of Mġarr, Malta, just outside of Wardija. Wardija ridge is part of a series of hills that run on a southwest-northeast axis from the Għajn Tuffieħa area in Mġarr to the Xemxija ...

. The site was naturally protected so no permanent

fortification 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 ...

s were built, and the battery only consisted of two gun emplacements. The two guns were designated ''Wardija Battery'' on 31 December 1915, and fell under the command of the Western Section

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (R ...

. The battery remained in active service throughout the course of

. Wardija Battery became obsolete in 1938, when its role was taken over by

. 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 ...

, a gun Laying radar set was established on the site of the battery. Wardija Battery's two gun emplacements are still intact today.

References

British fortifications in Malta Batteries in Malta Buildings and structures completed in 1915 World War I sites in Malta 20th-century fortifications Buildings and structures in St. Paul's Bay {{Malta-struct-stub

History

Further reading

References