Żonqor Battery () 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 f ...

in Marsaskala,

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

, standing on high ground overlooking Marsaskala Bay. It is a polygonal fort and 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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

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 (), 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 shore east of the Grand Har ...

. 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 Artillery battery fortifications in Malta Military installations established in 1886 Ammunition dumps Limestone buildings in Malta 19th-century fortifications Buildings and structures in Marsaskala {{Malta-struct-stub