Fort St Elmo
The Fort St Elmo is during the reign of the Order of St. John , built from 1670 to 1693 fort on Malta . Located on a peninsula between Marsamxett Harbor and Grand Harbor , the fort forms the northern end of the fortifications of the Maltese capital Valletta .
topography
The rocky Sciberras peninsula, named by the Knights of the Order of St. John, separates the Grand Harbor from the Marsamxett Harbor. Both ports are the only sheltered deep water harbors on the east coast of the island. The tip of the peninsula is about 23 m above sea level. Towards the interior of the country, the terrain initially slopes down and turns into a 17 to 20 m high saddle, and then climbs to a height of around 30 m.
Even before the island was handed over to the order, there were first plans in 1488 to build an artillery tower at the tip of the island. However, these plans were not implemented. After taking over the island, the order quickly recognized the importance of the place. A fortification erected there would dominate both the entrances to the two large natural harbors and, on the other hand, the sea in front of the entrances. Such a fortress also had to be able to withstand an attack from the land. However, since the city of Birgu was fortified and Fort St. Angelo was built in the same period , the financial resources of the order were insufficient to fortify peninsula . In 1533 the construction of a smaller fort began, but the work soon stopped.
Construction of the fort
In 1552, the Spanish engineer Pietro Prato proposed the construction of a small, rectangular fort. The inland main entrance to the fort was protected by two half-bastions . A cavalier was planned inside the fort . This plan had numerous shortcomings. One of these shortcomings was that the seaside curtain wall faced the sea. Guns set up there would have fought against targets on the open sea, but could not have reached the port entrances. Therefore, from 1554, a high cavalier was built in front of this curtain wall. This cavalier was higher than the actual fort. It was separated from it by a dry moat. The disadvantage of this ditch was that it could neither be covered with flanking fire from the fort, as bastions on the lake side had been dispensed with, nor could the cavalier paint it from the fort. In order to remedy this deficiency, Don Garcia de Toledo had another outworks built on the northern tip of the island in 1565 . Although referred to as a ravelin , it was actually more of a counter-guard . From this outer work, the western and northern trenches of the fort could be covered with flanking fire. As long as the outer works were in the hands of their own troops, it could fulfill this task. However, if it fell into the hands of the enemy, this advantage was turned into a decisive disadvantage for the fort's crew, as the fort's walls could be painted from the outer works in addition to the trenches. The fort's greatest disadvantage, its lower position compared to the rest of the peninsula, could not be remedied by this outer work either. An enemy who set up his artillery at the base of the peninsula would be able to shoot into the fort from above. Even if the walls of the fort were very powerful and could withstand prolonged bombardment, the fort and its crew were only inadequately protected against steep fire.
Great Siege 1565
During the siege of Malta , the fort suffered the full force of the attacks by the Ottoman forces. The fort was shelled from both the opposite Dragut Point and the higher parts of the peninsula. Nevertheless, the fort's garrisons managed to withstand the siege for more than a month. In addition to the courage and perseverance of the besieged, the fact that fresh troops and supplies could be brought in via the Grand Harbor at night contributed to this. During a full moon phase, the Ottoman besiegers were able to stop these supplies. On June 23, 1565 the fort fell.
It was only able to partially fulfill its actual tasks. While the Grand Harbor was closed in cooperation with Fort St Angelo, the Ottoman fleet could not be denied entry into Marsamxett Harbor.
In the course of the siege, the fort was almost completely destroyed.
Reconstruction and reinforcements
Despite the destruction, the fort was quickly rebuilt, as this important place should not remain unsurfaced. The order stuck to Prato's original plans. The plans of Pratos - the square fort with the land-side half-bastions and the sea-side cavalier - can still be seen in the floor plan. The outer works added by de Toledo were not rebuilt.
The siege, however, had clearly shown the fort's shortcomings. The space between the fort and Marsamxett Harbor in particular had proven problematic. It was wide enough to allow enemy troops to rally and attack that side of the fort. Even the inserted ravelin could not prevent this. Francesco Laparelli suggested leveling the ground in the direction of Marsamxett Harbor and building a wall and moat from Marsamxett Harbor, which should meet the fort approximately in the middle of the northwest moat. These plans were implemented in 1614. The outwork was named Post de Vendôme after the Grand Prior of the Order of Malta in France, Alexandre de Vendôme .
On the land side, the fort was preceded by the city of Valletta , built from 1566 onwards , which extends to the highest point of the peninsula and with its fortifications kept enemy artillery away from the fort.
The Grand Master Gregorio Carafa brought the Flemish engineer Carlos de Grunenberg to Malta in 1681 . In 1687 he proposed the further fortification of the tip of the peninsula. His plans and a stone model have been preserved. According to his proposal, three bastions were built that followed the coastline and were connected by curtains. In the northwest the St Gregory's bastion was built, which was connected to the Conception bastion via the Toscana's curtain . This connected the Sta Scholastica curtain with the St John's bastion . This was followed by the St Ubaldesca's curtain facing the Grand Harbor , which connects the fortifications of the fort with the St Lazarus' bastion of the city fortifications of Valletta. Due to the spatial situation, the cavalier in front of the fort had to be partially demolished and rebuilt, as the Sta Scholastica's curtain now ran at its original tip . The renovation work was completed in 1689. In the 18th century, the ditch between the cavalier and the fort was partially filled in, thus connecting the cavalier and the fort.
In 1763 a lighthouse was also built in the fort. The fort's inner courtyard was converted into a parade ground and two buildings that were used as storage facilities were built in the fort. The St Lazarus bastion , which is the connection between the St Ubaldesca's curtain and the city fortifications of Vallettas, supplemented the fort's facilities from 1730 onwards. Another magazine was added in 1745 at the Post de Vendôme .
The fort's fortifications remained in this form until the end of the reign of the order.
British colonial times
After the islands were occupied by British troops and converted into a British colony , the fort was initially used largely unchanged. Part of the bastions and curtains have been renamed. The Toscana's curtain became the St Gregory's curtain , and the Conception bastion became Ball's bastion, named after Alexander Ball . The Sta Scholastica curtain was also named after Ball and became Ball's curtain . St John's bastion and St Ubaldesca curtain were renamed Abercrombie's bastion and Abercrombie's curtain after John Abercrombie .
By 1860 the fort was equipped with a variety of guns of different types and calibers. The fort and its outer works formed the largest concentration of artillery in Malta.
From 1866 there were major renovations in the fort. The reason was a memorandum from William Jervois , who examined the fortifications on Malta and submitted suggestions for their improvement. Positions for three RML 11-inch guns were built on the Kavalier . The cost of this conversion was £ 14,583. Magazines were built inside the fort for ammunition and propellant charges.
By 1877 the fort's armament had been completed. An RML 12.5 inch 38 ton gun was set up on St Gregory's bastion . Ball's bastion received two RML 10 inch 18 ton guns , Ball's curtain one RML 9 inch 12 ton gun , while two RML 10 inch 18 ton guns and two RML 9 inch 12 ton guns were placed on Abercrombie's bastion .
In 1884 the RML 11-inch gun on the Cavalier was removed. This part of the fort would have been exposed to enemy fire due to its higher position. In addition, it was doubted whether the 17th century building would have withstood the fire of the guns placed on it. In the same year, guns were also set up in the St Ann's battery located inside the fort . The smooth pipe guns and carronades this year were removed, a 64/32-pounder gun, two 13 inch Blomefield - mortar and two, however, RML-80-pounder remaining in the battery .
Five years later, the fort's guns were outdated by technical progress. The muzzle-loaders were replaced by BL 6 inches , some of which were placed in casemates , but also in barbeds on the curtains and bastions. The old fortifications were reinforced with concrete for this purpose .
In 1906 there was another profound change in armament. This is related to the fundamental reorganization of Malta's coastal defense. Due to increased cadence and range, some of the artillery could be dispensed with, and some of the fortifications had become superfluous. The plans of July 5, 1906 called for a BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun on St Gregory's bastion . Together with two guns of the same type on the Ball's bastion , it was primarily intended to fight torpedo boats and destroyers trying to break through to merchant ships anchored in Marsamxett Harbor. The entrance to the Grand Harbor was protected by two cannons of this type on Abercrombie's bastion , supported by another on St Lazarus' bastion . Four rapid- fire QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns were placed on the Abercrombie's curtain .
A sea mine field was created in front of the fort . During this period, a station for Brennan torpedoes was also built in the fort . These were wire-guided torpedoes that were launched from fixed runways on land and launched into the target. With a limited range and speed, they were used to defend narrow port entrances. Their advantage was that if they hit the ship they hit the ship below the waterline, which inevitably led to the loss of the ship in battleships up to the King Edward VII class . An electric searchlight was installed below Abercrombie's curtain to illuminate the battlefield in May 1898. This made it possible to use the Brennan torpedoes and to detonate the sea mines remotely, even at night. A mast with four movable searchlights was erected on the Abercrombie's curtain . These searchlights were used to illuminate the battlefield for the 6-inch guns.
Use during the Second World War
At the beginning of the Second World War , the bastions in front of the fort were equipped with six QF 6 inch / 40 naval guns. The facility for the Brennan torpedoes has since been dismantled, as this type of torpedo was now outdated. Immediately before the beginning of the war, as in Fort Ricasoli, towering fire control stations made of reinforced concrete were built, which still shape the silhouette of the fort today. When the war started, the 3rd Heavy Battery of the Royal Malta Artillery was stationed in the fort . The fort's crew was involved in successfully repelling an attack by Italian speedboats attempting to break through the harbor barriers in June 1940 and was instrumental in repelling the Operazione Malta Due on July 26, 1941.
Use after the Second World War
After the last British troops withdrew from Malta, large parts of the fort remained unused. The police academy of the Police Force of Malta is located in the actual fort , while the National War Museum has been set up in the Post de Vendôme . The fort's facilities outside the museum are not open to the public.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Quentin Hughes: Malta. A guide to the fortifications , pp. 189ff
- ^ Hartwig Kobelt: Assault boats in the command of the small combat units of the Kriegsmarine and their Italian models. Helios, Aachen 2016, pp. 19–25
- ↑ National War Museum (English)
literature
- Quentin Hughes : Malta. A guide to the fortifications , Said International, 1993. ISBN 9990 943 07 9 (English)
- Stephen C. Spiteri : The Knight's Fortifications: an Illustrated Guide of the Fortifications built by the Knights of St. John in Malta , Book distributors limited, 2001. ISBN 9789990972061 (English)
- Charles Stephenson: The Fortifications of Malta 1530 - 1945 , Osprey Publishing Limited, 2004, ISBN 1-84176-836-7 (English)
Web links
Coordinates: 35 ° 54 ′ 7 ″ N , 14 ° 31 ′ 7 ″ E