Big Gun
After the reunification of Italy the Italian Navy began an innovative program to field the best and most powerful battleships of the time. The British manufacturing company Armstrong Whitworth had created an 18 inches (460 mm) gun, also called the '100 ton' gun, and they had offered it to the Royal Navy which rejected the gun, deeming it too heavy and costly. The Italians however were only too happy to buy the gun and successfully install it on two of their latest battleships.
Although they rejected the gun, the British were shocked at the prospect of their base at Malta, the most important British base in the Mediterranean, being vulnerable to attack because they had no similar big guns to return fire. At that time Italy regarded Malta as being "Unredeemed Italy".
In December 1877, Simmons, chief of Malta defences, was called to London to discuss the issue and due to the emergency, it was decided that the fastest and simplest solution was to buy the same weapons as those on the Italian ships rather than build an even bigger gun, because generally a shore battery with the same calibre guns as a vessel retains an advantage over the vessel because of its having a stable gun platform and strong defensive position. Four guns were ordered in March 1878.
When Gibraltar's commanders heard of these big guns they too asked for some and two of the four guns ordered for Malta would go to Gibraltar instead.
The construction and operation of these guns is very interesting and you can get more information here -
gibraltar.com/en/travel/see-and-do/history-and-heritage/n...
Big Gun
After the reunification of Italy the Italian Navy began an innovative program to field the best and most powerful battleships of the time. The British manufacturing company Armstrong Whitworth had created an 18 inches (460 mm) gun, also called the '100 ton' gun, and they had offered it to the Royal Navy which rejected the gun, deeming it too heavy and costly. The Italians however were only too happy to buy the gun and successfully install it on two of their latest battleships.
Although they rejected the gun, the British were shocked at the prospect of their base at Malta, the most important British base in the Mediterranean, being vulnerable to attack because they had no similar big guns to return fire. At that time Italy regarded Malta as being "Unredeemed Italy".
In December 1877, Simmons, chief of Malta defences, was called to London to discuss the issue and due to the emergency, it was decided that the fastest and simplest solution was to buy the same weapons as those on the Italian ships rather than build an even bigger gun, because generally a shore battery with the same calibre guns as a vessel retains an advantage over the vessel because of its having a stable gun platform and strong defensive position. Four guns were ordered in March 1878.
When Gibraltar's commanders heard of these big guns they too asked for some and two of the four guns ordered for Malta would go to Gibraltar instead.
The construction and operation of these guns is very interesting and you can get more information here -
gibraltar.com/en/travel/see-and-do/history-and-heritage/n...