Description
Physical description
9.2in BL Mk X * Coast Defence Gun on Mk VII mount
Label
The design of this type of gun originated in the
Committee on Ordnance assembled in 1879.
During the1880s this gun became the premier
coast defence gun and retained this position until
the disbanding of Coast Defence in 1956. There
were bigger guns but the 9.2 inch was installed in
the greatest numbers and was the standard
counter-bombardment weapon to protect naval
bases, strategic harbours and commercial ports
against hostile warships.
This gun was issued in 1903 as a Mk 10 and
relined to a Mk 10 * in 1919. It was mounted on
Spur Battery in 1929, and the mounting converted
to a Mk 7, which improved loading, elevation and
traverse. Spur Battery was completed in 1902,and
is 1,130ft (344 metres) above sea-level. The
9.2inch gun fired a shell of 380 Ib at a muzzle
velocity of 2,700ft a minute, to a range of 36,700
yards ( 20. 9 miles) A well -trained gun crew
could fire up to three rounds a minute.
The complex movement of the gun from
Gibraltar to IWM, Duxford-Project Vitello-was
carried out during the period 1981-82 by the
Royal Engineers.
History note
The design of this type of gun originated in the Committee on Ordnance assembled in 1879. During the1880s this gun became the premier coast defence gun and retained this position until the disbanding of Coast Defence in 1956. There
were bigger guns but the 9.2 inch was installed in the greatest numbers and was the standard counter-bombardment weapon to protect naval bases, strategic harbours and commercial ports against hostile warships.
This gun was issued in 1903 as a Mk 10 and relined to a Mk 10 * in 1919. It was mounted on Spur Battery in 1929, and the mounting converted to a Mk 7, which improved loading, elevation and traverse. Spur battery was completed in 1902,and
is 1,130ft (344 metres) above sea-level. The 9.2inch gun fired a shell of 380 Ib at a muzzle velocity of 2,700ft a minute, to a range of 36,700 yards ( 20. 9 miles). A well -trained gun crew could fire up to three rounds a minute.
The complex movement of the gun from Gibraltar to IWM, Duxford-Project Vitello-was carried out during the period 1981-82 by the Royal Engineers. The Photo Achive has a full photographic record of both the dismantling and reassembly, held under the title "Project Vitello", and the Film Archive has a Military Training Film, SKC 383, that shows the Gibraltar guns, including Spur Battery.