The Middle Ground Coastal Battery was once part of a reef, like the nearby Oyster Rock. Middle Ground islet is a piece of hard basalt rock, emerging from the creek bed, having an area of a few hundred square metres. The RIN added to the fortifications with the use of cannons and later on three anti-aircraft guns to protect the harbour from a perceived Japanese invasion during World War II. The AA guns were eventually removed, but the deep cylindrical mountings of the old guns still remain.
| Attributes | Values |
|---|
| rdfs:label
| - Middle Ground Coastal Battery
|
| rdfs:comment
| - The Middle Ground Coastal Battery was once part of a reef, like the nearby Oyster Rock. Middle Ground islet is a piece of hard basalt rock, emerging from the creek bed, having an area of a few hundred square metres. The RIN added to the fortifications with the use of cannons and later on three anti-aircraft guns to protect the harbour from a perceived Japanese invasion during World War II. The AA guns were eventually removed, but the deep cylindrical mountings of the old guns still remain.
|
| sameAs
| |
| dcterms:subject
| |
| dbkwik:military/pr...iPageUsesTemplate
| |
| abstract
| - The Middle Ground Coastal Battery was once part of a reef, like the nearby Oyster Rock. Middle Ground islet is a piece of hard basalt rock, emerging from the creek bed, having an area of a few hundred square metres. The island was fortified in 1682 by the British East India Company to curb the sea piracy in the area. Later a marine police force of Bhandaris was stationed on the islet to keep an eye on the pirates who used to board ships. The Bhandaris were chosen for their honesty and local knowledge. They had a distinctive uniform of yellow turbans and blue trousers. After piracy moved to the South China Sea, about two hundred years ago, the police were disbanded and the rock passed into the control of the Royal Navy (RN), and from thence to the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) and eventually to the Indian Navy (IN). The RIN added to the fortifications with the use of cannons and later on three anti-aircraft guns to protect the harbour from a perceived Japanese invasion during World War II. The AA guns were eventually removed, but the deep cylindrical mountings of the old guns still remain.
|