# Guns of Cartagena – Cartagena, Spain – July 2005



## Chambers696 (Sep 22, 2011)

Hi everyone! I have been thinking for a while now where the best place for my first report would be and then it came to me; what about the abandoned military base I visited whilst on holiday in Spain in 2005. Perfect!

I have had these photos for years and never really known much about the place we visited, all I remembered is the long journey up the mountain on a thin track with no barriers, and that exploring the place was pretty amazing along with the view!

It was quite an eerie place as there was no one around, only the odd explorer. 

I have done some research and managed to find out that we visited the Guns of Cartagena. Its nice to finally know! I have managed to dig up the following info on various websites:

"During the early part of the 20th century a system of coastal defences was constructed to protect the vital harbour of Cartagena. This included forts, guns, fire control systems, searchlights and many other elements. 
The system included four of the largest artillery pieces ever made – huge 38.1 Vickers guns with a range of some 20 miles. These guns remain in place. 
Some people believed the ‘Guns of Navarone’ film was made here but that is not true.

There are two batteries at either side of the shore line, Cenizas and Castillitos. Cenizas protected Cartagena from the North and on the Cape Tiniso the Castillitos battery (the one I visited) protected from the South. Apparently Castillitos is named for its unique architectural style. 

Each battery had two guns Vickers 1923 model of 38.1 cm in size. The tube of the barrel measures 17.7 m and weighs 86.3 metric tonnes. Its reach was 35 Km and the projectile weighed 885 kg". Vickers guns were made in England which I found quite fascinating; it must have been fun transporting these babies to Spain!
"The guns were apparently last fired on the 26th April 1973 by Republicans at a group of Nationalist cruisers and you can see the target that was blasted from Castillitos in the Cartagena Military Museum.

Underground were facilities such as the powder-magazine or the gunnery direction room. What makes the Tinoso battery so interesting is not just the huge guns, but the way in which the underground machinery rooms have survived. The pieces that are too big to be stolen have largely been left in place, although anything that can be unscrewed and taken away has been removed. Particularly sad is the way in which the silhouettes of battleships, used for identification purposes, in the observation posts have been vandalised. These unique illustrations will probably be completely destroyed soon. 
The battery, and others nearby, seem to have just been abandoned without any attempt to protect such unique relics. The authorities talk of schemes to restore batteries and promote the coast defence heritage while the vandals get on happily with their work of destroying unique machinery, toppling buildings and spray painting". 

This place was an amazing visit and I hope worthy to show to you! Enjoy 

Part of the castle





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One of the giant canons




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I have since learnt these were for open rail carriages 




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Entering one of the DARK tunnels




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I think these were for post possibly?




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Outside the possible post building. Loved the roof!




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A view across the site




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A view the other way, there was so much to explore we could never have done it all!




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Closer to one of the canons




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Ready and waiting...




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Part of the entrance I think




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Amazing!




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I have since learnt these mechanical bits on the ceiling were to transport the projectiles as they were so heavy




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The store for the projection charges




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Some more of the lifting mechanism




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Not too sure what this is, it was pitch black so this is what my flash found




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One of the less darker tunnels




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Near the entrance




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I think these were workshops/garages judging by the pits in the floor




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One of the sadly roof-less buildings but what a view that was!




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I think these were barracks?




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I'm not sure about these posher buildings




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Inside one of the guns




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Is this where the ammo was sent up?




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Another cluster of sadly decaying buildings




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And lets not forget the view! 




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Hope this is ok for my first one  any comments will be appreciated!


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## PaulPowers (Sep 22, 2011)

the url at the top of the page isn't the image link and the permissions are set so no one can see the image


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## Chambers696 (Sep 22, 2011)

oh no  i'm confused! I entered the images as shown on the tutorial by copying the url in the share drop down box on flickr but is it because my photos are not set to public on flickr? help


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## TeeJF (Sep 22, 2011)

Whoopsie! Better luck next time... pity, I was looking forward to those after seeing the title!


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## krela (Sep 22, 2011)

Chambers696 said:


> oh no  i'm confused! I entered the images as shown on the tutorial by copying the url in the share drop down box on flickr but is it because my photos are not set to public on flickr? help



If they're not set to public then the public won't be able to view them... including us.


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## Chambers696 (Sep 22, 2011)

Thank you for your help  i think i've sussed it now


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## krela (Sep 22, 2011)

Chambers696 said:


> Thank you for your help  i think i've sussed it now



Whee that did it, nice report.


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## hhhhh (Sep 22, 2011)

Wow that gun is HUGE


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## krela (Sep 22, 2011)

hhhhh said:


> Wow that gun is HUGE



Well, they kinda need to be to fire 12-16 pound projectiles up to 5 miles...


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## TeeJF (Sep 22, 2011)

Awesome place! And so picturesque... the view isn't bad either... 

I just Googled the place and immediately found two batteries within a very close distance of each other at: 37°33'41.49"N 0°56'47.07"W
and at: 37°33'38.04"N 0°57'10.42"W? But the whole of that harbour area is littered with batteries because there are at least another two!

I'm wondering if there's been a continuous presence there since the Napoleonic period, with those modern guns being installed later or if they were more modern constructions built from scratch? 

Interesting stuff! Great first report! Thanks.


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## night crawler (Sep 22, 2011)

Some very nice views there, and the report.


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## urbanisle (Sep 22, 2011)

What a great find, love the pictures. Reminds me, i must book up a holiday


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## gingrove (Sep 22, 2011)

krela said:


> Well, they kinda need to be to fire 12-16 pound projectiles up to 5 miles...



And the rest! The projectile for the 38.1cm or 15inch in old money was more like 871Kg or 1916 lbs with a range of up to 29000yards depending on the propellant charge


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## Foxylady (Sep 22, 2011)

Wow, what a fantastic site. Great first report, Chambers. Cheers for that.


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## oldscrote (Sep 23, 2011)

Great post mate.A few years ago there was an article in Old Glory magazine about how they got the guns up there.I'll dig it out to confirm but from what I remember the barrels were hauled up by two Aveling and Porter crane engines with the help of an early Holt half track tractor.The barrels were mounted on bogies with short sections of track leapfrogging each other.I seem to remember it took days to haul each barrel to the top.

Holt tractor

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=ho...8&tbnw=188&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0

Aand P crane engine
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=av...w=132&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:56&tx=78&ty=77


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## Pincheck (Sep 23, 2011)

very nice


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## krela (Sep 23, 2011)

gingrove said:


> And the rest! The projectile for the 38.1cm or 15inch in old money was more like 871Kg or 1916 lbs with a range of up to 29000yards depending on the propellant charge



Blimey you're right. What were they trying to do, shell morocco?!


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## gingrove (Sep 23, 2011)

krela said:


> Blimey you're right. What were they trying to do, shell morocco?!



Having been to Morocco on holiday once that doesn't seem like a bad idea!


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## oldscrote (Sep 23, 2011)

O.K. I found the article and the installation of the guns took even longer than a few days.The two barrels taken to Castillitos took over 4 months to reach the top sometimes only travelling 61 yards in a day.The Guns left Tyneside on the SS Brompton Manor in June 1930 and arrived in the harbour on July13.The transportation of all the various parts to the site was not completed until mid May1931 nearly a year after they had first been landed.
There is a photo of the haulage team here as well as a photo of one of the guns being fired

http://www.simplynetworking.es/calida-2017-64-9-cabo_tiñoso_the_batteries_of_castillitos_and_el.html

I believe that the unknown object your flash picked out in the dark is possibly a 70HP Petter engine that was used to power the hydraulics for moving the guns


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## Chambers696 (Sep 23, 2011)

oldscrote said:


> O.K. I found the article and the installation of the guns took even longer than a few days.The two barrels taken to Castillitos took over 4 months to reach the top sometimes only travelling 61 yards in a day.The Guns left Tyneside on the SS Brompton Manor in June 1930 and arrived in the harbour on July13.The transportation of all the various parts to the site was not completed until mid May1931 nearly a year after they had first been landed.
> There is a photo of the haulage team here as well as a photo of one of the guns being fired
> 
> http://www.simplynetworking.es/calida-2017-64-9-cabo_tiñoso_the_batteries_of_castillitos_and_el.html
> ...



Thank you for finding that page. Its amazing to think all that hard work taking the guns up there and they were only ever fired once in action! mind you I think they would be scary enough to deter any enemy! The photos of the gun being fired and the transportation of the guns are great to see, much appreciated  the more that I learn about this place the more the visit and explore becomes a warm memory and I can imagine what it would have been like all those years ago
I hope to go back one day


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## Chambers696 (Sep 23, 2011)

oldscrote said:


> Great post mate.A few years ago there was an article in Old Glory magazine about how they got the guns up there.I'll dig it out to confirm but from what I remember the barrels were hauled up by two Aveling and Porter crane engines with the help of an early Holt half track tractor.The barrels were mounted on bogies with short sections of track leapfrogging each other.I seem to remember it took days to haul each barrel to the top.
> 
> Holt tractor
> 
> ...



Thanks for looking at this. It would have been some job using these old vehicles and machinery. If only they would have had modern cranes and contruction vehicles!


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## oldscrote (Sep 23, 2011)

Chambers696 said:


> Thanks for looking at this. It would have been some job using these old vehicles and machinery. If only they would have had modern cranes and construction vehicles!



Old isn't the word,the crane engines were built by Aveling and Porter in Rochester around 1884 which makes them at least 35 years old and the Holt was probably built during the 1st world war


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