Rinella Battery and the 100 Ton Gun

The entrance to Fort Rinella, Malta

As fortifications on Malta go, Fort Rinella is a baby, being built between 1878 and 1886 by the British during the reign of Queen Victoria. Besides the name Fort Rinella it is also called the Rinella battery, because it was built arond and to protect a monstous 100 ton gun, the largest gun made at that time.

Although there are informative signs around the fort giving information about the area you are in, I highly recomend that you join one of the 45 minute conducted tours of the fort. 

Fort Rinella conducted tours

These tours are conducted by a group of vounteers from Malta Heritage Trust dressed in period soldiers uniforms . Not only do they give very informative talks about the workings and life of the fort but they perfore varios drills and demonstrations, some of which I have tried to capure in the photographs and discriptions below

Fireing a large Victorian cannon demonstation

After paying for entrance around Lm3 for adults and paying an extra LM2 for the tour you are take to a field near the entrance to the site to see a large cannon being fired

   
Click on any thumbnail photograph to see a larger version

Your tour guide dressed in period army uniform explains what the gun crew are doing.

• The gun crew check the cannon to make sure that the cannon has not already been loaded. This is done by running the pole helds by the gunner on the right, down the barrel. The screw end can be used for removing wadding or the black powder charge. Left photograph above
  
• The black powder charge contained in a fine cloth material is loaded into the cannon and pushed down with the rammer pole which can be seen in the right photograph above. The cannon ball is then inserted and rammed home. A stiff pencil like fuse is pushed into the hole at the top rear end of the cannon, this stiff wick pierces the muslin bag containing the powder.
  
• A slow slow burning match on the end of a stick is used to light the fuse. In the photo on the right a tourist has just lit the fuze and is retreating as the cannon fires

Fort Rinella's protected Entrance

Demonstration of Bayonet Drill at Fort Rinella

The 100 ton Gun

Demonstration of Signalling at Fort Rinella