Defeat of the Floating Batteries


This painting by John Singleton Copley was based on the Spanish attempt to retake Gibraltar in September 1782 during the War of American Independence. The Spanish formulated a secret weapon known as the Floating Batteries which were designed to fire on Gibraltar at close quarters with deadly accuracy, these Floating Batteries were built of timbers one metre-wide packed with layers of wet sand and declared fire-proof and unsinkable. The British used heated shot in order to counterattack these batteries.


Gibraltar | Gibraltar Images


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by Stephen Luscombe