Fort Siloso: Fort Blakang Mati South
Fort Blakang Mati South
Forts Siloso and Blakang Mati East were still in their infancy, but already there were recommendations for up-gunning, and for a new fort on the island. The new fort would provide additional artillery cover for the south of Blakang Mati.
The first reference to Fort Blakang Mati South in my archives is dated 1882. It is from recommendations made by Col. Crossman RA for an upgrade to the defences of the New Harbour. Col. Crossman had a penchant for 10 inch BL Guns, and recommended a total of twenty for the defences of New Harbour. For Blakang Mati, he recommended five 10 inch BL guns for Fort Siloso, and five more for Fort Blakang Mati East. For a proposed Fort Blakang Mati South he ignored 10 inch guns and recommended three 7 inch RML guns of 7 tons (7112 kg). His recommendations for Siloso and Blakang Mati East were rejected, and Fort Blakang Mati South remained on paper only.
Fort Blakang Mati South
n 1885, a series of charts showing defences of coaling stations of the British Empire showed Fort Blakang Mati South. There was no indication as to the actual existence of the fort though. The armament for the fort was given as three 8 inch or 9 inch RML guns, not what Col. Crossman had recommended. The armament of the other forts on the chart was listed correctly, although Mount Serapong was still in the planning stage. The guns shown in red on the chart are RML guns, and in black are BL guns.
1885 plan of defences for the new harbour
It would seem therefore that Blakang Mati South was still but a plan. The fort was in planning for some time, as on On 5 February 1887, Governor Weld, when writing about the defences of Singapore wrote, “I believe that a new fort has finally been decided on at Blakang Mati South”. It may have been decided on, but no construction started.
Gun Batteries defending New Harbour in 1893
Fort Blakang Mati South is still absent from the defences. Fort Blakang Mati East had been renamed Fort Connaught following the visit to Singapore by the Dike of Connaught in 1890. Fort Blakang Mati South would however try to stage a come-back in years to come.
The next reference that I have to a fort in the South of Blakang Mati comes from 1923 (RIGHT). The Committee of Imperial Defence had approved the first stage of the defence plan for Singapore and the new Naval Base. Note the difference to the guns, locations recommended, and those eventually seeing service. To mention but one of the places in the image - Pulau Ubin (Note: See section on Pulau Ubin 6 inch battery).
There was a serious discussion about a gun battery and associated searchlights for the eastern end on Pulau Ubin. This was not the only place that was considered for gun batteries, but which were not actually armed. Other places considered were Pulau Tekong Kechil, Pulau Tekong East (Tanjong Pasir area) Tanjong Gul, St. John’s and Peak Islands (Kusu). In earlier years there were even thoughts of a floating battery and a sea fort some 2,300 yards (2,103 m) to the east of Mount Palmer.
In 1924 a survey for suitable coast artillery locations in Singapore was conducted, and recommendations made. Lt. Col. Brancker the C.R.A. (Commander Royal Artillery) in Singapore remarked on a memorandum produced by the C.R.E. (Commander Royal Engineers). He commented on the proposed location for a single 15 inch gun at Blakang Mati South. The location was indicated as being an approved site. I don’t have a map reference or a contoured map showing the exact location, but based on the angle and distance given to a Battery Observation Post on Mount Serapong, I’ve tried to plot it in blue on to a period map from the same archive. The reason for the gun not being on top of the higher hill to the east would have been to make the gun less prominent.
probable location for the recommended 15 inch gun
Lt. Col. Brancker preferred a mainland position. He went on to state, “If 15 inch guns are to be on BLAKANG MATI at all - which I am inclined to deprecate I agree with C.R.E. That the ridge south of DHOBI GROUND is the best position. It is quite a good position, though I doubt that flash cover from the sea is as good as in the Keppel Lines position ......”
He went on to say that, “(KEPPEL GOLF LINKS). Good positions here for two 15” guns, well apart, obtainable, with perfect concealment from the sea ......”. A battery there would certainly have pleased the golfers!
Yet again, the plans fell by the wayside, and Blakang Mati South remained on paper. It had one last hurrah though.
In 1927, the Gillman Commission consisting of Lt. Gen. Sir Webb Gillman, Col. L.N. Malan and Lt. Col. R.F. Lock went to Singapore to make recommendations for the defence of Singapore and the Naval Base (LEFT).
This was another of many attempts to lay down battery locations for the defence of Singapore. There had been many reports and recommendations from the days of the first battery at Scandal Point in 1819, most of which were filed and forgotten.
Among the Gillman Commission’s recommendations was a 15 inch battery for Blakang Mati, as had been recommended in 1924. One gun was recommended, but with the possibility of a second being added some 500 yards (457 m) away at a later time. The 15 inch gun(s) would be, “sited on a ridge at the southern extremity of the island ...... There is little or no coastal erosion at this point, and what dip there is seems to be away from shore. Geologically, therefore, the site appears safe, but trial bores are being made”.
The report goes on to say, “The problem of siting these guns 500 yards apart is largely governed by the practicability of laying a railway line between them on the same level, and by the difficulty of screening them from the sea”. I do not know if a railway was recommended in 1924, as there is no mention of one by Lt. Col. Brancker in his report.
Three possible routes for the railway were suggested. One from “the southern extremity of the island”, one “from the bay on the west coast below the barracks”, and one “from the neighbourhood of the barrack pier on the north of the island”. The route from the barrack pier was the one finally settled on. A steam winch would be used to draw up loads on gradients, and tackles and crowbars would be used on the level. The steam winch would be on wheels, so that it could position itself as required for each haul. A steam crane was thought to be most suitable for off-loading at the guns if speed was important, otherwise the design of a semi-permanent gantry for each gun could have been an alternative. The magazine for the gun(s) would have been of the surface type (as later used at the Wanstone 15 Inch Battery in the UK).
In 1931, in Section 1 of a summary of heavy armament proposed for Singapore by the C.O.S. (Chief of Staff), it suggested three 15 inch guns for Singapore, one each at Wing Loong, Bee Hoe and Blakang Mati. The proposals were recommended for modification. “Recent bombardment practises (sic) have shown that in order to enable heavy and medium coast defence guns to achieve their maximum effect it is necessary to group them in 3-gun batteries. It may therefore be advisable in the first instance to install one complete 3-gun battery (or possibly one 2-gun and one 1-gun battery) instead of three 1-gun batteries”.
Image two shows the approximate track of a railway for a three gun battery.
Later, in the same summary, Section 8 states, “C.I.D. Paper 275-C, in which the first stage (allowing for 3 15-inch guns ) is laid down, visualises the possibility of the eventual installation of additional 15-inch guns if it should be found that aircraft cannot be used in substitution for heavy guns. The General Staff do not consider such substitution a practicable alternative, and recommend that the heavy armament should finally consist of :-
Blakang Mati: 3 15-inch guns (1 battery)
Bee Hoe-Wing Loong area: 3 15-inch guns (1 battery)”
In the event, Blakang Mati lost out on the guns and the railway, and an alternative site of Keppel Links was ruled out. Fort Blakang Mati South was finally killed off.
The two gun Buona Vista 15 Inch Battery straddling Ulu Pandan Road was later constructed to defend the south coast. Even that battery was not as originally envisaged. Early plans for Buona Vista were for a three gun 9·2 inch battery.