Fort Siloso: Buona Vista 9·2 Inch Battery - Never Built
Buona Vista 9·2 Inch Battery
Initially a single 15 inch BL gun battery was planned for Buona Vista when plans for the 1st stage of the defences of the Naval Base and Keppel Harbour were made. Counter-bombardment batteries recommended for the 1st stage were:
3 9·2 Inch 35° Guns for Pulau Tekong.
2 15 Inch Mark II Guns for Bee Hoe.
3 9··2” 35° Guns for Fort Connaught.
1 15 Inch Mark I Gun for Buona Vista.
To these would be added in the 2nd Stage:
1 15 Inch Mark II Gun for Bee Hoe.
2 15 Inch Mark II Guns for Buona Vista.
Not everyone agreed with these recommendations. A reconnaissance for a 9·2 Inch Battery near Buona Vista was carried out, and a position on War Department land with easy approach was selected.
Major General F.W. Barron examining options for Singapore defences Singapore defences visited Pasir Panjang, Buona Vista, Pasir Laba and Tanjong Gul on 7 March 1935. Following his visit to these areas, he wrote, “a three gun 9·2 inch battery be installed near BUONA VISTA at a site on W.D. land which I have selected and which is shown on the Map at Appendix V.”
Map of battery Location from Maj. Gen. Barron’s Report
A couple of the locations marked on the map differ slightly from the map references given in the report. An old British Army saying, “Don't give the officer the map”.
Map showing the B.O.P. on Hill 270
Contained in Major General F.W. Barron’s report on Singapore defences are the minutes of a meeting held at Fort Canning on 11 March 1935. The minutes contained the following:- “General Barron proposed that, in place of the one 15” at all BUONA VISTA, a 3 gun 9·2” battery should be installed, and the one 15” emplaced at BEE HOE in order to bring that battery of three guns. In support of this proposal he said that one 15” gun by itself was of little practical value and that the BUONA VISTA Battery, being a hybrid, would not be really efficient even when the somewhat mythical second stage of Singapore Defences had been undertaken.” Also “He added that he did not consider it a serious matter to reduce the calibre of the battery from 15” to 9·2”, as he considered bombardment by heavy ships, unless as part of some other form of attack, to be very unlikely, and, further, he considered that three 9·2” gave a very much more efficient defence than a single 15”.
The Battery Observation Post for the 9·2 inch Battery would be on Hill 270 with Mount Faber being an alternative.
In Appendix V to the minutes of the meeting is the following:- (ii) the substitution of 9·2” for 15” means a loss of range of 3300 yards. The positions selected for the 9·2” is some 700 yards nearer the coast than the site of the 15”. The loss of range has been studied on the chart and is found to be immaterial, since practically all the water area within 40,000 yards of the Base, between South and West, can be reached by 9·2” guns from the selected position.
(iii) it has been suggested that this substitution of 9·2” for 15” will result in a considerable loss in weight of metal. It is considered that the weight of metal discharged from the battery is of little value unless hits can be obtained, and that three gun 9·2” battery, which delivers In one minute approximately the same weight of metal as one 15”gun, is very much more likely to be effective, and probably even more alarming.
The G.O.C. Maj. Gen. E.O. Lewin preferred the mounting of a second 15 inch gun at Buona Vista rather than the three gun 9·2 inch battery recommended by Maj. Gen. Barron. He said that, “this was a question of principle which could only be decided by the War Office.”
In the end, the 9·2 inch battery was shelved and Buona Vista received two Mark II 15 inch guns on the opposite side of reformatory Road. The Mark I 15 inch gun originally planned for Buona Vista became the No.1 gun of the Johore Battery.