Serapong 6 Inch BL Battery. The No.1 Emplacement

The decaying No.1 Emplacement.

RIGHT: The Spiked No.1 Gun in 1946.The Breech has been blown off and a piece of the barrel with it, thus rendering the gun completely useless. Blast damage to a concrete cover support can be seen on the right.

On the 14th of February 1942, came the order to destroy the guns of Mount Serapong. The No.2 Gun destroyed first, being spiked with a gelignite charge at 1200hrs. Later, at 1700hrs its magazine was also spiked, detonating completely, leaving a large crater and severely damaging the emplacement above and to the left of it. Five men were injured in the blast.

The No. 1 Gun remained available for action until the morning of the 15th when it,in turn, was spiked. All equipment in the Battery Command Post was also destroyed.

A post-war photo. The gun has been removed