Fort Campbell - Selmun, Malta - Circular Gun Mounting of a Coastal Artillery Emplacement

The remains of a British coastal artillery gun emplacement at Fort Campbell in Selmun, Malta, showing the circular steel mounting ring of a former 6-inch gun, surrounded by concrete protective walls, ammunition recesses and abandoned military structures.

This photograph shows one of the three former coastal artillery gun emplacements at Fort Campbell on the Selmun peninsula in northern Malta. Dominating the foreground is a circular steel mounting ring embedded in the concrete floor, marking the position where a 6-inch coastal defence gun once stood. The artillery piece itself has long since disappeared, leaving the rusting mounting components exposed to the elements. Behind the circular platform, a substantial curved concrete wall forms part of the protective structure surrounding the gun position. Several rectangular openings and recessed compartments are visible along the rear wall, together with a narrow entrance leading into the adjoining military facilities. Scattered stones, graffiti, weathered concrete and vegetation growing through cracks illustrate the deteriorating condition of the abandoned emplacement. The surrounding hillside, covered with Mediterranean scrub, partially conceals the installation and reflects the original intention to integrate the fort into the natural landscape.

Fort Campbell was constructed by the British between 1937 and 1938 as part of Malta’s coastal defence system shortly before the Second World War. Located on the Selmun peninsula, the fort was strategically positioned to protect the northern maritime approaches to Malta, including the waters around Mellieħa Bay and St Paul’s Bay. Its principal armament consisted of three 6-inch coastal artillery guns, installed in separate emplacements designed to engage potentially hostile vessels approaching the coastline. These guns formed part of a wider defensive network intended to safeguard Malta’s strategically important harbours and coastal waters. Each emplacement incorporated a substantial gun mounting, protective concrete structures and supporting facilities for ammunition handling and artillery operations. The circular mounting arrangement allowed the gun to be traversed horizontally, enabling its crew to direct fire across a designated sector of the surrounding sea. Observation and fire-control facilities elsewhere within the fort supported the operation of the battery. Unlike the prominent stone fortifications of earlier centuries, Fort Campbell was designed with relatively low walls, dispersed buildings and concealed positions to reduce its visibility from aerial reconnaissance. Following the end of its military service, the installation was abandoned, and its guns and much of its equipment were removed. The surviving mounting ring and surrounding concrete structures provide a valuable indication of the original layout and operation of the coastal artillery battery. This photograph documents one of Fort Campbell’s most recognisable military features and offers an insight into the engineering of British coastal defences in Malta during the twentieth century.