Johore Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johore Battery |
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| Part of World War II-era Defence of Singapore | |
| Cosford Road in Changi, Singapore | |
One of Singapore's five 15-inch coastal-defence guns elevated for firing, probably some time in 1941 or 1942.
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| Coordinates | 1°21′55″N 103°58′47″E / 1.365167°N 103.979667°E |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Currently Singapore Government |
| Controlled by | Formerly British military; now Singapore Government |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Originals demolished and gone after WWII and now replaced with a single replica |
| Site history | |
| Built | In 1939 |
| Built by | British Government |
| In use | Early- to mid-February of 1942 |
| Materials | Concrete and steel |
| Demolished | Mid-February of 1942 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Singapore (WWII) |
| Events | Shelling of southern Malaya (Johor) where invading Japanese forces were at in early 1942 during the war |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
None |
| Past commanders |
Unknown |
| Garrison | Formerly controlled by British military; now none |
| Occupants | Formerly British naval artillery troops; now vacated |
The Johore Battery was a special place in Changi, Singapore. It was a British military base with very large guns. These guns were placed there in the late 1930s. Their job was to protect Singapore's big naval base. This base was in Sembawang, in the north of the island. The guns were meant to stop enemy ships from reaching it.
Contents
History of the Big Guns
Before 1940, the British government put five huge 15-inch naval guns in Singapore. Three of these guns were in Changi. The other two were in Buona Vista. The three guns in Changi were called the Johore Battery.
Why the Name Johore Battery?
The battery was named after the King of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim. In 1935, he gave a huge gift of £500,000 to King George V of the UK. About £400,000 of this money was used to pay for the three big guns in Changi.
What the Guns Were Used For
The Johore Battery was built in 1939. It was made to defend Singapore from Imperial Japan. Japan had a very strong navy in the 1930s. In early 1942, the Johore Battery was used during World War II. The guns fired at Johor Bahru. This area was under Japanese control at the time.
The Johore Battery site had many underground tunnels. These tunnels were like a maze. They were used to store ammunition for the guns. Most of the shells were "armour-piercing" (AP). This means they were designed to break through thick ship armour. They were not mostly "high-explosive" (HE) shells.
These naval guns were the largest ever put on land outside of Britain. They were all destroyed by the British. This happened just before the British Army surrendered to the Japanese on February 15, 1942. After the war ended in 1945, the tunnels were sealed up. People almost forgot about them.
In 1948, one of the guns was taken apart. Its parts were sent back to England as scrap metal. In 1950, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps started a project. They wanted to remove live gun shells. These shells had been buried at Changi when the British left in 1942. The exact location of the battery was not known for a long time. Then, in April 1991, the Singapore Prisons Service found it by accident.
Visiting the Johore Battery Today
Today, you can visit the place where the Johore Battery used to be. There is a copy of one of the huge naval guns. There is also a fake 15-inch shell. It is placed on a special lifting machine. Visitors can try to lift it. This helps you feel how heavy an 800kg shell is!
The old tunnels are still there, but you cannot go inside them. Their paths are marked above ground. There is also a sign with information about the battery's history. It is at the entrance hut.
You can visit the site for free. It is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. There is also a restaurant at the site.
See also
