Penang Coast artillery
Auchry Counter-Bombardment Battery (mid way on north coast)
2 x 9.2-in guns on Mk 7 Mountings (35 degree elev. Power ramming)
No.1 & No.2 Guns; BPR: Map Reference 888796
(Including Magazines, Pump Chambers; Battery Power House and War Accommodation)
Battery Observation Post: Map Reference 900798
Batu Maung Counter-Bombardment Battery (SE coast, south of civil aerodrome)
2 x 6-in guns on Mk 5 Mountings (45 degree elev.) & 2 x 3 degree CASLs with SLDS
No.1 & No.2 Guns; BPR; Close Defence BOP: Map Ref. 929552
(Including Magazines; Engine Room and War Accommodation)
Counter Bombardment Battery Observation Post: Map Reference: 917527
Cornwallis Close Defence Battery (NE corner of island)
2 x 6-in guns on Mk 5 Mountings (15 degree elev.) & 2 x 3 degree CASLs with SLDS
No.1 & No.2 Guns; Battery Observation Post; Map ref. 996722
(Including Magazines; Engine Room and War Accommodation)
Tokong Searchlight Battery (on headland halfway between Auchry and Cornwallis Batteries)
2 Observation Searchlights
(Including SLDS, Engine Room and War Accommodation)
Notes:
BOP – Battery Observation Post
BPR – Battery Plotting Room
CASL – Close Action Search Light – narrow powerful searchlights for illumination a target and also blinding its crew so it cannot properly target ships at anchor
Close Defence Battery – to prevent raiders either disguised merchant ship or destroyers or other small fast ships from attacking ships in anchorage; usually CD batteries also could serve as an observation battery whose function the challenge all vessels entering or leaving a port or anchorage and engage them if not satisfied by their response.
The use obsolete 6-inch guns on 15 degree elevation mountings had advantages:
a. They were readily available and therefore cheap
b. They were easy to operate and maintain
c. Their low elevation meant that the breach remained at a good loading height that made a rapid rate of fire and therefore a better chance of hitting
d. A 100 pound shell hitting a destroyer or any other un-armoured ship in the hull would probably reduce her speed which would be fatal under the battery’s guns
Counter-Bombardment Battery – to engage ships trying to bombard the Port of Georgetown and/or the northern naval or southern merchant anchorages
Observation Searchlights – a long range searchlight for searching the waters for potential threats functioning much the same as anti-aircraft searchlights. Their function was replaced with the introduction of reliable radars.
SLDS – Search Light Director Station
War Accommodation – as opposed to peace time barracks, the gunners had usually hidden half buried concrete accommodation and with all the facilities for permanent occupation on active service. These structures would have steel doors and window shutters for added protection; the battery would normally include tunnels, action shelters, local defence works, etc.
Auchry Battery had a pump house for the required hydraulic power for the gun mountings
Batu Maung Battery had two function and thus had to observation posts
1. To engage targets at long range and out of the direct line of sight of the guns the was a Counter Bombardment BOP (that is used indirect fire)
2. To engage targets that had closed close enough for direct line of sight fire there was a Close Defence BOP ( that is used direct fire)
Historical Note:
Auchry Battery was complete except for installation of guns, instrument, stores, generators and pumps.
Tokong Searchlight Battery was not started
Map References are in the North Malaya Grid which was printed all military maps down into the northern part of Johore. To extend the grid it was required to draw it over the Southern Malaya also known as the Johore or Singapore Grid.
The numbers are EEENNN, to be strictly correct there should be EEEEEENNNNNN quoted if no map sheet is quoted. Therefore the correct procedure is Map Series Number, Sheet Number, then the six digit number reference number to allow plotting to 100 yards, if a grid square is only required the same procedure is followed except only four digit number for a 1,000 yard square.
The Military for operational purposes used:
1: 20,000 scale (1,000 yard grid lines, 25 ft. contours)
1-inch scale or 1:63,360 or 1-inch to 1 mile. (1,000 yard grid lines, 50ft. contours)
¼ -inch scale of 1:254,440 or 1-inch to 4 miles (10,000 yards grid lines, 250 ft. contours)
1/6-inch scale of 1:380,160 or 1-inch to 6 miles (10,000 yard grid lines)
