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Encyclopedia Britannica



MARTELLO TOWER

This article appears in Volume V17, Page 784 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MAR-MEC
MARTELLO TOWER , a kind of tower formerly used in English
coast
  defence. The name is a corruption of Mortella. The Martello tower was introduced in consequence of an incident of the French revolutionary wars. In September 1793 a British
squadron
  of three ships of the line and two frigates was ordered to support the Corsican insurgents. It was determined in the first place to take a tower on Cape Mortella which commanded the only secure anchorage in the Gulf of San Fiorenzo. This tower, according to James, was named" after its inventor "; but the real derivation appears to be the name of a wild myrtle which grew thickly around. The tower, which mounted one 24-pounder and two 18-pounders on its top, was bombarded for a short time by the frigates, was then deserted by its little garrison, and occupied by a landing party. The tower was afterwards retaken by the French from the Corsicans. So far it had done nothing to justify its subsequent reputation. In 1794, however, a fresh attempt was made to support the insurgents. On the 7th of February 1400 troops were lauded, and. the tower was attacked by land and sea on the 8th. The " Fortitude " and " Juno " kept up a cannonade for 22
hours
  and then hauled off, the former being on fire and having sixty-two men killed and wounded. The fire from the batteries on shore produced no impression until a hot shot set fire to the "
bass
  junk with which, to the depth of 5 ft., the immensely thick
parapet
  was lined." The garrison of thirty-three men then surrendered. The armament was found to consist only of two 18-pounders and one 6-pounder. The strong resistance offered by these three guns seems to have led to the conclusion that towers of this description were specially formidable, and Martello towers were built in large numbers, and at heavy expense, along the shores of England, especially on the southern and eastern coasts, which in certain parts are lined with these towers at short intervals. They are structures of solid masonry, containing vaulted rooms for the garrison, and providing a platform at the top for two or three guns, which fire over a low masonry
parapet
 . Access is provided by a ladder, communicating with a
door
  about 20 ft. above the ground. In some cases a deep ditch is provided around the base. The
chief
  defect of the tower was its weakness against vertical fire; its masonry was further liable to be cut through by breaching batteries. The French tours modeles were somewhat similar to the Martello towers; their
chief
  use was to serve as keeps to unrevetted works. While the Martello tower owes its reputation and its widespread adoption in
Great
  Britain to a single incident of modern warfare, the round masonry structure entered by a
door
  raised high above the base is to be found in many lands, and is one of the earliest types of masonry fortification.


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