Fort Siloso 6 Inch BL Battery
In the 1890s, the two 64 Pounders at the Fort were replaced by a single 9.2 Inch BL Gun emplaced a little to the west of the 64 Pounders and providing an arc of fire covering the western approach to the harbour.
The 9.2 Inch Gun was in a concrete emplacement and was supplied by an underground magazine. The gun represented a massive increase in firepower for the Fort, and it would seem to have remained in service until around about 1909/10. At this time, the emplacement was rebuilt to 
take two 6-Inch QF Guns. The two such guns on mount Siloso being moved to the new emplacement. The Magazine had an extension arm built with a new ammunition hoist to serve the No. 2. Gun. The new two gun battery was brought in to service in 1911.
During the 1930s, Fort Siloso was again modernised as part of the sweeping review of coastal artillery positions made by General Gillman in 1927. The Battery now mounted two 6-Inch Mark VII Guns on Mark II CP (Centre Point) Mountings. The guns had an elevation of 15° and a range of 17,000 yards (15,545 meters).
The photo on the right, not taken at Fort Siloso, shows a mark VII 6 Inch BL Gun on a Mark II CP Mounting.
The Fort Siloso 6-Inch BL Gun Battery seen from Mount Siloso. The No. 1 Gun emplacement with its replica 6-Inch Gun is visible. The No. 2 Gun is obscured by the tree on top of the Gunners Shelter to the left of the photograph. The entrance to the Magazine is arrowed.
The photograph clearly illustrates how the jungle has re-grown since the fort was abandoned. No undergrowth or trees would have been allowed to grow and obstruct the field of fire of the guns, or to encroach on to the fort when it was ‘open for business’. Unfortunately the clearance of trees and undergrowth would make the fort easy to find, and therefore vulnerable to attack from the air. Fort Siloso, as were other coastal batteries, was bombed by the Japanese during their assault on Singapore during February 1942.
The guns of the battery took part in the battle of Singapore in February 1942, firing on Japanese troops approaching Singapore town, and providing support to the hard-pressed defenders, including the Malay Regiment during their stubborn defence of Opium Hill (Kent Ridge).
The guns, with those from the Labrador Battery, also sank what was believed at the time to be a Japanese supply ship approaching Singapore. It is however, likely that the vessel was a Tongkang loaded with oil barrels.
The Battery also took part in the destruction of oil installations on Pulau Bukom to prevent the stocks falling into Japanese hands. Just before the British capitulation, the guns were spiked.
In order to enable the guns to fire landward, it was necessary to demolish
part of the overhead concrete covers
built to the rear of each gun. There are still signs of this demolition on the ground around each of the gun emplacements. This is shown on the right.
An ammunition hoist broke down during the action and it was necessary for the gunners to carry ammunition from the magazine up to the guns.
After the war, Fort Siloso was re-armed with 6-Inch Mark VII BL Guns recovered from other forts in Singapore. It is likely that these came, one from Labrador and one from Beting Kusah as one gun from each of these batteries was repaired by the Japanese. In 1950, Mark 24 Guns brought from Haifa replaced these guns. The Observation Post between the guns was sadly destroyed, possibly around about this time. This does detract from the impression a visitor to the Fort gets. There is very little information and few photographs on display concerning the history of the emplacement.
LEFT: The passageway between the guns before and after restoration. . Storage lockers are in the left-hand wall. On the right of the photographs can be seen ventilation shafts sticking through the grass.
RIGHT The ventilation shafts mentioned above belong to this building, situated between the guns. Below this building is is the magazine.
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Fort Silingsing & Fire Command
The photograph shown left, which courtesy of Lynne Copping shows the No. 2 Gun Emplacement of Fort Silingsing with its concrete overhead cover still intact during the 1960s.
In February 1942, overall command of the Battery, which was part of 7 Coast Artillery Regiment RA, was held by Brigadier A.D. Curtiss of Faber Fire Command. Local command came from the Battery Command Post on Mount Siloso. The range and bearing of targets was transmitted from there to the Gun Commander on the emplacement. He, in turn relayed the orders to the two Gun Layers on each gun. Their job was to traverse and elevate the gun. When firing at short range, the gun’s auto sights were used. At night the target was illuminated by the fort’s searchlights.