The 1896 plan would again improve the armament of Fort Siloso. Two 6 Inch Quick Firing (QF) Guns would be mounted in a new emplacement on Mount Siloso, and two 12 Pounder QF Guns emplaced overlooking Keppel Harbour. All the 7 Inch RML Guns would be withdrawn from service. The 6-Inch Guns were far more powerful and had a much higher rate of fire than the 7 Inch RML and 64 Pounder RML Guns with which the Fort entered service in 1879.

6 Inch QF Emplacement

6 Inch QF Gun Emplacement

The layout of the Emplacement as seen today differs to the original plan. The original plan did not show the inland Cartridge Store, and the gun platforms were built to a different design, with a ‘well’ in the centre of the platform, in which the gun mountings were installed. QF guns were normally mounted on a flat platform. The Magazine was designed to store 600 shells and 600 propellant cartridges. Shells would be hoisted to the rear of the guns on an angled Ladder Lift, and cartridges to the side of the gun well by a vertical Band Lift.

12 Pounder QF Emplacement

The 12 Pounder QF Gun was much more suited to harbour defence than the 7 Inch RML Guns. It had a very high rate of fire, a superior sighting system, and more suitable ammunition.

Two guns were emplaced in the No.1 7 Inch RML Emplacement which was greatly modified to accept them. The No.2 7 Inch Emplacement was abandoned. The 12 pounders were listed as being being additions to the armament in 1898, and listed as being as mounted in January 1899.

Plan of The 12 Pounder Emplacement and arc of fire

In 1907,the Committee on the Armaments of Defended Ports Abroad, considered that,"that an attempt by an enemy’s ship to enter Keppel Harbour by night is not reasonably possible, except in the case of small vessels of little fighting value". They also considered that that the 12 Pounder QF Guns at Siloso were "superfluous". They were listed for removal. They had disappeared from the list of approved armaments in 1910. Only two of the electric lights at the fort would be retained. These would be fighting lights for the 6 inch guns.

Today, there are two 64 Pounder RML Guns displayed on the 12 Pounder QF emplacement. The carriages the 64 Pounders guns are mounted on are not of the type used in the fortt.

Clearly guns overlooking the harbour needed to be able to engage targets by day or night. To provide night fighting capabilities, two small electric light emplacements (searchlights) were constructed above the beach overlooking the harbour.

It is likely that the two electric light emplacements were declared redundant when the 12 pounder guns were removed.

It is often thought that these two emplacements are machine gun posts. It is of course possible that the emplacements may have been used for machine guns during the WWII. I have no evidence either way. There is a post war plan which shows the emplacement nearest the jetty as being an, "old MG post". The other emplacement is not shown.

It is known that in 1910, there were two machine guns on cone mountings at the fort. Two tripod mountings were available as alternatives. in 1914, there were two additional machine guns, but still only two tripod mountings. I have plans showing two machine gun posts at the fort, neither of which are in tha area of the electric light posts.

Battery Command Post

As part of the update, a new Battery Command Post was built to the west of the 6 Inch QF Emplacement. The Post would house a Depression Range Finder, a Chart Room, and a Telephone Room. The Observation Post which had served the 7 Inch RML Guns and the 9·2 Inch BL Gun would be demolished as it was in the way of the new emplacement.

The Battery Command Post

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