The ruins of the once powerful F-2 coastal artillery battery at Favarich, Menorca

@ElentirENG ES 6·23·2024 · 22:05 0

A few days ago we saw here the strategic importance of the Spanish island of Menorca and the turbulent past it experienced because of it.

The formidable Fortress of La Mola, in Menorca, and its enormous Vickers guns
Fort Soledad: one of the most remote military positions that Spain had

This time we have to focus again on that island regarding a new video from the always excellent YouTube channel Aventuras Entresierras (to which you I recommend that you subscribe and share its contents). A few days ago that channel showed us the formidable La Mola Fortress, which protected the port of Mahón and which today, at least in its oldest part, is quite well preserved, in addition to preserve their guns. Now we will see the opposite example: the Favarich F-2 Battery (or Favaritx, in Catalan), in the northeast of the island.

The construction of the Favarich Battery was part of the 1926 artillery plan, designed during the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-1930). For this battery, two large 381/45 mm Vickers guns were purchased, identical to those we saw a few days ago in the Punta de Afuera Battery. According to El Viajero Histórico, these two large guns were placed in the Favarich battery between 1933 and 1935. The battery was also equipped in 1932 with four 105/43.5 mm Vickers anti-aircraft guns, and in 1933 with four Vickers guns 15.24 cm. Thus, it was a fortified position with exceptional firepower.

Between 1942 and 1943, Favarich's two large 38.1 cm Vickers were sent to the Paloma Alta Battery, in Tarifa (Cádiz) . The anti-aircraft battery remained until 1965, according to the Facebook page of the Cartagena Coastal and Anti-Aircraft Batteries, while the 15.24 cm Vickers guns were preserved until the decade 1990, when they were scrapped. Today the battery is completely dismantled and in a sad state of abandonment (the video is in Spanish, you can activate the automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):

You can see here some screenshots as a preview of this interesting and complete video. Here we see the battery entrance sentry boxes.

One of the wells of one of the 15.24 cm Vickers guns, which were removed in the 1990s.

Access to the galleries under one of the large 381/45 mm Vickers guns. In the video you can see the interior of the galleries of both canyons.

The wells of the old anti-aircraft battery, removed in 1965.