San Nicolo Battery
The San Nicolo Battery is an Austro-Hungarian battery built on the slopes of Monte Brione in Northern Italy.[1] Sources vary as to when Nicolo was built with some sources saying 1860–61[2] and 1870.[1] S. Nicolo was built on the shores of Lake Garda and had the job of keeping Italian infantry from landing on the relatively flat beaches near Riva Del Garda. S. Nicolo was the only coastal artillery battery on a lake in Northern Italy.[1] The Austrians called S. Nicolo “Strandbatterie” which means “Beach Battery” because it had the purpose of blocking the landing of troops.[2] In addition to being a coastal battery, S. Nicolo had the job of barring the way between Riva Del Garda and Torbole to the east.[1][2] Most of the guns were facing out across the lake, and Nicolo was later equipped with spotlights for illuminating the lake at night.[1]
Armament
- 4 15 cm guns
- 6 9 cm field guns mounted in minimum embrasures
Instead of mounting howitzers like many of the fort of the day, Nicolo had guns with flat trajectories because they were meant to fire across the lake.[1] The crew was 4 Officers and 165 enlisted men.[2]
References
- Forts in Italy
- 19th-century fortifications
- Military installations established in 1870
- 1870 establishments in Italy
- 19th-century architecture in Italy
- Buildings and structures in Bergamo
- History of Bergamo
- Tourist attractions in Bergamo
- Buildings and structures in Trentino
- History of Trentino
- Austro-Hungarian Army
- Military history of Austria-Hungary
- 1870 establishments in Austria-Hungary