Breakneck Battery is located on the top of Mount Misery as one of the Upper Batteries, with the name Breakneck being adopted in 1901. This 9.2-inch gun is situated immediately above both O’Hara’s and Lord Airey’s Batteries. The gun lies adjacent to Spyglass High Angle Fire Battery. The Fortress Command Post lies in the rock below the battery.
The Battery and underground works were constructed between 30th June 1902 and 19th January 1905. The works cost a total of £9485, on budget. The magazine was built to hold some three hundred rounds in the cartridge and shell stores. The Battery mounted a 9.2-inch Mark X gun on a Mark V mount. The magazine was cut out of rock immediately to the south of the gun emplacement. The gun initially had a basic shield but during World War 2 overhead cover was provided.
Cave Position Finding Cell was built at the same time as Breakneck Battery.
The Stay Behind Cave was built into the Rock, near the battery, during World War 2.
The gun remains in place and the underground works were all in reasonable condition in 2020.
The other 9.2-inch Gun Batteries in Gibraltar are:
The UK National Archives
- WO 78/2532
- WO 78/3839