Sentries on duty at Hurst Castle will have seen many a strange sight over the years, but few so strange as the massive metal target plates that were floated out at sea for target practice.
One of the two metal target plates on display at Hurst Castle © Tricia Hayne
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, servicemen charged with manning the coastal defence guns stationed at forts along the Solent, including Hurst Castle, were in need of practice to hone their skills at firing the big guns. But what on? A land-based target would be unrealistic, but there was no obvious answer at sea.
The solution came in the form of massive steel or iron plates that were designed to be towed out to sea as practice targets for members of the artillery crew. Each was mounted on a wooden raft or barge, and towed past the castle’s guns behind a tug or naval ship, thus simulating the movement and strength of an armour-plated ship on the waves. With conditions mirroring those of combat, naval gunfire teams gained realistic target practice, while ammunition specialists were able to research details such as bullet ricochet and penetration, and could see at first hand any problems that might need addressing.
38-ton gun; ten of these were originally installed at Hurst Castle © Tricia Hayne
But that’s not the end of the story. Fast forward to the late 1980s, when Hurst Castle had been decommissioned for over 30 years. Two rusted and heavy objects were spotted by inaugural members of the Friends of Hurst Castle, washed up in the shallows on the eastern shore by the old jetty. On investigation, they proved to be two artillery target plates.
The first, visible at low tide, lay face down: a heavy metal block with a hole in the centre. The second – also struck in the centre – was face up, with some of the original hooks and other fittings still in situ.
Rescuing the plates was far too complex for the Friends to handle, yet with the risk of them disappearing once more beneath the waves, time was of the essence. With the assistance of English Heritage, autumn 1988 saw the first plate recovered by contractors, with the second retrieved from waters outside the castle’s east wing just ten days later.
Today, those two target plates – and some of the big guns that may have made those monster holes – are on display at the castle, testament to the skill and resilience of those designers and soldiers over a century ago.