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Auction: 20002 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Space Exploration
Lot: 1

Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783, Red Hot Shot Medal (H. Hobbs)
41mm, copper, obverse featuring a moored floating battery with fire bombs landing on the roof, 'The Pastora Battl. Ship Adml. Morino' inscribed below, reverse featuring an active furnace and text 'Spaniards defeated by Red Hot Shot at Gibraltar Septey. 13th. 1782' inscribed below, good very fine, with integral large ring suspension

Provenance:
Glendining's, February 1909, July 1923, July 1928 and June 1947
Lovell Collection, 1977.

The Great Siege of Gibraltar was the longest-recorded siege in the annals of the British Army; between 1779 and 1783 a small British garrison, together with a Hanoverian contingent, defended the Rock against the combined land and sea forces of France and Spain who were determined to take this strategically-important base guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean.
The 'Grand Attack', which commenced on 13 September 1782, was opened by a cannonade from 200 pieces of heavy ordnance and shortly followed by an assault on the landward side by a French army 40,000-strong led by the Duc de Crillon.

Concurrently a combined French and Spanish fleet of forty-seven ships (including the highly thought-of Battery vessels, converted Ships of the Line) commenced bombardment from the seaward side. These Battery ships, thought to be impervious to red-hot shot fired from British artillery stationed in the King's and the Orange Bastions, proved an utter failure: a 'wetting system' was too efficient and soaked their stores of gunpowder rendering their guns useless, and the penetrating power of British shot (or 'hot potatoes') meant that shot lodged deep in the ships' timbers still caused them to catch fire. Two of the leading batteries, the Spanish vessels Talla Piedra and Pastora became particular targets for the British artillery and were soon reduced to floating infernos. The sight of this caused the remainder to be abandoned and destroyed; French and Spanish casualties that day amounted to at least 1,500 killed, wounded or drowned for the loss of only 16 killed and 18 wounded amongst the garrison. The British artillery expended an astonishing 8,300 rounds during this assault alone.

Approximately ten 'Red Hot Shot' medals are known to exist, though sources vary on their origins: some state they were particular awards bestowed by commanding officers on deserving soldiers, others that they were privately-purchased; sold with a file of copied research.

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Sold for
£2,100

Starting price
£1200