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This painting by John Singleton Copley was based on the Spanish attempt to retake Gibraltar in September 1782 during the War of American Independence. The Spanish formulated a secret weapon known as the Floating Batteries which were designed to fire on Gibraltar at close quarters with deadly accuracy, these Floating Batteries were built of timbers one metre-wide packed with layers of wet sand and declared fire-proof and unsinkable. The British used heated shot in order to counterattack these batteries. |
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