In Tenerife, a crucial chapter was written in history that had the potential to change the geostrategic landscape of the first half of the 20th century.
After the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, dictator Francisco Franco declared Spain’s neutrality during World War II. Despite this stance, a defensive strategy was devised to safeguard strategic locations in Tenerife from a potential Allied incursion due to the regime’s inclinations towards the Germans and Italians.
In this scenario, the coastal region of the La Orotava and Acentejo valleys played a vital role for the conflicting powers. In Santa Úrsula, the eleventh Red Fifth Battery, a military installation situated in Los Lirios, was tasked with monitoring the northern coastline in anticipation of an invasion.
Historian Francisco Javier León, in collaboration with DIARIO DE AVISOS, delved into the history of this fortress. In 1941, Franco took the decision to equip this stronghold with two cannons to protect the vulnerable beaches of Puerto de la Cruz, due to their layout. However, this defensive measure was merely symbolic as the 150-millimetre cannons were outdated and would have been easily disabled in an aerial assault.
The battery was eventually decommissioned in 1957, its military significance diminishing with the onset of the Cold War. Following its closure in the 1950s, the site transitioned to primarily serving civilian purposes.
Presently, the battery lies abandoned without any heritage marker. Notably, during its operational phase, it was under the command of distinguished military figures like Captain José García Borges, renowned for his association with scientist Telesforo Bravo and his interest in archaeology. Many of the pre-Hispanic artefacts he unearthed are housed in the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Puerto de la Cruz.
The functionality of this relic ceased in 1957, largely influenced by the actions of the then Mayor of Puerto de la Cruz, Isidoro Luz Carpenter. The battery was situated on a banana plantation owned by the mayor. As the agricultural activities expanded, the military was requested to dismantle the cannons, thus completing the demilitarisation process.
Even though the original structure has almost vanished, remnants of the corridors that led to the artillery pieces remained until a few years ago. Nowadays, overgrown foliage conceals much of the once-vigilant facilities that guarded the northern coast of the island. This is the untold story that never unfolded.
