Maunsell Forts: Difference between revisions

The '''Maunsell Forts''' are armed towers built in the [[Thames Estuary|Thames]] and [[Mersey]] estuaries during the [[Second World War]] to help defend the [[United Kingdom]]. They were operated as army and navy forts, and named afterfor their designer, [[Guy Maunsell]].<ref name="whitstable">{{cite web|url=http://www.whitstablescene.co.uk/forts.htm|title=KENT BOAT TRIPS FORTS THE MAUNSELL SEA FORTS JET SKI TOURS SEA TRIPS whitstable herne bay kent history books|first=Motor Mania – whitstable -|last=M.Rowland|website=www.whitstablescene.co.uk|access-date=11 January 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123064542/http://whitstablescene.co.uk/forts.htm|archive-date=23 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The forts were decommissioned during the late 1950s and later used for other activities including [[pirate radio]] broadcasting. One of the forts is managed by the unrecognised [[Principality of Sealand]];<ref>{{cite web

[[File:FortlocationsMaunsell Fort Locations.gifpng|thumb|The locations of the seven Maunsell Forts off the east coast of England.]]

Rough Sands fort was built to protect the ports of [[Felixstowe]], [[Harwich]] and the town of [[Ipswich]] from aerial and sea attack. It is situated on Rough Sands, a [[sandbar]] located approximately {{convert|11|km|nmi|0}} from the coast of [[Suffolk]] and {{convert|13|km|nmi|0}} from the coast of [[Essex]]. Fort Roughs or the "Rough Towers" was "the first of originally four naval forts designed by G. Maunsell to protect the Thames Estuary.". The artificial sea fort was constructed in dry dock at Red Lion Wharf, [[Gravesend]],<ref name=HarwichSoc/> and was commissioned "H.M. Fort Roughs" on 8 February 1942.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Frank R. |title=The Maunsell Sea Forts |date=1994 |isbn=0-9524303-0-4 |page=74|publisher=F.R. Turner }}</ref> After an eventful journey itits grounding was grounded under the supervisionsupervised ofby Maunsell at 16:45 on 11 February 1942.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Frank R. |title=The Maunsell Sea Forts |date=1994 |isbn=0-9524303-0-4 |page=76|publisher=F.R. Turner }}</ref> With "almost 100 men" having earlier embarked at Tilbury docks, the fort entered intobegan service immediately.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Frank R. |title=The Maunsell Sea Forts |date=1994 |isbn=0-9524303-0-4 |page=83|publisher=F.R. Turner }}</ref>

In 1966 [[Paddy Roy Bates]], who operated Radio Essex, and [[Ronan O'Rahilly]], who operated [[Radio Caroline]], landed on Fort Roughs and occupied it. However, after disagreements, Roy Bates seized the tower as his own. O'Rahilly attempted to storm the fort in 1967, but Roy Bates defended the fort with guns and petrol bombs and continued to occupy it. The British Royal Marines wentwere on alertalerted and the British authorities ordered Roy Bates to surrender. He and his son were arrested and charged, but the court dismissed the case as it did not have jurisdiction over international affairs: Roughs Tower lay beyond the territorial waters of Britain. Bates took this as ''[[de facto]]'' recognition of his country and seven years later issued a constitution, flag, and national anthem, among other things, for the [[Principality of Sealand]] (founded on 2 September 1967).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sealandgov.org/about/ |title=About &#124; Principality of Sealand |access-date=16 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220031005/http://www.sealandgov.org/about/ |archive-date=20 February 2017 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Sunk Head fort was situated approximately {{convert|18|km|nmi|0}} from the coast off [[Essex]] and was grounded on 1 June 1942. The fort was decommissioned on 14 June 1945 though maintained until 1956 when it was abandoned. Unlike some of the other forts, Sunk Head was clearly well outside territorial waters, and when the [[Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967]] came into effect in August 1967 the Government was anxious to ensure that it would not be taken over again by an offshore broadcaster. On 18 August 1967 Sunk Head was boarded by a contingent of the 24th Field Squadron of Royal Engineers from [[Maidstone]] from the tug Collie, commanded by Major David Ives. The Fort was weakened by acetylene cutting torches and 3,200 pounds of explosives were set. On 21 August 1967 Sunk Head was blown, leaving 20 feet of the leg stumps remaining.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk/page463.html|title=Sunk Head Tower|website=www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk}}</ref>

[[File:Knock John (U4) Fort.webp|left|thumb|170x170px|Knock John Fort.]]

The Mersey forts were constructed at [[Bromborough Dock]] and the Thames forts at Gravesend.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Frank R. |title=The Maunsell Sea Forts |date=1995 |isbn=0-9524303-1-2 |page=18|publisher=F.R. Turner }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Frank R. |title=The Maunsell Sea Forts |date=1995 |isbn=0-9524303-1-2 |page=90|publisher=F.R. Turner }}</ref> Proposals to construct Fortsforts off the Humber, Portsmouth & Rosyth, Belfast & Londonderry came to nothing.<ref name="bobleroi.co.uk"/> During World War II, the Thames estuary forts shot down 22 aircraft and about 30 [[flying bomb]]s; they were decommissioned by the Ministry of Defence induring the late 1950s.{{Citation needed|reason=|date=January 2021}}

The Liverpool sea forts were constructed in the same way the forts in the Thames estuary were,; they were designed to defend Liverpool and the industrial heartland of Liverpool from an aerial attack from the west. Originally 38 towers were intended to be built but only 21 towers were built (three forts). The forts were built from October 1941. No fort engaged in enemy action during WWII. Demolition of the structures started during the 1950s with these forts considered a priority over the Thames estuary ports due to being a hazard to shipping. Demolition was delayed in 1954 when the salvage ship working at Queens Fort was diverted to assist with the urgent demolition of The Nore Fort in the Thames Estuary, which had been damaged due to a collision with a Norwegian ship, leaving remains considered hazardous to shipping in the area. Demolition of the three forts was completed in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk/page844.html|title=Mersey Forts|website=www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk}}</ref>

The 1966 television series ''[[Danger Man]]'' episode "Not-so-Jolly Roger" was filmed partly at Redsands Army Sea Fort and includes an acknowledgement to Radio 390 in its closing credits. Redsands Fort was also used for the 1968 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial ''[[Fury from the Deep]]'', in which the complex stood in for a [[North Sea]] [[natural gas|gas]] refinery besieged by an intelligent [[seaweed]] creature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-guide/fury-from-the-deep/|title=Fury from the Deep ★★★★|website=Radio Times}}</ref> In the 2020 moviefilm ''[[Artemis Fowl (film)|Artemis Fowl]]'', the Redsands towers, seen from the air, appear as the exterior of a secret [[MI6]] interrogation centre. In the 2013 movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as the characters travel in a train along the coast, two Sea Forts can be seen in the water.

The setting of the 2023 science fiction moviefilm "''[[Last Sentinel" (film)|Last Sentinel]]'' is based on a structure modeledmodelled after a single tower of the Maunsell army forts.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5153956/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv | title=Last Sentinel (2023) – IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jbspins.com/2023/03/tanel-tooms-last-sentinel.html | title=Tanel Toom's Last Sentinel }}</ref>