Post by oscsusnret on Mar 17, 2020 3:50:55 GMT
Maunsell naval forts
The Maunsell naval forts were built in the Thames estuary and operated by the Royal Navy, to deter and report German air raids following the Thames as a landmark, and prevent attempts to lay mines by aircraft in this important shipping channel.
The locations of the seven Maunsell Forts off the east coast of England
There were four naval forts:
Rough Sands (HM Fort Roughs) (U1)
Sunk Head (U2)
Tongue Sands (U3)
Knock John (U4)
This artificial naval installation is similar in some respects to early "fixed" offshore oil platforms. It consisted of a rectangular 168-by-88-foot (51 by 27 m) reinforced concrete pontoon base with a support superstructure of two 60-foot (18 m) tall, 24-foot (7.3 m) diameter hollow reinforced concrete towers, walls roughly 3.5 inches (9 cm) thick; overall weight is estimated to have been approximately 4,500 tons.[3] The twin concrete supporting towers were divided into seven floors, four for crew quarters;[3] the remainder provided dining, operational, and storage areas for several generators, and for fresh water tanks and antiaircraft munitions. There was a steel framework at one end supporting a landing jetty and crane which was used to hoist supplies aboard; the wooden landing stage itself became known as a "dolphin".[3]
The stages involved in sinking a naval fort
The towers were joined above the eventual waterline by a steel platform deck upon which other structures could be added; this became a gun deck, on which an upper deck and a central tower unit were constructed.[3] QF 3.75 inch anti-aircraft guns were positioned at each end of this main deck, with a further two Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and the central tower radar installations atop a central living area that contained a galley, medical, and officers quarters.
The design of these concrete structures is equal to a military grade bunker, due to the ends of the stilts, (under water) that are solidly locked into the ground. Many species of fish live near the forts because the forts create cover. They have provided landmark references for shipping. They were laid down in dry dock and assembled as complete units. They were then fitted out—the crews going on board at the same time for familiarization—before being towed out and sunk onto their sand bank positions in 1942.
The naval fort design was the latest of several that Maunsell had devised in response to Admiralty inquiries. Early ideas had considered forts in the English Channel able to take on enemy vessels.
During World War II, the Thames estuary Navy forts destroyed 1 German E Boat.[4]
Naval Forts
The Naval Fort superstructure consisted of two hollow cylindrical towers connected to a 51-metre pontoon base. The fort was constructed onshore, floated to its deployment area and sunk till only the towers remained exposed above the waterline.
The hollow towers were divided into several floors, consisting of quarters for the 120-man crew, storage rooms and an anti-aircraft munitions depot. They were capped by a central steel gun deck armed with QF 3.75 inch anti-aircraft guns and two further Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns.
• Rough Sands (HM Fort Roughs) (U1)
• Sunk Head (U2) – No longer exists
• Tongue Sands (U3) – No longer exists
• Knock John (U4)
Army Forts
By 1943, Maunsell designed a new concept fort system consisting of several interconnected steel platforms in a defensive array around a central control tower.
Four towers were armed with QF 3.75 inch guns arranged in a semicircle ahead of the control centre and accommodation tower. A rear tower was armed with Bofors 40 mm guns and an adjacent tower was mounted with searchlights to detect enemy aircraft.
• Nore Fort (U5) – No longer exists
• Red Sands Fort (U6)
• Shivering Sands Fort (U7)
The Maunsell naval forts were built in the Thames estuary and operated by the Royal Navy, to deter and report German air raids following the Thames as a landmark, and prevent attempts to lay mines by aircraft in this important shipping channel.
The locations of the seven Maunsell Forts off the east coast of England
There were four naval forts:
Rough Sands (HM Fort Roughs) (U1)
Sunk Head (U2)
Tongue Sands (U3)
Knock John (U4)
This artificial naval installation is similar in some respects to early "fixed" offshore oil platforms. It consisted of a rectangular 168-by-88-foot (51 by 27 m) reinforced concrete pontoon base with a support superstructure of two 60-foot (18 m) tall, 24-foot (7.3 m) diameter hollow reinforced concrete towers, walls roughly 3.5 inches (9 cm) thick; overall weight is estimated to have been approximately 4,500 tons.[3] The twin concrete supporting towers were divided into seven floors, four for crew quarters;[3] the remainder provided dining, operational, and storage areas for several generators, and for fresh water tanks and antiaircraft munitions. There was a steel framework at one end supporting a landing jetty and crane which was used to hoist supplies aboard; the wooden landing stage itself became known as a "dolphin".[3]
The stages involved in sinking a naval fort
The towers were joined above the eventual waterline by a steel platform deck upon which other structures could be added; this became a gun deck, on which an upper deck and a central tower unit were constructed.[3] QF 3.75 inch anti-aircraft guns were positioned at each end of this main deck, with a further two Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and the central tower radar installations atop a central living area that contained a galley, medical, and officers quarters.
The design of these concrete structures is equal to a military grade bunker, due to the ends of the stilts, (under water) that are solidly locked into the ground. Many species of fish live near the forts because the forts create cover. They have provided landmark references for shipping. They were laid down in dry dock and assembled as complete units. They were then fitted out—the crews going on board at the same time for familiarization—before being towed out and sunk onto their sand bank positions in 1942.
The naval fort design was the latest of several that Maunsell had devised in response to Admiralty inquiries. Early ideas had considered forts in the English Channel able to take on enemy vessels.
During World War II, the Thames estuary Navy forts destroyed 1 German E Boat.[4]
Naval Forts
The Naval Fort superstructure consisted of two hollow cylindrical towers connected to a 51-metre pontoon base. The fort was constructed onshore, floated to its deployment area and sunk till only the towers remained exposed above the waterline.
The hollow towers were divided into several floors, consisting of quarters for the 120-man crew, storage rooms and an anti-aircraft munitions depot. They were capped by a central steel gun deck armed with QF 3.75 inch anti-aircraft guns and two further Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns.
• Rough Sands (HM Fort Roughs) (U1)
• Sunk Head (U2) – No longer exists
• Tongue Sands (U3) – No longer exists
• Knock John (U4)
Army Forts
By 1943, Maunsell designed a new concept fort system consisting of several interconnected steel platforms in a defensive array around a central control tower.
Four towers were armed with QF 3.75 inch guns arranged in a semicircle ahead of the control centre and accommodation tower. A rear tower was armed with Bofors 40 mm guns and an adjacent tower was mounted with searchlights to detect enemy aircraft.
• Nore Fort (U5) – No longer exists
• Red Sands Fort (U6)
• Shivering Sands Fort (U7)
