landguard fort - victorian forts and artillery · landguard fort commenced completed ... two 6-inch...

Harwich 1

Landguard Fort

CommencedCompletedCost £Map ReferencePosition

TypeDitchGunsBarrack Accom.Present use

History

DisposalConditionAccess

Sources

18721875unknownTM 283 319Mouth of River Orwell & Stour

Pentagon with BastionsDry12unknownListed building - English Heritage.Ravelin block used for museumBarracks batteries and submarinemines

FairParts open for tours in Summerplus museum in Ravelin.‘Landguard Fort’ D.A.Wood ‘History of LandguardFort’ - Major Leslie

Fort Only1876 on site

4 x 9-inch RMLs1886 on site

Keep4 x 12.5-inch 38 ton RMLs3 x 10-inch 18 ton RMLs

Casemates2 x 10-inch RMLs

1 x 12.5-inch RML

Caponiers

Counterscarpgalleries

Haxo casemates

Moncrieff Pits

The present Landguard fort is the last in a long line of defences built on the point protecting thenatural harbour of Harwich. The site appears to be first occupied in the 1500s. Another significantfort was constructed on the site in 1588 followed by others in the 1600s. The first true LandguardFort is considered to be that of 1626-28 consisting of a square bastioned trace with unrevetted ditch.This was improved in 1667 and replaced in 1717. Landguard Fort II consisted of a closed lunette, asea battery or a brick redoubt, as it has been variously described. It had no bastions but insteademployed a caponier and counterscarp galleries. Landguard Fort III of 1744 may have incorporatedparts of the previous fort and consisted of a bastioned pentagon with a ditch, covered way and glacisenclosing a large barrack block and Governor’s house. It was heavily criticised and thereforemodified. In 1853 General Burgoyne looked at the fort and suggested that it be destroyed. Nothingwas done until 1871-72 when radical changes had already begun. The interior was replaced by asemi-circular defensible barracks, the main face and centre bastion were replaced by a casematedfront of granite for seven RMLs fronted at ditch level by a caponier. The remaining bastions andwalls were rebuilt for RML guns and howitzers. In 1877 a controlled minefield was allocated to thedefences. A ravelin block containing a Submarine Mining Establishment was constructed togetherwith a pier and ancillary buildings with magazines and cable ponds. Search lights were then added.The area surrounding the fort was used for a substantial complex of additional sea batteries. The Fortis now open to the public under the control of English Heritage. The Ravelin Block to the rear of theFort, is now a museum. Darrell’s Battery, and the Left and Right Batteries may be visited byarrangement with the Fort.

Armament

History and Description

Victorian Forts

www.victorianforts.co.uk

Harwich 1

Landguard Fort

Victorian Forts

Harwich 1a

Landguard Wing (Left) Battery



History


Sources

188818917,252 (actual 1891) £3,918 (1899)TM 285320Seaward, East of Landguard Fort

Coast Defence BatteryNone3Huts on commonAbandoned

Coast defence to 1913

Crown land10-inch sealed, 6-inch filledsite nature reserve, no access tosealed gun pitWO plans & 5/3259 5/17 of 1898WO78 WO 192 Owen report 1904

1891 1 x 6-inch BL HP MkIV (no.2)1 x 10-inch BL HP (no.1)

1899 2 x 6-inch BL HP MkIV (no.2 & 3)1 x 10-inch BL HP (no.1)

1908 1 x 10-inch BL HP (no.1)1909 none1911 1 x 10-inch (no.1)1914 none1922 2 x 6-inch H.A. Experimental

Caponiers


Haxo casemates

Moncrieff Pits

None

None

None

None

Construction Started on Wing Battery in December 1888 and was completed in January 1891.

In February 1898 further work was carried out on No 3 Gun at Wing Battery, and completed in April 1898.An 1897 Survey, shows Wing Battery, at a scale of 30ft. to 1 inch, with three gun positions and an existing HP GunEmplacement to the rear of the battery. (the Easton and Anderson design of 1891) It shows no Artillery Store. In l903plans were made for remounting the guns in the Battery, the 10-inch on a barbette carriage and the 6-inch on CP mounts,but nothing was done for lack of money. Around this time the name changed from Wing to Left Battery. Between 1906and 1914, the two 6-inch Mk IV HP from Left Battery and the 10-inch BLS from both Left and Right Batteries. wereremoved, the 10-inch HP in 1909, 10-inch LCP in 1911, however a l0-inch was remounted in Left Battery in 1911. Q andR towers were made redundant when the 10-inch BL guns were removed from Landguard they had served as the positionfinding stations.

In 1922 the position was used to mount two experimental High Angle 6 inch gun mountings, until the Second WorldWar, when the No. 1 position was roofed over and an as an anti aircraft operations room later moved to Q tower. Later itbecame an ammunition store for the 6-inch Mark 24 guns of Right Battery. Much of the rear of it was bulldozed duringthe port expansion. The pits for the 6-inch were filled in the 1950s, with only the aprons left visible. The 10-inch isroofed and sealed All form part of the nature reserve but remain crown land under English Heritage.

In 2000 English Heritage removed the earth covering from the gun emplacements, revealing a rare Tressider’s CartridgeStore beneath the left side of the no.2 emplacement, complete with winch and cartridge trolley.

Armament


Victorian Forts


Harwich 1a

Landguard Wing Left Battery

Victorian Forts

Landguard Left Wing Battery

Harwich 1b

Landguard Wing Right Battery



History


Sources

1898190113,950TM 284317East of Landguard Fort

Coast Defence BatteryNone3HutsBird Observatory

Coast Battery to 1956

Crown land E.H. leaseHeavily OvergrownVia observatory

WO plans WO78 192Yorke

1901 2 x 6-inch BL CP Mk21 x 10-inch BL Mk 3 LCP Mk4

1911 2 x 6-inch BL Wire Mk 71 x 10-inch removed

1914 2 x 6-inch Mk1919 1 x 6-inch Long Range RCD 15522C

1 x 6-inch Mk 71939 2 x 6-inch Mk 7 with shields1942 2 x 6-inch Mk7 (nos 1 &2)

2 x 6-inch Mk 24 (H1 & H2)1944-57 2 x 6-inch Mk24

Caponiers


Haxo casemates

Moncrieff Pits

None

None

None

None

Construction of the New Right Flank Battery started in 1898. The fortification being specially designed for Landguard. Itwas armed in 190l with two BL 6-inch wire Mk7 on CP Mk2 mounts, firing 100 lb. Piercing shell, range 12,000 yards,and one BL 10-inch gun Mk3 on a barbette BL 10-inch Mk 4, LCP. (Low central pivot) firing 500 lb. AP shell, range11,500 yards. The southern most No 1 Emplacement was armed with one 6 inch, The northern No 2 emplacement heldone 6 inch, the northern No 3 one 10 inch. This was later reported as - ‘experimental’, the only one of its type. Yorke - “a 10-inch on a Mk5 mounting, like an enormous 9.2-inch.” - the Mk5 Mount, introduced 1889. It may have been theprototype for the later standard CP mounted 10-inch, or for the 9.2-inch High Angle designed to replace the 9-inch RMLHA guns, installed at Gibraltar and Plymouth and declared obsolete in 1929.

In 1911 the 10 inch was removed and its emplacement in 1912, No 3 Emplacement Right Battery converted to FireControl, now the bird observatory. The two 6-inch remained the main armament From 1914 to 1942 with someequipment modifications and experiments in between. In 1919 Landguard Right Battery No 1 was changed to 6-inch BLLong Range Gun from RCD 15222 C(1) in place of 5-inch BL MkVII. This is probably the early work on High Anglemountings. The second world war saw overhead protection added and the building of H1 and H2 positions, fitted with6-inch Mark 24 guns further north along the protective bank and in 1943 they took on the defence role. The 6-inch Mk 7finally being put to other uses. The plan to put the third gun in No.1 Emplacement Right Battery, the old experimentallong range site of 1919, was not carried out.

At the north of the bank between the batteries, where the road now enters the foreshore. Two 3pdr. practise guns existed,positions now covered by the road. Just south of them in front of H2, 6-inch Mk24 shell stores, in the bird sanctuary, -two 6-inch Mk2 on Slide carriages, were emplaced as practise guns. (Ord BL 6-inch gun Mk4 or 6 on carriage garrisonbarbette BL 6-inch Mk1 or 2, or Vavasseur CP Mk1. introduced in 1885 and 1889. The Mk2 barbette of 1894 being amore compact version of the Vavasseur Mk1 mounting, 24 bolts in a circle.)From 1943 279 Battery manned Landguard 6-inch Battery with 2 x 6-inch Mk24 on Mk5 mountings. Range 24,000yards. They remained the main armament to 1956 when the coast artillery disbanded.

Armament


Victorian Forts


Harwich 1b

Landguard Wing Right Battery

Victorian Forts

Harwich 1c

Landguard Minefield/Darrell’s Battery



History


Sources

190019012,798TM 283319West of Landguard Fort

Barbette batteryNone2Inside Landguard FortNone

Coast Battery to 1956

Crown Land - E.H. leaseOvergrownVia gate

WO plans 5/351, WO192,Yorke

1901 2 x 4.7-inch Q.F.1940 Nil

Temporary 2 x 12pdr. Q.F.1940 2 x twin 6pdr. Q.F.1956 2 x twin 6pdr. Q.F.

Caponiers


Haxo casemates

Moncrieff Pits

None

None

None

None

Construction of the New Minefield Battery started in 1900. The fortification being designed for protection of the Estuaryentrance. It was armed in 1901 with two Q.F. 4.7-inch guns on central pivot mounts, firing a 45lb. common pointLyddite shell, range 11,800 yards. It occupies the right of the old position of Beauclerk’s Battery.

Provided for anti-torpedo boat defence, manned in 1914 by No. 13 Coy. R.G.A. to cover the minefield, re-laid by theNavy. In or about 1919 dismounted. serviced and greased. Remounted soon after, now in the care of the TA.The second world war saw the manning of the guns again. The plans to re-arm with Twin-six pounders allowing thedismounting of both guns. In early 1940 they were sent with a detachment of 166 (Ipswich) Battery to Norway. TheLuftwaffe bombed the transport and sunk it while the detachment was digging gun pits on shore, the guns and allequipment being lost. While the rebuilding was under way, as a temporary measure, two 12 pounder Q.F. were mountedto the north of the battery on the top of the river wall bank. The platform for the northern most can still be seen clearly.The southern platform is thought to be buried between the northern two of the coastal defence searchlights. At the northof the bank between the battery and the searchlight emplacements, the remains of the Victorian minefield narrow gaugerailway cutting the bank can be seen.

In 1940 the two Twin-Six’s were built over the position using the old battery as foundations. The Mk I rate of fire was 72rounds per minute, guns in low angle use only. Just after the war, all 6pdr. twins were converted for dual purpose AAuse, with an improved rate of fire of 96 rpm.

Post War they remained part of the main armament to 1956 when the coast artillery disbanded, in the care of 233Independent Maintenance. Battery. Royal Artillery, and 419th Coast Regiment Royal Artillery (TA). Good photographs

exist of them in 1953.

Armament


Victorian Forts


Harwich 1c

Landguard Minefield/Darrell’s Battery

Victorian Forts

Harwich 2

Shotley Point Battery



History


Sources

1863186510,541TM 341251Shotley Point

Polygonal harbour defenceDry with Carnot wall14 x 68prs. (initially)6 menWithin the H.M.S. Gangescomplex. Police Training Estab.Battery until 1901, then NavalShore EstablishmentSold to private contractor.Part demolished, derelict, overgrownNo access for security reasons

Fortification of East Anglia, Peter Kent.WO78 2776, 4174, Work43 413, 414

186314 x 68pr. Guns

187314 x 7-inch R.M.L. 7-tonson dwarf W.I. Carriages

18912 x 10-inch R.M.L. OnLong range mountings

Caponiers


Haxo casemates

Moncrieff Pits

None

None

None

None

The battery was built to the designs of Col. W.F.D. Jervois cancelling a previous more complex andexpensive design. The battery is seven sided with the guns set on the four faces facing the mouth ofthe Rivers Stow and Orwell. The construction is brick heavily reinforced with earth. There is a dryditch with a brick Carnot wall 19 feet high. Guns 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, & 14 fire throughembrasures but numbers 3, 7, & 12 at the corners of the fortification are en-barbette. The Carnot wallwas was extended to close the gorge of the battery and was loopholed.

There were three magazines but only two were bombproof. The original armament was 14 x 68pdr.on traversing carriages but these were were changed in about 1873 to 14 x 7-inch R.M.L. guns of 7tons on dwarf wrought iron traversing platforms.

In 1891 it was decided to re-arm 4 x 10-inch R.M.L. guns on long range mountings but only twoemplacements with magazines were built. These obliterated six of the original emplacements. Theguns were last used in 1901. The battery was transferred to the Admiralty in 1904 as a shoreestablishment, H.M.S. Ganges, for boy entrants to the Navy. The right hand side of the battery wasdemolished to make way for accommodation blocks. On the closure of H.M.S. Ganges the site wassold to a civilian contractor and the accommodation blocks and the gorge wall have beendemolished. The embrasures and emplacements for guns 11 to 14 can be traced and the magazinesare accessible but the site is very overgrown.

Armament


Victorian Forts


Harwich 2

Shotley Point Battery

Victorian Forts

(Peter Kent)10-inch RMLEmplacement

landguard fort - victorian forts and artillery · landguard fort commenced completed ... two 6-inch...

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