Redsand Army Sea Fort
History Archive
Project Redsand CIO Proudly present to you all our History Archives
Vickers MKVI 3.7 Inch HAA Gun
It is with Great Pleasure Project Redsand CIO are so very pleased to announce we have managed to secure one of the original Thames Sea Forts QF 3.7 inch Anti Aircraft Guns.
This is 1 of 4 being removed from tongue sands and Knock John Naval forts in June of 1992.
Of the four removed , one went to New Tavern Fort at Gravesend , where it can still be seen today, the other 3 were sent to a museum in Scapa flow , Scotland .
There all 3 of magnificent Guns spent some time on display before being sold to the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation museum. The museum then put two on display with our Gun remaining in open storage for some years (The Sister Gun to the other Tongue Sands Gun at New Tavern Fort Gravesend) Which meant it lived in the Car park.
It was the decided to sell the guns on once again , One gun went to the Solway Aviation Museum in Carlisle <Link to Solway Aviation Museum, where it’s now on display , Another went to the now defunct , tanks of Scotland museum , and the third is our Gun .
We recovered the Gun to Slough fort in Allhallows Kent <Link to Slough fort>to restore and display to the public and to provide an interpretation board aswell , although much like the forts it is a long term restoration project , we have already made great progress thanks to our band of loyal volunteers.
Our Magnificent Gun itself is a QF (Quick Fire) MK VI (6) Vickers 3.7 inch (HAA) or (ACK ACK) Heavy Anti Aircraft Gun. These were the standard antiaircraft guns of the Second World War.
The Gun would have been operated by crew of seven , a well trained crew could fire 20 rounds a minute to a maximum altitude of 28,000 feet. In this role the shell would have been capped by a proximity fuse which could be set to detonate at a certain height or distance from the Target! (Please see our museum collection for some amazing fired ordnance which was actually dug up from a German Plane Crash site along the Thames!!!). The Gun would have had operators sitting on a seat each side , one would have controlled the azimuth (Left and Right of the entire Gun Platform) and one would have controlled the elevation (Up and Down of the barrel , These Highly Skilled Operators would have been fed information on where to aim the gun from personnel operating a Vickers predictor , by aiming the predictor at approaching aircraft , numbers could be read which would be relayed to the gun for the Gunners to arrange a firing solution and also to the Thames and Medway Estuaries Control Centre at Fort Luton in Chatham.
The Gun itself weighs nearly 7 tons , the MK 6 was the most numerous of the Vickers QF range with over 3000 produce. The QF 3.7 were an export success and sold to many countries such as India and Singapore some are still in service today .
The Thames forts took down 22 enemy aircraft and 33 V1 flying bombs and between our crew in Wartime and Shivering Sands we managed to sink 2 German E’Boats aswell!! We like to think our gun played a part in that.
This gun was Purchased after a chance conversation with Jim at Merville Barracks in Colchester and many thanks for His and their help (Jim , Dave and Charlie) in making this incredible endeavor achievable.
THIS WAS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO REUNITE THE SEA FORTS AREA OF OPERATIONS WITH ONE OF THEIR ORIGINAL ARMAMENTS!
MORE EXCITING NEWS TO COME VERY SOON!!
WATCH THIS SPACE !!!!
Gallery
ARMY FORTS
War Time
At the outbreak of World War II, the Port of London was the busiest port in the world. As such, a large proportion of supplies to the UK entered by ships navigating the Thames. The German Navy quickly sought to put a stranglehold on this route, and to this end, utilised a new secret weapon – the magnetic influence mine. Whilst there were different variants of this mine, in simplistic terms, the mine was detonated by the presence of a large magnetic object – such as a steel hulled ship – passing in close proximity, without having to make physical contact.
So successful was this that in the first few months of the war, over one hundred ships were sunk in the Thames Estuary alone. It was clear that urgent action was needed to stem these losses, and as most mines were laid by aircraft, ships were requisitioned and used as mobile anti aircraft units. However, this was not altogether successful, and a more satisfactory solution was needed.In the early years of the war, Guy Maunsell, a civil engineer, had produced plans for offshore defences.
At the time his ideas were considered somewhat eccentric, but he was asked to submit plans for an offshore fort as an effective means of dealing with the laying of the mines. Plans were drawn up, and after some modification, approval was given for the manufacture and installation of 3 sets of Army Forts and 4 Navy Forts in the Thames Estuary.
As a result of German mining activity at the outbreak of war in September 1939, an urgent need arose to protect the waters of the Thames Estuary from small naval craft aircraft sowing magnetic mines. The initial answer was the placing of four Naval Sea Forts, each armed with two 3.7” Heavy AA guns and two 40mm Bofors guns, in the Estuary, located as follows: one 7 miles off Harwich, Essex, one 7 miles off Frinton on Sea, Essex, one 5 miles off Margate, Kent and one 12 miles off Herne Bay, Kent. Each of these Forts was manned by 120 men and three officers with crews rotating every six weeks to shore bases at Harwich for the Essex forts and Sheerness for the Kent Forts.
Each fort accommodated up to 265 men. Both Army and Navy forts successfully acquitted themselves during the war years. The Thames forts shot down 22 planes, 30 flying bombs, and were instrumental in the loss of one U-boat, which was scuttled after coming under fire from Tongue sands tower. After the war the forts were placed on ‘care and maintenance’, however as the need for their continued use diminished, they were abandoned, and the guns removed from the Army forts, in 1956.The Nore fort was dismantled in 1959 being considered a hazard to shipping [two towers were lost following a collision in 1953] whilst one of the Shivering Sand towers was similarly lost in 1963.In 1964, Radio Caroline began broadcasting from a ship moored outside UK Territorial Waters.
After the War
After the war the forts were placed on ‘care and maintenance’. However as the need for their continued use diminished, they were abandoned, and the guns removed from the Army forts, in 1956.The Nore fort was dismantled in 1959 being considered a hazard to shipping [two towers were lost following a collision in 1953] whilst one of the Shivering Sand towers was similarly lost in 1963.In 1964, Radio Caroline began broadcasting from a ship moored outside UK Territorial Waters.
Other broadcasters followed with pop star Screaming Lord Sutch establishing Radio Sutch on the Shivering Sand Towers – much to the embarrassment of the Government. Radio Sutch became Radio City, whilst other forts were occupied to become Radio 390 [Redsand], Radio Essex [Knock John], and Tower Radio [Sunk Head]. The forts fell silent after a number of prosecutions in late 1966/67. It was accepted that all were within territorial waters, other than Roughs and Sunk Head. Sunk Head was destroyed by the Royal Engineers shortly after the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act became law, although Roughs has been occupied since 1967 to this day as the quasi independent Principality of Sealand.
Tongue Fort collapsed following a severe storm in 1996, although had been abandoned as long ago as 1947, after the reinforced pontoon base broke its back, and one of the legs developed a list.The remaining Army forts had their catwalks removed for safety reasons, and apart from some usage by the SAS as simulated oil rig assault training, all have remained largely unchanged, and are viewed from the coast as a curiosity on the horizon, by the casual observer.
The maintenance crews were in occupation from May 1945 until April 1956 when it was decided to remove the guns and abandon the Forts. On March 1st 1953 a ship, the “Baalbeck” ran into the Nore group of towers in thick fog and knocked over the Bofors Tower and a gun tower killing four of the installed maintenance crew. The Army seemed more concerned with the loss of equipment, two Bofors guns, a 3.7” gun and a large amount of equipment and stores, than the personnel whose relatives were paid paltry sums as compensation for the loss of their loved ones. Subsequently in 1959 the Nore group of towers were removed and scrapped.
Another accident happened in 1963 when in June a ship the “Riberborg” crashed into the Shivering Sand Fort and demolished a gun tower. Fortunately, no one was on board at the time and there were no casualties. Thus, Shivering Sand Fort today consists of only six towers.
This left the Redsand and Shivering Sand Forts remaining out of the three sets and following a period of occupation by the Radio Pirates from 1964 to 1967 the Forts were sanitized by the Admiralty who removed access ladders and catwalks to deny people access.
Construction
The towers were built at the Red Lion Wharf site in Gravesend, towed down river and lowered by hand winch onto the sea bed, each tower taking up to eight hours to be placed in position. The first set of towers were placed at the Nore between May and July 1943.
Each tower was built off a reinforced concrete base of ‘Oxford picture frame’ design. Four hollow reinforced concrete legs of 3’ diameter supported the 36’ x 36’ steel house of two floors, with the military equipment installed on the top deck. Each fort comprised seven towers linked by tubular steel catwalks. Three forts were built in the Thames estuary, between May and December 1943. They were known as the Nore, Redsand and Shivering Sand Army Forts.
Future Plans
Today, Redsand Fort as the only complete structure as built in wartime is the focus of attention by Project Redsand, a group of enthusiasts with the aim of reinstating the Fort to its original built condition. Having had an underwater survey carried out by the Port of London Authority at a cost of around £5,000, work has progressed to installing a new access system to the G1 tower thanks to the generosity of Mowlem Marine (now Carillion) of Northfleet. Built at a cost of approximately £40,000, the access system enables project members to board the tower to commence restoration.
In time it is hoped a museum and other installations will enable the Fort to take its place as a monument to the ingenuity of Guy Maunsell who used the Army Fort design to pave the way for oil and gas exploration rigs in the North Sea in the 1950’s.
NAVY FORTS
The fort followed a basic twin towers design, the towers being of a simple drum design, 24 feet across and 1 foot thick. Inside these drums floors were installed to make areas for living quarters, workshops and stores. The deck over these towers was made of reinforced concrete, topped with a deck house.
Fort Knock John was armed with two 3.7” heavy AA guns as well as two light 40mm AA Bofors guns and 4 Lewis guns. Armament changed throughout the war; the Lewis guns were removed later in the war to be replaced by twin Browning .303s. It was anticipated that the forts themselves would present such a small target that a large expenditure of enemy bombs would be need to ensure a hit to put the fort out of commission, with no real gain to be achieved. The defences on Knock John and the other naval forts were therefore considered to be ample, and could have the added bonus of harassing passing enemy aircraft and shipping.
Up to 120 men could be stationed on the fort and all the necessary rooms for living and working on a military fort had to be contained within the relatively small area within the superstructure itself. It was not a particularly popular posting; men were stationed on the fort for 6 weeks at a time followed by 10 days off and 3 days at shore base. Crew members took up hobbies from painting to knitting in order to stave off the condition known as “Fort Madness”, a mental health condition only recognised by the medical profession in the last years of the war.
All the Naval Forts, including Knock John saw action during the war, but they had all been abandoned by the late 1940s. The guns remained in situ and the doors between rooms were all welded shut. The age of pirate radio stations during the 1960s brought the forts back into use, albeit illegal, Knock John tower hosted Radio Essex, whilst Sunk Head Fort hosted Tower Radio & TV.
The guns on Fort Knock John were finally removed in 1992 but the remaining superstructure in still firmly grounded on the seabed in the Thames Estuary. It remains in remarkably good condition, especially as it has not received any maintenance work for about 70 years!
PIRATE RADIO
The fort followed a basic twin towers design, the towers being of a simple drum design, 24 feet across and 1 foot thick. Inside these drums floors were installed to make areas for living quarters, workshops and stores. The deck over these towers was made of reinforced concrete, topped with a deck house.
Fort Knock John was armed with two 3.7” heavy AA guns as well as two light 40mm AA Bofors guns and 4 Lewis guns. Armament changed throughout the war; the Lewis guns were removed later in the war to be replaced by twin Browning .303s. It was anticipated that the forts themselves would present such a small target that a large expenditure of enemy bombs would be need to ensure a hit to put the fort out of commission, with no real gain to be achieved. The defences on Knock John and the other naval forts were therefore considered to be ample, and could have the added bonus of harassing passing enemy aircraft and shipping.
Up to 120 men could be stationed on the fort and all the necessary rooms for living and working on a military fort had to be contained within the relatively small area within the superstructure itself. It was not a particularly popular posting; men were stationed on the fort for 6 weeks at a time followed by 10 days off and 3 days at shore base. Crew members took up hobbies from painting to knitting in order to stave off the condition known as “Fort Madness”, a mental health condition only recognised by the medical profession in the last years of the war.
All the Naval Forts, including Knock John saw action during the war, but they had all been abandoned by the late 1940s. The guns remained in situ and the doors between rooms were all welded shut. The age of pirate radio stations during the 1960s brought the forts back into use, albeit illegal, Knock John tower hosted Radio Essex, whilst Sunk Head Fort hosted Tower Radio & TV.
The guns on Fort Knock John were finally removed in 1992 but the remaining superstructure in still firmly grounded on the seabed in the Thames Estuary. It remains in remarkably good condition, especially as it has not received any maintenance work for about 70 years!
Museum Collection
2021 Saw the Project bring out a Mobile Museum Display.
And we Began attending many many events all over the Country.
We’ve been invited to various prestigious shows and our social calendar is getting rather busy.
We’re also adding artifacts to our collection all the time.
More news to Follow..................................
3.7 Inch Detonator and Shrapnel this was dug up by the team of Thameside Aviation Museum that was housed in the now regretably closed Coalhouse Fort it was dug up from a German plane wreck site near to the Redsand Army Sea Forts and is most likely to have been fired from the Forts.
1962 Bush Bakelite Radio Sets like these were used by listeners of the Forts messages from the 1960s “Pirates”
1962 Bush Bakelite Radio.
Receiver Sets like these were used by listeners of the Forts messages from the 1960's “Pirates”
We have also been extremely lucky to find a 3.7 inch HAA Elevation sight Brand New Old Stock
1960S Crystal Radio Set
1960s First aid kit as left by the Pirates
Radio City Booklett
Bofors Shells and with Ammo CASE
!967 Charttbuster game with Tony Blackburn
