# Maunsell Sea Forts Built to Help Defend the UK During World War II



## SeaBreeze (Sep 4, 2015)

Full story and more pictures... http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/09/the-maunsell-sea-forts.html

The Maunsell Sea Forts in the estuaries of rivers Thames and Mersey were built to help defend the United Kingdom during the second World War. 

They were designed by Guy Maunsell in 1942 and housed anti-aircraft guns and searchlights to shoot down German bombers on air raids. Maunsell designed two kinds of sea fort, one for the Army and the other for the Navy. 

Later in the War, Guy Maunsell went on to design the concrete mulberry harbours for the D Day Landings. According to historical reports, these forts helped the British Army and Navy shoot down 22 enemy aircraft and about 30 flying bombs, and scared off one U-boat.

The army fort consisted of a group of seven towers with a walkway connecting them all to the central control tower. The fort, when viewed as a whole, comprised of one Bofors tower, a control tower, four gun towers and a searchlight tower.

 They were arranged in a very specific way, with the control tower at the center, the Bofors and gun towers arranged in a semi-circular fashion around it and the searchlight tower positioned further away, but still linked directly to the control tower via a walkway.


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## SifuPhil (Sep 5, 2015)

I'm wondering why they haven't been snatched up and declared a micronation like Sealand ... probably because they're inside the International Limit ...


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## Pappy (Sep 5, 2015)

Amazing story. I had no idea these were here. A ton of work went into building these.


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## hollydolly (Sep 5, 2015)

Come and take a trip with me to visit them on the River Thames ....in pictures.. 

http://subterrain.org.uk/maunsell/


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## Capt Lightning (Sep 5, 2015)

Going back to an earlier conflict, a number of forts were built round Portsmouth to defend Britain from an expected French invasion during the Napoleonic wars.  This never happened but the forts built in the Solent and on Portsdown hill above Portsmouth are maintained and in use as museums or venues for various events.


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## Shirley (Sep 5, 2015)

Interesting!


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## RadishRose (Sep 5, 2015)

SeaBreeze, those structures are so strange-looking! I have never heard of them. 

Capt. Lightening,  that photo of the fort is beautiful.

I'm going to take HD's tour now....


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## Ameriscot (Sep 5, 2015)

I asked my husband if he knew them by name.  Didn't  but knew the photos. They are a common sight.


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## RadishRose (Sep 5, 2015)

I'm gonna have nightmares now....


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## WhatInThe (Sep 6, 2015)

Interesting. Never saw those before.


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