The watchtowers of Maunsell Fords
The watchtowers of Maunsell Fords
History
The Maunsell Fords were built around 1937. They consisted of concrete and metals. The towers have a width of approximately 9.1m x 24m. On German heisen this Ford, Maunsell- maritime fortresses. The Maunsell Fords were fortified towers with artificial platforms built into the estuary before englichen east coast between Thames and the Mersey. They should serve in World War II to defend the United Kingdom. Farms were the Fords of the Royal Navy and the British Army. The British engineer Guy Maunsell was the architect and his idea was to kostruieren sea fortresses as coastal defense. Even before the war began, he submitted several drafts of the British Admiralty, but first they had found no further attention. Only in October 1940, he was commissioned to draw up plans for a new unprecedented sea fortress. The towers should drag on the Thames Estuary and let sink targeted at the desired position. The crew stationed there on the Maunsell Fords should be stationed there permanently and space for live agents had to be created. The purpose of these towers should be the protection against sea and air attacks and to deter the German Luftwaffe. The first draft of the Guy Maunsell to Ford introduced was not realized. The towers should according to the draft included a floating pontoon base with a reinforced concrete. The pontoon should when he had reached his goal, are flooded with sea water, so that the whole construction sank to the sea floor down. The processed concrete should mitigate the impact and ensure strong embedding in the seabed. It was only when reinforced the German air raids and after the German western campaign with the victory over France, the British Admiralty came back on the designs of Guy Maunsell, since the previously existing protection was no longer sufficient. The new order of Maunsell saw five defense platforms with a 100-man crew, including ihrere inventories, and the big guns of the Royal Navy before. The Fords should the German Luftwaffe prevent the waterways to London to mine. When the construction of the towers began was the first name "Thames Estuary Special Defence Units". Shortly thereafter, she was given the code name "Uncle" and was numbered. The names of the towers came into existence by their placement on the respective sandbanks. These shallow waters was important for the stability of the watchtowers. About the concrete reinforced pontoon two high concrete cylinders were which were equipped inside with several floors. About this concrete cylinder simple platforms were fixed, they were equipped with two 3.7 each "- (94mm) -. MK2C Flak guns and two 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns from the originally planned five Fords were built at the end only four. first of the four towers "rought Tower" reached on February 11, 1942 its location, the sandbar rought Sands. The second defense tower "Sank Head Tower" reached in June 1942 its desired position. This tower was also called "Churchill One". "Tongue Sands ", the third of the Fords was completed on June 17, 1942, reaching ten days later his goal. The last of the towers" Knock John Tower "was completed on 16 July 1942 and reached its destination on 1 August 1942. As a Guy had Maunsell fulfilled the contract and completed the construction of the towers of the Royal Navy, he received from the British Army another order for the construction of six new defensive towers. Three of these respective structures were to be built at the mouth of the Thames and the Mersey and the antiaircraft German bombers used. These air attacks of the German Luftwaffe threatened the upriver dockyards of London. The new design for the British Army foresaw seven two storey towers, which were connected by catwalks made of steel tubes. A tower as control station should come in the middle, surrounded by four other towers with MK6-3,7 "- cannons are Another tower equipped with two 40mm Bofors guns and a little off the tower situated weterer served with searchlights.. As the tide and the low tide had changed considerably the seabed and associated sandbanks, the building was this time with the pontoon impossible. Guy Maunsells new idea it was to build the Fords on base which allowed the movement of sand without the position of the towers to change. 1942 August was the construction of three of these new defensive towers and in December 1943 all the towers were installed at its intended destination. The Maunsell Fords were all built in dry dock in the Red Lion Wharf. Until one month after the end of World War II did the work protective towers their service. 22 planes, 31 V1-wing bombers and 1 speedboat should have the Verteigigungstürme Maunsell Ford during World War II destroyed since its inception. In June 1945, with the end of the war, many of the towers was left. A small crew of maintenance and repair remained, but this was then stripped in the 1950s and the Maunsell Fords were finally shut down. The guns were dismantled. From then on they were regarded as landmarks. From the naval fortresses all are no longer obtain. Still available are the rought Tower, Red Sands, Knock John and the Shivering Sands. But the visits or even access the towers is very dangerous because the Fords are in various states of disrepair. 1953 two of the no longer existing towers were destroyed by a collision with the Swedish ship Baalbeek. 1954 were for a farther clash with the Mairouta M only rubble of the towers available that posed a danger to shipping. Why were managed their remains before the coast at Alpha Wharf. Until 1960, all structures were dismantled and demolished the concrete stilts. In 1963, a further clash with the coastal Ribersborg, this time the gun turret of Fords Shivering Sands was destroyed. The defense tower "Sunk Head" was demolished in the 1960s. The Ford "Tongue Sands" broke in 1996 during a violent storm, due to its poor condition, together. From 1964 several Maunsell Fords were taken by various pirate radio station in fog. But most of them were short-lived. Today, all platforms are left except one of these Fords is managed by the controversial Sealand. Since 1967 Sealand occupies the rought Tower with his pirate radio station. The other towers are occasionally visited by boat, otherwise it has become quiet around the Maunsell Fords. The project "Seatribe" try the still existing Ford's rescue and the music band "The Prodigy" turns 2008 Red Sands their music video.
Google+
