HM Fort Roughs
HM Fort Roughs is one of several World War II installations that were designed by Guy Maunsell and known collectively as His Majesty's Forts or as Maunsell Sea Forts; the purpose of which was to guard the port of Harwich, Essex, and more broadly, the Thames estuary. This 4,500 ton artificial naval installation is similar in some respects to "fixed" offshore oil platforms. It is situated on Rough Sands, a sandbar located approximately from the coast of Suffolk and from the coast of Essex. Today it is the location and de-facto capital of the unrecognised, self-proclaimed state of Sealand.
History
1942: Construction, positioning, occupation
As a contemporary historical society notes, Fort Roughs or the "Rough Towers" was "the first of originally four naval forts designed by G. Maunsell to protect the Thames Estuary." The artificial sea fort was constructed in dry dock at Red Lion Wharf, Gravesend, in the year preceding and into 1942.This artificial naval installation is similar in some respects to early "fixed" offshore oil platforms. It consisted of a rectangular reinforced concrete pontoon base with a support superstructure of two tall, diameter hollow reinforced concrete towers, walls roughly thick; overall weight is estimated to have been approximately 4,500 tons. The twin concrete supporting towers were divided into seven floors, four for crew quarters; the remainder provided dining, operational, and storage areas, e.g., 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".
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. QF 3.7 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 fort was towed from the degaussing station at Tilbury docks by four tugs"Dapper", "Crested Cock", "King Lear" and "Lady Brassey". Although setting off from Tilbury docks on the morning of 9 February 1942, an eventful journey meant that it did not reach its final destination until 16:00 on 11 February 1942. Held in place by the tug "Dapper", its base was then intentionally flooded so that it sank in about of water, coming to rest on the sandbar at 16:45. Its location on Rough Sands, approximately 10 miles off the Harwich seafront, was at the time situated in international waters although the superstructure of the vessel above the waterline remained visible from the coast of England.
HM Fort Roughs was in operation within 30 minutes of being launched: the crew had been aboard during the fitting out in harbour and were well acquainted with the fort's equipment. Approximately 100 men were assigned to the barge before deployment on Rough Sands; thereafter, the fort was occupied by 150–300 Royal Navy personnel, which continued throughout World War II. At the conclusion of hostilities all original personnel were evacuated from HM Fort Roughs.