WW II Sea Forts

The WW II sea forts here were designed by Guy Maunsell, from whom they received their name, and were settled in their current location in 1942, at the confluence of the rivers Thames and Mersey in an effort by the British to reduce German Bombers in the east coast of England. 

Maunsell designed two types of forts, one navy and one for the army. 

The strongholds of the Navy consisted of seven individual towers, five of which had anti-aircraft weapons, headlamps illuminating the night sky and a control tower. 

Each tower was mounted on massive concrete columns, which were used as foundations. The columns were assembled on land and transported to the desired spot. 

According to historical accounts the forts shot down dozens of bombers until the end of the war. They were eventually decommissioned in the 1950's and since then have been used occasionally for many other purposes, such as various marine research in the area or even as a basis for 'pirate' radio stations.