View source for HM Fort Roughs

{{Short description|Naval fort off the coasts of Suffolk and Essex, United Kingdom}}
{{For|the unrecognised micronation located on Fort Roughs|Principality of Sealand}}
{{pp-dispute|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name          = '''HM Fort Roughs'''
| ensign        = {{shipboxflag|UK|naval}} [[File:Flag_of_Sealand.svg|55px]]
| location      = Rough Sands, off the coast of Essex.
| image_map     = {{Infobox mapframe|zoom=8}}
| map_caption   = Location off the coast of Essex
| image         = Sealand.jpg
| image_size    = 250px
| caption       = The fort in 2007
| type          = Offshore fortress
| coordinates   = {{coord|51|53|42.6|N|1|28|49.8|E|display=title,inline|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
| built         = 1942
| materials     = 
| used          = 1942–1956
| controlledby  = [[Sealand]]
| garrison      = 
| ownership     = [[United Kingdom]]<br>[[Sealand]]<small> (claim unrecognized)</small>
| battles       = [[World War II]]
}}

'''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 platform#Fixed platforms|oil platforms]]. It is situated on Rough Sands, a [[sandbar]] located approximately {{convert|11|km|nmi|0}} from the coast of [[Suffolk]] and {{convert|13|km|nmi|0}} from the coast of Essex. Today it is the location and ''[[De facto|de-facto]]'' capital of the unrecognised, self-proclaimed state of [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/all-hail-sealand/ |title=All Hail Sealand |date=20 March 2012 |work=[[The New York Times]] |author=Jacobs, Frank}}</ref>

==History==

===1942: Construction, positioning, occupation===
[[File:Stages In The Sinking Of A Naval Fort.svg|thumb|250px|The stages involved in sinking of the naval fort.]]
As a contemporary historical society notes,<ref name=HarwichSoc>{{cite web|title=The Rough Towers: Fort Specifications|url=http://harwich-society.co.uk/old/info_rough_towers.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325133810/http://harwich-society.co.uk/old/info_rough_towers.htm|archive-date=2016-03-25|publisher=The Harwich Society|access-date=2014-10-14}}</ref> 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]],<ref name=HarwichSoc/> in the year preceding and into 1942.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

This artificial naval installation is similar in some respects to early "fixed" offshore [[Oil platform#Fixed platforms|oil platforms]].{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} It consisted of a rectangular {{convert|168|by|88|ft|adj=on}} reinforced concrete [[Pontoon (boat)|pontoon]] base with a support superstructure of two {{convert|60|ft|adj=on}} tall, {{convert|24|ft|adj=on}} diameter hollow reinforced concrete towers, walls roughly {{convert|3.5|in|cm|0}} thick; overall weight is estimated to have been approximately 4,500 tons.<ref name=HarwichSoc/> The twin concrete supporting towers were divided into seven floors, four for crew quarters;<ref name=HarwichSoc/> the remainder provided dining, operational, and storage areas, e.g., for several generators, and for fresh water tanks and antiaircraft munitions.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} There was a steel framework at one end supporting a landing jetty and crane which was used to hoist supplies aboard;{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} the wooden landing stage itself became known as a "dolphin".<ref name=HarwichSoc/>

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.<ref name=HarwichSoc/> [[QF 3.7-inch AA gun|QF 3.7 inch]]{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} anti-aircraft guns were positioned at each end of this main deck, with a further two [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|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.<ref name=HarwichSoc/>

The fort was towed from the [[degaussing]] station at Tilbury docks by four tugs{{mdash}}"Dapper", "Crested Cock", "King Lear" and "Lady Brassey".<ref name="Turner">{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Frank R. |title=The Maunsell Sea Forts |date=1994 |publisher=F.R. Turner |isbn=0-9524303-0-4}}</ref>{{rp|74}}  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.<ref name="Turner"/>{{rp|76}} Held in place by the tug "Dapper", its base was then intentionally flooded so that it sank in about {{convert|37|ft}} of water,<ref name=HarwichSoc/><ref name="Turner"/>{{rp|76}} coming to rest on the sandbar at 16:45.<ref name="Turner"/>{{rp|76}}  Its location on Rough Sands, approximately 10 miles off the Harwich seafront,<ref name=HarwichSoc/> was at the time situated in international waters although the superstructure of the vessel above the waterline remained visible from the coast of England.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

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.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} 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.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} At the conclusion of hostilities all original personnel were evacuated from HM Fort Roughs.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

===1956: Removal of full-time HMG personnel ===

[[File:Fortlocations.gif|thumb|250px|The locations of the seven Maunsell Forts off the east coast of England with HM Fort Roughs top right.]]

British government official entities used Roughs Tower for a variety of purposes until 1956 when all full-time personnel were finally removed. Roughs Tower remained identified by name on [[buoys]] placed in position by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] which are maintained under an arrangement with [[Trinity House]]. Their purpose is to warn vessels of this obstacle, especially in time of fog because busy shipping lanes criss-cross the area with vessels going to and from the container Port of [[Felixstowe]], [[Suffolk]], and the Port of Harwich, Essex. UK [[Ordnance Survey]] now identify the former sea barge fort as Roughs Tower on their charts.

===1966: Occupation===
In 1966 [[Paddy Roy Bates]], who operated Radio Essex, and [[Ronan O'Rahilly]], who operated [[Radio Caroline]], landed on and occupied Fort Roughs. After disagreements, Bates seized the tower as his own. O'Rahilly attempted to storm the fort in 1967 but Bates thwarted the attack with guns and petrol bombs. As a result the British Royal Marines went to the fort and ordered Bates to surrender and received warning shots fired by Bates' son [[Michael Bates (Sealand)|Michael]]. The pair were arrested and charged with weapons offences but the court threw the case out as it did not have jurisdiction beyond the territorial waters of Britain. Bates took this as ''de facto'' recognition of his country and seven years later issued a constitution, flag, and national anthem, among other things, for the [[Principality of Sealand]] (founded on 2 September 1967). In 1978, a German businessman, along with some other Germans and Dutchmen invaded Roughs Tower but Bates recaptured it and finally released them, after a visit by a diplomat from the German embassy in London.<ref>{{cite book |title=[[Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations]] |last=Ryan |first=John |author2=George Dunford |author3=Simon Sellars  |year=2006 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=1-74104-730-7 }}</ref>

==Location==
According to the [[Admiralty chart]] the fort's location is at 51°53.71′N 1°28.83′E.<ref name=1183-0>{{Citation | title = Orford Ness to The Naze | date = 2017 | publisher = UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) | work = Admiralty charts, International chart series | volume = 1183-0 | url-access = subscription | url = http://www.visitmyharbour.com/charts/view.asp?c=7FAEA923-94A6-4880-8BFC-0E95E5452B55 | access-date = 27 September 2018}}</ref> The structure is marked by east and west cardinal buoys.<ref name=1183-0/> Other references (taken from land-based maps) are [[Ordnance Survey]] {{gbmapping|TM3964227615}}, and on OpenStreetMap within 200 meters of the chart location {{coord|51|53|42.6|N|1|28|49.8|E|display=inline|type:landmark_scale:5000}}.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{SealandNavigation}}
{{Royal Navy shore establishments}}

[[Category:Royal Navy bases in England|Fort Roughs]]
[[Category:Forts in Essex]]
[[Category:20th-century forts in England|Roughs]]
[[Category:Artificial islands of England|Fort Roughs]]
[[Category:North Sea|Fort Roughs]]
[[Category:Principality of Sealand|Fort Roughs]]
[[Category:Coastal Essex]]
[[Category:Sea forts]]
[[Category:World War II sites in England]]