Whilst researching the defence of the River Tyne [Tyne Coastal Artillery ] it highlighted how important it was to maintain a creditable deterrent for home defence.  I wondered what preparations were in place to defend the coast around the rest of the Britain when the country went to war in 1914.

 

In his book History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Colonel KW Maurice-Jones DSO (late RA) outlines "Coast Artillery in the British Army had never been more ready for war than it was in 1914. The R.G.A. companies in the coast defences at home and abroad were well led, well trained, enthusiastic, and of high morale". [1]

 

COASTAL ARTILLERY

The role of coastal artillery was to [2];

• Close the passage of a river or channel
• Protect a town or dockyard  from bombardment
• Deny use of an anchorage
• Defend a landing place
• Protect and close the flank of a land work

 

Coastal Artillery dated back to the time of Henry VIII. Over the next 300 years as the British Empire expanded across the globe the necessity to protect key ports / naval facilities resulted in coastal fortifications being built with the Royal Artillery  manning their guns. 

 

COASTAL ARTILLERY DEVELOPMENT   

The latter part of the 19th century saw the development of naval ships from wooden sail ships to steel armoured Dreadnoughts and naval guns from smooth bored muzzle loaders to rifled breech loaders. This drove the need to keep coastal defences in pace with the changes. Coastal defence batteries and guns had all been upgraded during the period leading up to the Great War. [3] 

 

Costal batteries, where possible, adopted a  standard design with earthen terrace, concrete gun emplacements and underground magazines between the guns. [4]

 

                                    Heugh Battery Hartlepool                                                                                     Frenchmans Bay Battery South Shields                                                                                

 

The appearance of of the Dreadnought battle ships in foreign navies lead to a committee being formed in 1906 under the presidency of General Sir John Owen to consider defences around the British Empire. The report recommended the adoption of four types of gun for coastal artillery. [5] The 9.2 inch BL Mark X gun  and  the 6 inch BL Mark VII gun providing capability to engage battle ships and cruisers. Quick firing guns, 4.7 inch QF Mark III and 12 pounder 12 cwt QF, providing the capability against lighter armoured ships and fast torpedo boats.

 

COASTAL DEFENCE ORGANISATION

After the Crimean War the Royal Artillery underwent a series of reorganisations over the next four decades to meet the diverse needs of field, siege, heavy, mountain and coastal artillery. [6] 

 

The Royal Artillery divided into two corps in 1899, mounted (RH & RFA) and unmounted (RGA) branches .  Coastal Artillery constituted 80% of the  Royal Garrison Artillery and division meant they were now better able  to develop their capability. This lead to a growth in the efficiency, knowledge and morale within coastal artillery  which meant units would be in a state of high proficiency at the beginning of WW1. [7]

 

In 1902 the command and control of coastal defences was strengthened by the grading of locations as coastal fortresses or defended ports with a designated commander and garrison troops. [8] The Fortress Commander commanded all Army units, artillery, engineers and infantry, and liaised with the Royal Navy.  [9]

 

Roles;

Royal Navy - Coastal patrols, minefields, booms
Royal Artillery - Seaward and landward artillery defence including fixed and mobile batteries
Royal Engineers - Communications, searchlights, submarine mines and maintenance of fortresses
Infantry - Manning of ramparts, protection of guns and installations
 

Royal Artillery command structure;

Commander Royal Artillery - Command of Gunner units and adviser to Fortress Commander
                       |
Fire Commanders - Commanded a group of coast defence batteries 
                       |
Battery Commanders - command of fire units

 

Significant changes in the UK occurred in 1908 when the Territorial Force (TF) was formed re-organising Volunteer units into a Home Defence Army. The TF consisted of 14 field divisions and coastal artillery units. The TF coastal units would train alongside their regular counterparts on the guns they would man in war.  [10] 

 

Territorial Force RGA Coastal Units  Units [11]

Tynemouth / Hampshire / Devon / Sussex / Forth / Cornwall / Kent / Clyde / North Scottish /Essex and Suffolk /  Lancashire and Cheshire / Dorset / Glamorgan / East Riding / Pembroke / Durham / Orkney 

 

ROYAL NAVAL  DEVELOPMENT 

 

 

In 1900, the prime purpose of the Royal Navy was to protect and defend the Empire; patrol and protect the trade routes; and to show a British naval presence in areas of concern, such as the Mediterranean. Over the next decade changes to the organisational structure of the Royal Navy and the deployment of it's ships brought increasing focus to the North Sea and Home Waters due to the growing threat from Germany's rising naval power. [12]

 

This threat was assed as Germany as; [13]

  13 x Super Dreadnought Battleships

  20 x Other Battleships

    4 x Battle Cruisers

    9 x Heavy Cruisers

  39 x Light Cruisers

142 x Destroyers 

 

By 1912, a Home Fleet had been formed consisting of the First Fleet ( 4 x Battle Squadrons, 4 x Cruiser Squadrons, 4 x Destroyer Flotilla's) fully commissioned, Second Fleet  (2 x Battle Squadrons,  2 x Cruiser Squadrons) which was 50% commissioned, and a  Third Fleet (2 x Battle Squadrons, 4 x Cruiser Squadrons, 3 x Destroyer Flotilla's) laid up in reserve. Patrol Flotillas based at Portsmouth (6th), Devonport (7th),  Chatham (8th), and Sheerness (9th) with light cruisers and destroyers provided littoral defence of the coastline and ports. In 1913 five Submarine Flotillas were added to the Home Fleet, a sixth in April 1914. [14]

 

Royal Navy Bases 1914.

 

UK COASTAL ARTILLEY 1914  

Source History of Coast Artillery in the British Army [15]

 

DEFENCES	DEFENDED PORT	BATTERIES	ARMAMENT
East Coast	Thames Medway	Sheerness	6	9.2 inch
			6	6 inch
			4	4.7 inch
			6	12 pounders
		Slough Fort	2	9.2 inch
			2	6 inch
		Coalhouse Fort	4	6 inch
Harwich Coast	Harwich	Languard Fort	2	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
		Harwich	2	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
South Eastern Coast	Dover Newhaven	Dover	5	9.2 inch
			6	6 inch
			5	12 pounders
		Newhaven	2	6 inch
North Eastern	Tyne Tees Hartlepool Humber	Tyne	2	9.2 inch
			6	6 inch
			4	6 inch
		Tees	4	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
		Hartlepool	3	6 inch
		Humber	4	6 inch
			4	4.7 inch
Southern Coast	Portsmouth Portland	Portsmouth     & Gosport	2	9.2 inch
			2	6 inch
			20	12 pounders
		Isle of wight	12	9.2 inch
			9	6 inch
			3	12 pounders
		Spithead Forts	8	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
		Hurst & Calshot Castles	2	4.7 inch
			8	12 pounders
		Portland	6	9.2 inch
			10	6 inch
			8	12 pounders
South Western	Plymouth Falmouth	Plymouth	8	9.2 inch
			13	6 inch
			3	4.7 inch
			15	12 pounders
		Falmouth	4	6 inch
North Western	Mersey Barrow	Mersey	6	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
		Barrow	2	6 inch
	Milford Haven Cardiff Barry Swansea	Milford Haven	4	9.2 inch
			6	6 inch
			8	12 pounders
		Cardiff	4	6 inch
		Barry	2	6 inch
		Swansea	2	4.7 inch
Scottish Coast	Forth Clyde Tay Aberdeen Scapa Flow	Forth	6	9.2 inch
			12	6 inch
			14	4.7 & 4 inch
			12	12 pounders
		Clyde	4	6 inch
			4	4.7 inch
		Tay	2	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
		Aberdeen	2	4.7 inch
		Scapa Flow		None mounted
North Irish Coast	Lough Swilly Belfast	Lough Swilly	2	9.2 inch
			2	6 inch
		Belfast	4	6 inch
South Irish Coast	Queenstown Berehaven	Queenstown	4	9.2 inch
			6	6 inch
			8	12 pounders
		Berehaven	2	9.2 inch
			6	6 inch
			2	4.7 inch
			8	12 pounders
Channel Islands	Jersey Guernsey Alderney	Jersey		6 inch
				4.7 inch
		Guernsey		6 inch
		Alderney		6 inch
		Jersey		12 pounders

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Colonel KW Maurice-Jones DSO (late RA) Chapter XVIII page 181

[2] Victorian Forts and Artillery: Coast Defence description and purpose

[3] History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Colonel KW Maurice-Jones DSO (late RA) Chapter XVIII page 181

[4] Ibid page 180

[5] Ibid 172-173.

[6] ibid 147

[7] ibid 154

[8] ibid154

[9] ibid 182

[10] ibid 165

[11] ibid 165 - 166

[12] Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914 (naval-history.net)

[13] History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Colonel KW Maurice-Jones DSO (late RA) Chapter XVIII page 181

[14]  Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914 (naval-history.net)

[15] History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Colonel KW Maurice-Jones DSO (late RA) Chapter XVIII pages 185 - 186