Coastal fortifications were constructed in New Zealand in two main waves: around 1885 as a response to fears of an attack by Russia, and in World War II due to fears of invasion by the Japanese.
The fortifications were built from British designs adapted to New Zealand conditions. They typically included gun emplacements, pill boxes, fire control or observation posts, camouflage strategies, underground bunkers, sometimes with interconnected tunnels, containing magazines, supply and plotting rooms and protected engine rooms supplying power to the gun turrets and searchlights. There were also kitchens, barracks, and officer and NCO quarters.
The "Russian Scare" forts of 1885 In the 1870s New Zealand was a young self-governing colony of Britain. It had developed no coastal defences of any consequence and was becoming increasingly sensitive to how vulnerable its harbours were to attack by a hostile power or opportunistic raider. Fears of invasion by the expanding Russian Empire were common, especially due to the founding of Russia's Pacific port at Vladivostok.
Fears intensified after a hoax article was run in the Daily Southern Cross on 18 February 1873. The article proclaimed that war had been declared between England and Russia,Wolfe, Richard (2007) With Honour – Our Army Our Nation Our History. Page 51. and that a fictional Russian naval cruiser, the Kaskowiski, had attacked Auckland.
[The Kaskowiski] – whose very name should have made sober readers suspicious – had allegedly entered Auckland Harbour on the previous Saturday night and proceeded to capture a British ship, along with the city's arms and ammunition supply, and hold a number of leading citizens for ransom. The 954-man Russian vessel obviously meant business, with a dozen 30-ton guns as well as a remarkably new advance in warfare, a paralysing and deadly "water-gas" that could be injected into enemy ships from a great distance.
The Southern Cross article created panic and the Government commissioned its first reports on the colony's defences. It was now clearly understood that Britain would protect its territories and vital shipping routes, but the defence of individual ports was the responsibility of each self-governing colony. Then Russia declared war on Turkey in 1877 producing another "scare".
An 1884 report by Sir William Jervois, the Governor of New Zealand, included recommendations for military forts to be constructed at the country's four main ports at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. These coastal artillery fortifications or land batteries were to be based on British designs. Heavy artillery pieces and ammunition was ordered from Britain. By 1885, work started in earnest on the construction of what eventually became seventeen forts, further encouraged by yet another Russian scare.
Artillery
In 1885 the New Zealand Government bought ten Armstrong BL 8-inch and thirteen Armstrong BL 6-inch guns on disappearing carriages. The disappearing gun was the very latest in military technology in the 1880s. It was "disappearing" because as it fired, the recoil pushed the gun back underground where it could be reloaded under cover. The total costs of this artillery plus the costs of installation including land, emplacements, magazines and barracks was about £160,000.
Following the "second Russian scare" a number of additional RML and guns were also installed Artillery circa 1890 Number Range Notes Armstrong BL Mk VII disappearing guns 10 Weighed 13.5 tons and fired a shell. Armstrong BL disappearing guns 13 Weighed 5 tons and fired a shell. RML 7 ton guns 11 Weighed 7 tons. RML Mk 3 guns 9 Weighed 64 cwt
The forts
FortHarbourWay-pointOrdnancecirca 1890RangeDatesNotes North Head Auckland 1 × BL gunRML 7 in guns guns 1870 At Devonport, divided into three sub-forts: North Battery (to defend Rangitoto Channel) South Battery (with a gun to protect the inner harbour) Fort Cautley (with the gun on the summit).North Head self-guided walk Bastion Point Auckland 2 × BL guns 1885– In Mission Bay. Not completed. Fort Resolution Auckland 2 × BL guns 1885 In Parnell. Fort Takapuna Auckland 2 × BL guns 1886– Fort Takapuna Fort Victoria Auckland 1 × BL gun 1885 On Mount Victoria, Devonport. The gun fired only once because of complaints from residents whose windows were broken. Fort Ballance Wellington 2 × 7" RML guns1 × 6" BLHP gun2 × QF Nordenfelt guns 1885 (1885–1886) Point Gordon. At Miramar. Wellington's primary military fort until 1911 when Fort Dorset opened. Fort Gordon Wellington 1 × 8" BLHP gun 1895-1924 Point Gordon Fort Buckley Wellington 2 × RML guns At Kaiwharawhara. Point Haswell Battery Wellington 1 × BL gun 1889 At Miramar. Kau Point Battery Wellington 1 × BL gun 1891-1922 At Miramar. Fort Kelburne Wellington 2 × BL guns 1885 At Ngauranga. Since been demolished due to construction of the Wellington Urban Motorway. Battery Point Lyttelton 2 × 7 in RML guns1 × QF 6 Nordenfelt guns 1885 On the north side of Lyttelton Harbour, from mouth.Annotated photo of Battery Point Fort Jervois Lyttelton 2 × BL guns2 × BL guns 1886 On Ripapa Island on the south side of Lyttelton Harbour. Fort Jervois is an internationally rare 1880s “Russian Invasion Scare” structure, which has retained a high level of authenticity of both structure and hardware (6” and 8” disappearing guns). It is one of only five examples of this type of fortification in the world. The Island has been managed by the Department of Conservation since 1990. Spur Point Battery Lyttelton 1 × RML gun 1885 Site of battery, quarried away as part of land reclamation during the 1970s to build Cashin Quay. Lawyers Head Battery Port Chalmers 1885 Eastern Ocean Beach, Dunedin South. Ocean Beach Battery Port Chalmers 1886 St Clair Battery Port Chalmers 1885 On a spur of Forbury Hill above Second Beach, Dunedin. No remnants remain; the area was cleared and subdivided for residential housing. Fort Taiaroa Port Chalmers 1 × BL gun 1885 Otago Harbour. This Armstrong Disappearing Gun was installed in May 1889 and was recommissioned during World War II. It is the only one of its kind working and is still in its original gun pit.Fort TaiaroaRaising the Guns
World War II coastal fortifications
The second main wave of building coastal fortifications occurred during World War II. This was mainly a response to a perceived threat of invasion by the Japanese after the attack on Pearl Harbor. From 1942 until 1944, when the threat receded, 42 coastal artillery fortifications or land batteries were either developed using historical fortifications or were built from scratch. The fortifications were built from British designs adapted to New Zealand conditions. Radar was installed which allowed long range shooting at night and replaced the traditional fortress system of range finding.
Ordnance
The fortifications were equipped with both old and new ordnance, mostly British. Some World War I ordnance was requisitioned from museums and recommissioned. Ordnance used during World War II Number Range Notes 9.2-inch guns 6 BL 6 inch Mk 24 guns 3 BL Mk 21 guns 6 Mark 7 guns 32 EOC gun 2 Elswick Ordnance Company 5"/51 caliber gunsDiGiulian, Tony, "United States of America 5"/51 (12.7 cm) Marks 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15. British 5"/51 (12.7 cm) BL Marks VI and VII (USA naval guns) 6 51 calibre MkVII 1912 guns 1 Mark 7 guns 11 155 mm guns 2 75 mm guns 2 QF guns 8 QF guns 12 Bofors 40 mm guns 48 CASLs 48 Coastal Artillery Searchlight
The fortifications The fortifications were administered by the Royal New Zealand Artillery, which grouped them into four areas. Each area was under the command of a heavy artillery regiment. Within each regiment the fortifications were grouped into batteries. Also used (highlighted below in yellow) were seven of the now historic Russian scare fortifications
Upper North Island Under the command of the 9th Heavy/Coast Regiment. BatteryNameWay-pointWorld War IIOrdnanceRangeDatesNotes 60 Motutapu Island 3 × Mk 21 guns 2 × CASLs 1936-1945 Consisted of a battery, camp, gun emplacement, pill boxes and US naval magazines. Its remains are administered by DOC. 61RHQ North Head[Russian scare] 2 × Mk 7 guns2 × guns4 × H&N6 × CASLs 1870-1957 Part of Auckland's coastal defence system from the Russian scare in 1885 to World War I. By World War II, with ships' guns able to fire long distances, the old fort was too close to the city it was meant to defend. New batteries were built at Motutapu, Castor Bay, Whangaparaoa and Waiheke Island and North Head became the centre of administration. A complex of tunnels, guns, searchlights and other fortifications remain and it is now a historic reserve managed by the Department of Conservation. 61 Bastion Point[Russian scare] 2 × gunTwin guns3 × CASLs 1885– Located in Mission Bay. The fortifications were buried in the 1940s when the Michael Joseph Savage memorial was built, and effectively forgotten. The underlying tunnels were later rediscovered. 61 Great Barrier Island Mk 7 gun Mk 7 gun4 × 40 mm Bofors Located between Fitzroy and Okiwi Bay 61 Manukau 1 × gun 1942 Built by American Forces [unknown unit] at the end of Harvey Road, Manukau Heads, approximately 100 m north of lighthouse site, this open fronted fortification had one gun, and an observation post inland. Accommodation was at the end of Harvey Road, with only concrete pads remaining for some buildings. Due to the erosive nature of these compacted sandhills the gun emplacement was undermined and slipped down the cliffs in the early 1980s. According to local residents, the gun was only fired 6 times, cracking the concrete abutments. 61 Motuihe Island 2 × Mk 7 guns 1872– During World War II (1941) the Motuihe buildings became HMNZS Tamaki naval base, a training establishment. Now in the care of the Department of Conservation. 62 Fort Takapuna[Russian scare] 2 × Mk 7 guns 2 × CASLs 1886– Also known as HMNZS Tamaki, and Narrow Neck. In 1963 the RNZN moved its New Entry Training School HMNZS Tamaki from Motuihe Island to the fort. The navy built a new Gunnery School and set up an Officer Training School. Previously officers had been sent overseas for training. Only the Officer and Trade Training schools remain. Has been under the care of the Department of Conservation since 2000. 63 Castor Bay 2 × Mk 7 guns 2 × CASLs 1942-1944 Notable for its camouflage strategies during World War II.McCarthy, Christine (2002) Camouflage: Military Upholstery and Interior Disguise. Space and Culture, Vol5, No4, 320–332. 64 Whanga-paraoa 2 × Mk 7 guns 2 × CASLs SE tip of peninsula 163 Whanga-paraoa 2 × guns SE tip of peninsula 164 Stony Batter 2 × guns 1942– Waiheke Island. Now in the care of the Department of Conservation. 68 Moturoa Island 4 × Mk 7 guns 8 × 40 mm Bofors Bay of Islands 68 Whangaroa Mk 7 gun South Head of harbour. 139 Bream Head Mk 7 gun (USA) 1942-1944 Entrance to Whangarei harbour. Remaining structures are the (Colchester) gun shelter, engine room, and observation post. The most significant feature is the spotting mural with compass bearings painted above the slit window in the observation post.
Lower North Island Under the command of the 10th Heavy/Coast Regiment. BatteryNameWay-pointWorld War IIOrdnanceRangeDatesNotes 70 Palmer Head 3 × Mk 21 guns4 × CASLs 1936-1957 At the entrance to the Wellington Harbour. The abandoned gun pits were blown up in the late 1960s. The only remains are the underground plotting rooms, which are closed for safety reasons. 71RHQ Fort Dorset 2 × Mk 7 guns2 × Mk 7guns4 × guns7 × CASLs 1908-1991 At the inner entrance to Wellington harbour. The fort was demolished in 1998. 72 Fort Ballance[Russian scare] 2 × Mk 7gunsTwin guns2 × 75 mm guns6 × CASLs 1885–1945 (1885–1886) Point Gordon