Coastal fortifications were constructed inNew Zealand in two main waves: around 1885 as a response to fears of an attack byRussia, and inWorld War II due to fears of invasion by theJapanese.
Thefortifications were built fromBritish designs adapted to New Zealand conditions. They typically included gun emplacements, pill boxes, fire control orobservation posts,camouflage strategies, undergroundbunkers, sometimes with interconnected tunnels, containingmagazines, supply and plotting rooms and protected engine rooms supplying power to thegun turrets andsearchlights. There were also kitchens,barracks, and officer and NCO quarters.[1]
In the 1870s New Zealand was a young self-governing colony ofBritain. 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 opportunisticraider. Fears of invasion by the expandingRussian Empire were common, especially due to the founding of Russia's Pacific port atVladivostok.[2]
Fears intensified after a hoax article was run in theDaily Southern Cross on 18 February 1873.[2] The article proclaimed that war had been declared between England and Russia,[3] and that a fictional Russian naval cruiser, theKaskowiski, had attacked Auckland.[2][4]
[TheKaskowiski] – 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.[3]
TheSouthern 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 declaredwar on Turkey in 1877 producing another "scare".
An 1884 report bySir William Jervois, theGovernor of New Zealand, included recommendations for military forts to be constructed at the country's four main ports atAuckland,Wellington,Lyttelton andPort Chalmers.[2] Thesecoastal artillery fortifications orland batteries were to be based on British designs. Heavyartillery 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 anotherRussian scare.[3]
In 1885 the New Zealand Government bought ten ArmstrongBL 8-inch and thirteen ArmstrongBL 6-inch guns on disappearing carriages. Thedisappearing 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.[5]
Following the "second Russian scare" a number of additional RML 7-inch and 64-pdr guns were also installed[6]
| Artillery circa 1890 | Number | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArmstrongBL 8-inch Mk VIIdisappearing guns | 10 | 4 miles | Weighed 13.5 tons and fired a 180-pound shell. |
| ArmstrongBL 6-inchdisappearing guns | 13 | 3 miles | Weighed 5 tons and fired a 100-pound shell. |
| RML 7 inch 7 ton guns | 11 | Weighed 7 tons. | |
| RML 64-pdr Mk 3 guns | 9 | 2 miles | Weighed 64cwt |
| Fort | Harbour | Way- point | Ordnance circa 1890 | Range (miles) | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Head | Auckland | 36°49′39″S174°48′44″E / 36.82750°S 174.81222°E /-36.82750; 174.81222 (North Head) | 1 ×BL 8 in gun RML 7 in guns 64-pdr guns | 1870 | At Devonport, divided into three sub-forts: | |
| Bastion Point | Auckland | 36°50′43″S174°49′29″E / 36.84528°S 174.82472°E /-36.84528; 174.82472 (Bastion Point) | 2 × BL 6 in guns | 1885– | InMission Bay. Not completed. | |
| Fort Resolution | Auckland | 36°50′59″S174°47′31″E / 36.84966°S 174.79183°E /-36.84966; 174.79183 (Fort Resolution) | 2 × BL 6 in guns | 1885 | In Parnell. | |
| Fort Takapuna | Auckland | 36°48′55″S174°48′24″E / 36.81528°S 174.80667°E /-36.81528; 174.80667 (Fort Takapuna) | 2 × BL 6 in guns | 1886– | [10][11][12][13] | |
| Fort Victoria | Auckland | 36°49′36″S174°47′56″E / 36.82661°S 174.79881°E /-36.82661; 174.79881 (Fort Victoria) | 1 ×BL 8 in gun | 1885 | On Mount Victoria, Devonport. The gun fired only once because of complaints from residents whose windows were broken.[14] | |
| Fort Ballance | Wellington | 41°17′41″S174°50′02″E / 41.29472°S 174.83389°E /-41.29472; 174.83389 (Fort Ballance) | 2 × 7" RML guns 1 × 6" BLHP gun 2 ×QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt guns | 1885 | (1885–1886) Point Gordon. At Miramar. Wellington's primary military fort until 1911 when Fort Dorset opened.[15] | |
| Fort Gordon | Wellington | 41°17′41″S174°50′02″E / 41.29472°S 174.83389°E /-41.29472; 174.83389 (Fort Ballance) | 1 × 8" BLHP gun | 1895-1924 | Point Gordon | |
| Fort Buckley | Wellington | 41°15′38″S174°47′17″E / 41.26056°S 174.78806°E /-41.26056; 174.78806 (Fort Buckley) | 2 × 64-pdr RML guns | 2 | At Kaiwharawhara.[16][17][18] | |
| Point Haswell Battery | Wellington | 41°17′06″S174°49′34″E / 41.28506°S 174.826°E /-41.28506; 174.826 (Point Halswell Battery) | 1 × BL 8 in gun | 1889 | At Miramar. | |
| Kau Point Battery | Wellington | 41°17′23″S174°49′54″E / 41.28978°S 174.83177°E /-41.28978; 174.83177 (Kau Point Battery) | 1 × BL 8 in gun | 1891-1922 | At Miramar. | |
| Fort Kelburne | Wellington | 41°14′46″S174°48′53″E / 41.24623°S 174.81471°E /-41.24623; 174.81471 (Fort Kelburne) | 2 × BL 8 in guns | 1885 | At Ngauranga. Since been demolished due to construction of theWellington Urban Motorway.[19] | |
| Battery Point | Lyttelton | 43°36′10″S172°44′25″E / 43.60278°S 172.74028°E /-43.60278; 172.74028 (Battery Point) | 2 × 7in RML guns 1 × QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt guns | 1885 | On the north side of Lyttelton Harbour, 3 miles from mouth.[20][21] | |
| Fort Jervois | Lyttelton | 43°37′11″S172°45′15″E / 43.61972°S 172.75417°E /-43.61972; 172.75417 (Ripapa Island) | 2 × 8in BL guns 2 × 6in BL guns | 1886 | OnRipapa Island on the south side of Lyttelton Harbour.[22] 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.[23] | |
| Spur Point Battery | Lyttelton | 43°36′16″S172°44′03″E / 43.60435°S 172.73405°E /-43.60435; 172.73405 (Spur Point Battery) | 1 × 64-pounder RML gun | 1885 | Site of battery, quarried away as part of land reclamation during the 1970s to build Cashin Quay.[24] | |
| Lawyers Head Battery | Port Chalmers | 45°54′32″S170°32′06″E / 45.90889°S 170.53500°E /-45.90889; 170.53500 (Lawyers Head Battery) | 1885 | Eastern Ocean Beach, Dunedin South. | ||
| Ocean Beach Battery | Port Chalmers | 45°54′25″S170°30′25″E / 45.90686°S 170.50702°E /-45.90686; 170.50702 (Ocean Beach Battery / Central Battery) | 1886 | |||
| St Clair Battery | Port Chalmers | 45°54′51″S170°29′15″E / 45.9142°S 170.48752°E /-45.9142; 170.48752 (St Clair Battery / Forbury Head Battery) | 1885 | On a spur of Forbury Hill aboveSecond Beach, Dunedin. No remnants remain; the area was cleared and subdivided for residential housing. | ||
| Fort Taiaroa | Port Chalmers | 45°46′26″S170°43′40″E / 45.77389°S 170.72778°E /-45.77389; 170.72778 (Fort Taiaroa) | 1 × BL 6 in 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.[25][26] |
The second main wave of building coastal fortifications occurred duringWorld War II. This was mainly a response to a perceived threat of invasion by theJapanese after the attack onPearl Harbor. From 1942 until 1944, when the threat receded, 42coastal artillery fortifications orland batteries were either developed using historical fortifications or were built from scratch. The fortifications were built fromBritish designs adapted to New Zealand conditions.Radar was installed which allowed long range shooting at night and replaced the traditional fortress system ofrange finding.[1]
The fortifications were equipped with both old and newordnance, mostly British. Some World War I ordnance was requisitioned from museums and recommissioned.[citation needed]
| Ordnance used during World War II | Number | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2-inch guns | 6 | 18 miles | |
| BLBL 6 inch Mk 24 guns | 3 | 14 miles | |
| BL 6 inch Mk 21 guns | 6 | 13 miles | |
| 6-inch Mark 7 guns | 32 | 12 miles | |
| 6in EOC gun | 2 | 6 miles | Elswick Ordnance Company |
| 5"/51 caliber guns[27] (USA naval guns) | 6 | 10 miles | 51 calibre MkVII 1912 |
| 4.7 in guns | 1 | 6 miles | |
| 4-inch Mark 7 guns | 11 | 9 miles | |
| 155 mm guns | 2 | 9 miles | |
| 75 mm guns | 2 | ||
| QF12 pdr guns | 8 | 8 miles | |
| QF6-pdr guns | 12 | 5 miles | |
| Bofors 40 mm guns | 48 | 4 miles | |
| CASLs | 48 | Coastal Artillery Searchlight |
The fortifications were administered by theRoyal 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.[citation needed]
| Also used (highlighted below in yellow) were seven of the now historic Russian scare fortifications |
Under the command of the9th Heavy/Coast Regiment.[28][29]
| Battery | Name | Way- point | World War II Ordnance | Range (miles) | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Motutapu Island | 36°45′03″S174°55′09″E / 36.75083°S 174.91917°E /-36.75083; 174.91917 (Motutapu Island) | 3 × 6in Mk 21 guns 2 × CASLs | 13 | 1936 -1945 | Consisted of a battery, camp, gun emplacement, pill boxes and US naval magazines. Its remains are administered by DOC.[30] |
| 61 RHQ | North Head [Russian scare] | 36°49′39″S174°48′44″E / 36.82750°S 174.81222°E /-36.82750; 174.81222 (North Head) | 2 ×4in Mk 7 guns 2 × 12-pdr guns 4 × 6-pdr H&N 6 × CASLs | 9 | 1870 -1957 | Part of Auckland's coastal defence system from theRussian 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.[31] A complex of tunnels, guns, searchlights and other fortifications remain and it is now a historic reserve managed by the Department of Conservation.[7][8] |
| 61 | Bastion Point [Russian scare] | 36°50′43″S174°49′29″E / 36.84528°S 174.82472°E /-36.84528; 174.82472 (Bastion Point) | 2 × 12-pdr gun Twin 6-pdr guns 3 × CASLs | 8 | 1885– | Located inMission Bay. The fortifications were buried in the 1940s when theMichael Joseph Savage memorial was built, and effectively forgotten. The underlying tunnels were later rediscovered. |
| 61 | Great Barrier Island | 36°10′34″S175°21′10″E / 36.17605°S 175.35273°E /-36.17605; 175.35273 (Great Barrier Island Battery) | 6in Mk 7 gun 4in Mk 7 gun 4 ×40 mm Bofors | 12 | Located between Fitzroy and Okiwi Bay[32] | |
| 61 | Manukau | 37°03′29″S174°32′16″E / 37.05816°S 174.53774°E /-37.05816; 174.53774 (Manukau Head Battery) | 1 × 4.7 in gun | 6 | 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 | 36°48′40″S174°49′29″E / 36.81111°S 174.82472°E /-36.81111; 174.82472 (Motuihe Island) | 2 ×4in Mk 7 guns | 9 | 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.[33][34][35] |
| 62 | Fort Takapuna [Russian scare] | 36°48′55″S174°48′24″E / 36.81528°S 174.80667°E /-36.81528; 174.80667 (Fort Takapuna) | 2 ×4in Mk 7 guns 2 × CASLs | 9 | 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.[10][11][12][13] |
| 63 | Castor Bay | 36°45′22″S174°46′0″E / 36.75611°S 174.76667°E /-36.75611; 174.76667 (Castor Bay) | 2 ×6in Mk 7 guns 2 × CASLs | 12 | 1942 -1944 |  Notable for its camouflage strategies during World War II.[36][37][38] |
| 64 | Whanga- paraoa | 36°36′09″S174°50′16″E / 36.60250°S 174.83778°E /-36.60250; 174.83778 (Whangaparaoa) | 2 ×6in Mk 7 guns 2 × CASLs | 12 | SE tip of peninsula | |
| 163 | Whanga- paraoa | 36°36′09″S174°50′17″E / 36.60250°S 174.83806°E /-36.60250; 174.83806 (Whangaparaoa) | 2 ×9.2 in guns | 18 | SE tip of peninsula | |
| 164 | Stony Batter | 36°45′45″S175°10′27″E / 36.76250°S 175.17417°E /-36.76250; 175.17417 (Stoney Batter) | 2 × 9.2 in guns | 18 | 1942– | Waiheke Island. Now in the care of the Department of Conservation.[39][40] |
| 68 | Moturoa Island | 35°13′07″S174°11′21″E / 35.21861°S 174.18917°E /-35.21861; 174.18917 (Moturoa Island) | 4 ×6in Mk 7 guns 8 ×40 mm Bofors | 12 | Bay of Islands | |
| 68 | Whangaroa | 35°00′40″S173°45′21″E / 35.01111°S 173.75583°E /-35.01111; 173.75583 (Whangaroa) | 6in Mk 7 gun | 12 | South Head of harbour. | |
| 139 | Bream Head | 35°51′01″S174°31′35″E / 35.85028°S 174.52639°E /-35.85028; 174.52639 (Bream Head) | 5in Mk 7 gun (USA) | 10 | 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.[41][42] |
Under the command of the10th Heavy/Coast Regiment.[43]
| Battery | Name | Way- point | World War II Ordnance | Range (miles) | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Palmer Head | 41°20′14″S174°49′01″E / 41.33722°S 174.81694°E /-41.33722; 174.81694 (Palmer Head) | 3 × 6in Mk 21 guns 4 × CASLs | 13 | 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.[44] |
| 71 RHQ | Fort Dorset | 41°19′33″S174°50′14″E / 41.32583°S 174.83722°E /-41.32583; 174.83722 (Fort Dorset) | 2 × 6in Mk 7 guns 2 × 4in Mk 7guns 4 × 12-pdr guns 7 × CASLs | 12 | 1908 -1991 | At the inner entrance to Wellington harbour. The fort was demolished in 1998.[45][46] |
| 72 | Fort Ballance [Russian scare] | 41°17′41″S174°50′02″E / 41.29472°S 174.83389°E /-41.29472; 174.83389 (Fort Ballance) | 2 × 4in Mk 7guns Twin 6-pdr guns 2 × 75 mm guns 6 × CASLs | 9 | 1885– 1945 | (1885–1886) Point Gordon By Mount Crawford, Karaka Bays, Wellington's primary fort until 1911 when Fort Dorset opened, Fort Ballance was closed in 1945 but remnants remain.[15] |
| 73 | Fort Opau | 41°13′20″S174°41′46″E / 41.22222°S 174.69611°E /-41.22222; 174.69611 (Opau) | 2 × 6in Mk 7 guns | 12 | 1942 -1944 | On a high headland above Mākara, on Wellington's west coast, protectingCook Strait.[47][48][49] The fort was built in 1941, and comprised two covered 6" gun emplacements, a battery operations post, and an observation post and a radar post, with a large barracks several hundred metres inland. |
| 165 | Wrights Hill Fortress | 41°17′46″S174°44′21″E / 41.29611°S 174.73917°E /-41.29611; 174.73917 (Wrights Hill Fortress) | 2 × 9.2 in guns | 18 | 1942 1957 | This British-designed fortress was similar to the 9.2 inch fortresses built at Whangaparaoa and Stoney Batter. 2,030 feet (620 metres) of interconnecting tunnels were dug. Two 185 hp diesel generators provided power to manoeuvre the guns. Each gun weighed 135 tons and could fire a 380-pound (172 kg) shell across Cook Strait or up to Plimmerton. The fortress was used for training purposes up to the mid-1950s. In early 1960 the guns were sold for scrap, ironically, to the Japanese. The Wrights Hill Fortress Restoration Society is restoring the coastal battery to its former state.[50][51] |
| 77 | Bluff Hill | 39°28′43″S176°55′03″E / 39.47861°S 176.91750°E /-39.47861; 176.91750 (Bluff Hill) | 2 × 6in Mk 7 guns 4 × 40 mm Bofors | 12 | At Napier. Also a signal station during World War II,[52] although never a lighthouse,[53] despite being situated on Lighthouse Road. | |
| 77 | Titirangi (Kaiti Hill) | 38°42′03″S178°03′56″E / 38.70083°S 178.06556°E /-38.70083; 178.06556 (Kaiti Hill) | 5in Mk 7 gun (USA) | 10 | Located at Gisborne. | |
| 78 | Moturoa | 39°03′49″N174°01′44″E / 39.06372°N 174.02887°E /39.06372; 174.02887 (New Plymouth Battery) | 2 × 155 mm guns 4 × 40 mm Bofors | 9 | At New Plymouth.[54] | |
| 140 | Languard Bluff | 39°57′30″S175°01′20″E / 39.95833°S 175.02222°E /-39.95833; 175.02222 (Languard Bluff) | 5in Mk 7 gun (USA) | 10 | At Wanganui.[55][56] |
Under the command of the11th Heavy/Coast Regiment.[28][29]
| Battery | Name | Way- point | World War II Ordnance | Range (miles) | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 RHQ | Godley Head | 43°35′13″S172°48′21″E / 43.58694°S 172.80583°E /-43.58694; 172.80583 (Godley Head) | 3 × 6in Mk 24 guns 2 × CASLs | 14 | 1939 -1963 | At the northern entrance to Lyttelton Harbour, the last NZA to be decommissioned. It last fired a gun in 1959. In its heyday in World War II, it was staffed by over 400 men and women and was a self-contained community. It is ranked in the top ten New Zealand coastal defence heritage sites.[57] It is now under the care of the Department of Conservation and the Godley Head Heritage Trust.[58][59] |
| 81 | Battery Point [Russian scare] | 43°36′10″S172°44′25″E / 43.60278°S 172.74028°E /-43.60278; 172.74028 (Battery Point) | 2 × 4in Mk 7guns Twin 6-pdr guns 5 × CASLs | 9 | 1886– | On the northern side of Lyttelton Harbour, 3 miles from mouth.[20][21] |
| 81 | Fort Jervois [Russian scare] | 43°37′11″S172°45′15″E / 43.61972°S 172.75417°E /-43.61972; 172.75417 (Ripapa Island) | 6in EOC gun | 6 | 1886 | OnRipapa Island on the southern side of Lyttelton Harbour.[22] It is an internationally rare 1880s “Russian Invasion Scare” military defence 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.[23] |
| Magazine Bay [Russian scare] | 43°36′39″S172°42′18″E / 43.61081°S 172.70488°E /-43.61081; 172.70488 (Magazine Bay) | ? | 1886 | Lyttelton, in conjunction with nearby torpedo boat base.[60] | ||
| 84 | Whekenui Battery | 41°12′21″S174°18′16″E / 41.20589°S 174.30439°E /-41.20589; 174.30439 (Whekenui Battery) | 6in Mk 7 gun 12 × 40 mm Bofors | 12 | Queen Charlotte Sound[61] | |
| 84 | Maraetai | 41°15′21″S174°08′01″E / 41.25583°S 174.13361°E /-41.25583; 174.13361 (Maraetai) | 6in Mk 7 gun | 12 | In Tory Channel, Queen Charlotte Sound. | |
| 84 | Blumine Island | 41°09′30″S174°14′11″E / 41.15833°S 174.23639°E /-41.15833; 174.23639 (Blumine Island 1);41°09′31″S174°14′39″E / 41.15861°S 174.24417°E /-41.15861; 174.24417 (Blumine Island 2) | 2 × 6 in Mk 7 guns | 12 | 1942 -1945 | Guarding the northern entrance toQueen Charlotte Sound, the guns are positioned separately on the two northern points of Blumine Island. Associated with each emplacement are a magazine, observation post and accommodation camp.[62][63] |
| 84 | Post Office Point | 40°58′16″S173°59′37″E / 40.97112°S 173.99369°E /-40.97112; 173.99369 (Post Office Point Battery) | 6in Mk 7 gun | 12 | InPelorus Sound / Te Hoiere. | |
| 84 | Maud Island | 41°01′01″S173°54′21″E / 41.01694°S 173.90583°E /-41.01694; 173.90583 (Maud Island) | 6in Mk 7 gun | 12 | At the entrance to Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere. Under the care of the Department of Conservation.[64][65] | |
| 84 | Port Hills | 41°16′10″S173°15′59″E / 41.26944°S 173.26639°E /-41.26944; 173.26639 (Port Hills) | 6in Mk 7 gun | 12 | InNelson. | |
| 85 | Smithfield Freezing Works | 44°22′16″S171°14′41″E / 44.37111°S 171.24472°E /-44.37111; 171.24472 (Smithfield Freezing Works) | 2 × 6in Mk 7 guns 4 × 40 mm Bofors | 12 | 1942– 1944 | InTimaru. The No 2 (Colchester type) gun shelter is in an excellent state of preservation.[66] |
| 134 | Westport | 41°43′48″S171°35′15″E / 41.73000°S 171.58750°E /-41.73000; 171.58750 (Westport Gun Emplacement) | 5in Mk 7 gun (USA) 4 × 40 mm Bofors | 10 | 1942– 1944 | On South Spit. The gun emplacement is no longer there but the battery observation post is visible on Google Earth.[67] |
| 134 | Cobden | 42°26′15″S171°12′45″E / 42.43750°S 171.21250°E /-42.43750; 171.21250 (Cobden) | 5in Mk 7 gun (USA) 4 × 40 mm Bofors | 10 | 1942– 1944 | At Greymouth. Establishment: 2 Officers, 1 WO, 3 Sergeants and 26 ORs.Grey District Council destroyed part of this site, without consultation, in 2007 to make way for a sewer line.[68] |
| 143 | Wainui | 43°49′46″S172°54′17″E / 43.82944°S 172.90472°E /-43.82944; 172.90472 (Wainui) | 2 × 6in Mk 7 guns 4 × 40 mm Bofors 2 × CASLs | 12 | 1942– 1944 | InAkaroa Harbour onBanks Peninsula[69] |
Under the command of the13th Coast Regiment.[28][29]
The advent of air warfare and missiles made these forts redundant and most were decommissioned by the 1950s. Godley Head continued because of compulsory military training and last fired a gun in 1959. The Department of Conservation has the remains of around 30 installations on land it manages.[57]
None of the forts fired a gun in anger, though in October 1939 a Battery Point gun at Lyttelton accidentally sank the fishing boat "Dolphin" and killed its skipper.[73]
In 1972 theUnited States declassified a contingency plan for invading New Zealand. This plan consisted of a 120-page intelligence document calledNaval War Plan for the Attack of Auckland, New Zealand. The intelligence for the report was gathered during the visit of theGreat White Fleet to Auckland over six days in 1908. The plan advocatedManukau Harbour as the best invasion point and landing heavy guns onRangitoto Island to shell the forts on theNorth Shore. The plan was not very realistic and may have been an exercise to keep young officers busy (seeUnited States war plans; which allocated the colour Garnet to New Zealand as part ofWar Plan Red).[74]
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