Early 20th Century Defences of the Forth

General concerns

In the late 19th century, there was increasing unease in Britain about belligerence in Europe, and the threat to commercial ports in estuaries like the Forth.

The initial focus was on the threat of raids from enemy warships. This triggered the creation of a Submarine Mining Service in the Forth in 1887, initially based at Leith Fort with mines deployed from Inchkeith.

The service moved to a new permanent location at Port Laing in North Queensferry in 1900. All submarine mining stations were combined with associated gun batteries and searchlights. These were installed at Carlingnose Battery, on Inchgarvie and at Dalmeny in 1902.

Royal Engineers and Royal Garrison Artillery men and officers responsible for the guns and lights were housed at Carlingnose Barracks in North Queensferry.

Downstream, new batteries were built on top of the 19th century fortifications on Inchkeith, and at Kinghorn.

Firth of Forth Defences in 1902.

An emerging threat

The rise of Germany as a nation-state in 1871, and the subsequent creation of a German Navy raised the spectre of a new threat across the North Sea. This led to the acquisition of land in 1903 to build a new naval base and dockyard at Rosyth.

Specific Concerns

At the beginning of the 20th century Britain began to plan systematically against the invasion of the east coast of Scotland.

Defences were planned for a) a naval attack on the the Royal Navy b) a sea-borne invasion by the German Army and c) aerial bombardment of military sites, towns and cities. The Army, Navy and the emerging Royal Flying Corps developed their plans more or less independently.

Early 20th Century Naval Defences in the Forth.

Early 20th Century Anti-invasion Defences of the Forth

The rise of Military Aviation and Aerial Defence of the Forth