Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site |
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| Colwood side of Esquimalt Harbour, Greater Victoria, British Columbia | |
Lower Battery of Fort Rodd Hill
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| Type | Coastal fort |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1895–1897 |
| Official name: Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site | |
| Designated: | 3 November 1956 |
Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site is an old coastal fort built in the 1800s. It is located in Colwood, right next to Esquimalt Harbour in the Greater Victoria area. This fort was built to protect the harbour.
Right next to the fort is the Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site. This lighthouse was the very first one on Canada's west coast. Both the fort and the lighthouse are looked after by Parks Canada. They are open for people to visit and learn about history.
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Why Fort Rodd Hill Was Built
The area where Fort Rodd Hill stands was named after John Rashleigh Rodd. He was a naval officer who later became an admiral. Guns were first placed here in 1864 to help protect Esquimalt Harbour.
The British Royal Navy started using Esquimalt Harbour in the 1840s. At first, it was just a place for ships to anchor and get supplies. But during the Crimean War (1854–1856), they built hospital huts. This marked the start of what is still an active naval base today for the Royal Canadian Navy.
In 1862, the Royal Navy's Pacific Squadron moved its main base to Esquimalt. Before this, they used floating storage ships in Chile. With more ships and buildings on land, the base needed protection from enemy attacks.
Growing Tensions and Early Defences
The need for defence became even clearer during the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858. Many American gold miners came to the area. Also, there was a tense standoff between the U.S. and British forces during the Pig War in 1859. These events showed that the naval base needed strong protection.
After the Colony of Vancouver Island joined British Columbia in 1866, and then Canada in 1870, the first permanent defences were built. In 1877–1878, tensions grew between Britain and Russia. This made everyone realize how unprotected Britain's only naval station on the west coast was.
Volunteers were quickly trained to use artillery. Five temporary gun batteries were built using earth and timber. These batteries had large guns, like 64-pounder naval guns. The biggest guns were at Macaulay Point and Brothers Island.
However, the naval commander, Admiral de Horsey, said these defences were not good enough. There weren't enough trained gunners, and the local volunteers might prefer to protect their own homes in Victoria. He suggested a permanent group of 100 Royal Marine Artillery soldiers, modern guns, and an underwater minefield.
Building the Fort
It took until 1893 for the Canadian and British governments to agree on a defence plan. Until then, the old guns were the only protection for Victoria and Esquimalt.
The agreement worked like this:
The British government would provide:
- Guns, equipment, and supplies.
- Half the cost of building the defences.
- Half the yearly maintenance cost.
- A group of 75 Royal Marine Artillery soldiers.
Canada would provide:
- All the land and buildings (except for the mine-laying buildings).
- Money for the Royal Marine Artillery soldiers.
- Half the cost of building the defences.
- Half the yearly maintenance cost.
- And they would keep and grow the local militia (volunteer soldiers).
The Royal Marine Artillery soldiers, who were specially trained, arrived in 1894. Royal Engineers also came to supervise the building of the permanent defences.
Powerful Disappearing Guns
Between 1894 and 1897, two separate forts were built. One was at Macaulay Point, and a new one was built at Rodd Hill. Rodd Hill was a rocky cliff overlooking the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour.
Both forts had three 6-inch disappearing guns. These guns were special. At Fort Rodd Hill, two guns were in the "Lower Battery" and one was in the "Upper Battery."
These guns were placed in concrete structures 10 feet thick. The guns were usually kept hidden in the loading position, protected by the concrete and a metal shield. They were loaded and aimed while hidden. When it was time to fire, a large hydraulic system would lift the 5-tonne gun barrel up over the wall.
The great thing about this system was that the gun barrel was only exposed to the enemy for a very short time. It was almost impossible for enemy ships to hit the gun emplacement. However, the guns fired slowly (about one shot every two minutes). Also, the complex hydraulic system often leaked.
The 6-inch guns used separate ammunition. The explosive charge that pushed the shell was stored and loaded separately. There were different types of shells, including high explosive, armour-piercing, and shrapnel. They also fired solid steel shots for practice. All shells and shots weighed 94 pounds and were 6 inches wide.
Smaller Quick-Firing Guns
Besides the medium-sized guns, smaller, faster-firing guns were also placed at the fort. These were meant to stop fast, unarmoured torpedo boats. At Fort Rodd, a special area called Belmont Battery was built for two quick-firing 12-pounder guns. These guns were helped by two large searchlights. The searchlights were powered by diesel engines hidden in an engine room.
For very heavy defence, large 9.2-inch guns were built at Signal Hill, on the other side of Esquimalt Harbour. These guns were not ready until 1912. They were rarely fired because the loud blasts broke windows in the nearby village of Esquimalt.
In 1899, a larger group of Royal Garrison Artillery soldiers replaced the Royal Marine Artillery. They were joined by Royal Engineers who specialized in laying underwater mines. The local Canadian artillery militia continued to train and became very skilled. They even won national competitions. Each year, British and Canadian troops would practice battles and exercises. This included a full-scale night attack on Fort Rodd Hill and the naval base in 1902.
20th Century
By the time of the Second World War, the original guns at Fort Rodd Hill were considered too old. In 1944, new 6-pounder guns were installed in twin mounts.
The fort was named a national historic site of Canada in 1958. On June 28, 1985, Canada Post released a stamp featuring 'Fort Rodd Hill, B.C.' as part of a series about forts across Canada.
See also
