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Original Text (Annotation: EAW022216 / 1340275)
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Sandown Granite Fort. This was built between April 1861 and September 1864 at a cost of £73,876. The fort was constructed from brick at the back and granite with iron armour plating at the front. It was initially armed with eight 10" and four 9" R.M.L. canons (rifled muzzled loaded), but only after several years' delay. The fort's armaments were removed in 1904 as these were now obsolete and the building could not be adapted to take latest design of weapons. The fort was sold in 1930 and the brick back demolished. In WW2, a pill box was built on top.
As part of the preparations for invasion of France in 1944, 14 pumps were installed in the fort; eleven in the empty casemates and the other three in remaining buildings at the back of the fort. These were all connected with a further two pumps in the dummy ice cream parlour on the other side of the Grand Hotel. These pumps were used to deliver petrol through PLUTO, a 70 mile long, 3" diameter, underwater pipe from Shanklin Chine to Cherbourg. This was in operation from 12th August 1944.
Sources: http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/sandowngranite.pdf
http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A83151092
See also image EAW038579
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