BIG SHIPS AND DOCKS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 627, 2 October 1909, Page 5

BIG SHIPS AND DOCKS

: WILHELMSHAVEN. ..GERMANY'S'NORTH SEA STRONGHOLD. <; : ■ V ,■;' /'v ' (By Tele'Brapli-Press Aesociation-Copj-riglit.) .. ' . (Rec.Octpber 1, 11.45. p.m.) ■.:'.'; : -. : '.-.\ ■ :■;";■.: ■;'',•. .-' > ,London, October Ii : - . The'new, naval harbour.at Svilhelmshaven', at the North Sea ond of the Kiel Canal; will cost .£3,500,000..:,. !' '■</ ■':':/ , v '-. f '■ The ''undertaking' includes. six docks, \three of which, will be' deep enough to take the lar,gost super-Dreadnonght.: .The new. works will. inc!ude;a..largo3.tting-out basin. .... . ':'.';' ''•; '.- '■:■■ Tho Berlin ■'. correßpondent : of "The Times'' describes :Wilhelmshaven'.as- one of the best■ .equipped.naval.stations in the world.' ■ ; more dreadnought: docks than on ;;/;:::;•:; BRITISH EAST COAST, γ^v; 'IWilhelmshaven,, the 'new. North' Sea naval .base, ,is expeoted Jto.Sßpersc.de tho Baltic port ?iV^ , !i"-- : A S '' :;^nh S n J PS ' naval '■ headquarters'.With,the Rnssion fleet in eclipse; Germany has ■jitJβ: to fear iir the. Baltic, ?,nd.< is concen-' -trating on; the; North Sea. Her. Dreadnought and, Invwciblesauadrons-.will have their head-' quarters at Wilhcltnshaven, and the comple- . tion of ■ tho great .works there-costing within •half.--.aAmillion.-.of the.cost of the Brifish Admiralty s new harbour- at Dover4-will mark a'new-'cra.- :: -'y ; -■:■:■.;; ■ :^ ■]■■■..:■:■•. ; "For .more than'five years now (writes the' German correspondent of "'Tho Navy") the windswept sand dunos : of:,Wilhelinsliaven' and ; the desolate flats, that almost;isolate, it from the North-Sea have-been over-run by an army of German engineers,; contractors, r bnildcrs, and' iheir•; more'humble workersV all- engaged in transforming this most unnatural" port into the strongest ...naval "base .between .Copenhagen: and Cherbourg.;.''Tl\e. work is not completed,- and another'eighteen months will bo spent in pnt- : ;ing the finishing-touches to: the great port) but;it is. completed sufßoiently to warrant the transference thither..'in, September or October of.the entire. German .High Seas 1 Pleet.-iinclud-" ling.:, all,'the- latest- battleships; armoured 'cruisers,; light., protected- cruisers," destroyers, ■and: auxiliaries;: v ■;■'.-: ,:■- '■;■■'■■: ■' ■ ■ .-•:., in, future'!will'-quite, : overehadow Kiel, because it is' tacitly -understood that, ;pnco;.the, Fleet is in (he- North : Sea, it iWill never, return en masse, to the Baltic,-even ;y?henithe Canal, has-'been sufficiently /.broadened, !and. deepened: to:allbw.'pf- the passage of' , --the Nassau, and: larger .ships.', The port has therefore been equipped with every' modern: accessory for. the prompt execution of marine repairs,, from' the shipping of a new tail-shaft to :he:, salving ,of; a sunken battleship.' Moreover, to.this.dockyard bolorigs tho honour of having ■built the' first.- German 18,000-ton: warship. ■ '■■ i':--' ] J)etailedr,descriptions.of--Wilhnlmshaven:are Idifficult to as Ihe inquisitive, foreigner meets with the chilliest of receptions' in\that' .district.. Inspection from . seaward -is - practic.. ally impossible, owing. to. the natural. battlements :of sand that'overlap the tidal-harbour imouth .and ■ present from a distance' one - long [unbroken line ,of: dunej. '..'Behind"these dunes,hnwever.'are no fewer; than three" immense dry Idocks capable of acepmmodating warships much larger than Dreadnoughts. , -.-.Tho : first was-com-pleted,; some .months- :ago ;■-.-fho'second will' ■■'be' ■roady.next month,-and,tn« third, credited with beinjf .aWo-'ito: take 25,000-ton 'ships, - in l the ■epHng:of.:l9ll.---.-'.- : ;i: : ."-'-. :: : -. --;'■ ~: ... ~--.■'../.tV. :--• 'Thus 'in'one ''pOrf.Germany 'has nioro docks: ,of this .capacity than.'exist , along .the entire British-'cast-. coast, -so .far as imy ■ inf orma'Hon' goes,'-The fortifications'of Wilhelmshaveri are on a scale;proportionate .to its future strategi-' oal, 1 significance,,.two millions .sterling^:having so far been expended "on them." '"•■ i' A ■■■:•••.' :--'-':'',;':,'■• •■■/':.'•■■■':■'!.■■*■■ -' ■■■■ ■' :; : -i\ ■: ■■ ■■';.■ i,r

EIGHTH BRITISH DREADNOUGHT LAUNCHED. , ALLEGED TORPEDO-PROOF AKMOTJE. , London, September 30. Tho Duchess of Albany successfully launched nt Portsmouth tha'-Ncntunp, the Dreadnought, 2d,2& tons, laid do»n"in jimfary last Colonial as mol VasouDCiluiiii thftichristeliifig'i cero" mony. .tir ,It is understood that the Neptuno is so heavily armoured as to ho unsinkable by tho explosion of a torrcdi beneath the vessel GERMANY'S FJRST. , ' WESTrALBN IN THE WESER. Berlin, September 30 Germany's first completed Dreadnought, the Westfalcn, 18,500 tons-nhich was lccontly reported to be unable to pass down tho Wosor to the North Sea owing to a imstako made iu calculating her displacoment-hai now accomplished the most difficult part of her passago to the sea. She was aided by a spring tide. I l '™ at first reported that the Westfalen , would have to return to Bremen to discharge her armament. She carries twelve 11-inch and I twelve 6-inch guns. The British St. Vincent 1S j°£ arr ? ten 12 -' neh and twent 7 4-inch guns, and the Neptune's armament will probably be similar, though better arranged] NEPTUNE ANdTaCCELERATION. The Noptnne (eighth Dreadnought) succeeded the St Vincent (fourth Dreadnought) on tho building elip at Portsmouth. The Neptune's displacement ie 20,250 tons (1000 tons more than the St. Vmcont's), her length is 510 ft. &J? i / t v v, ? c S? l l ' e 1S mt) - antl hcr beam 1S ;, ,< ab ,° ut ilt - greater than the St. Vincent s).i The ongme power will ba proportionately mcTeasod, and a speed of about 21 knots is expected. It is also said that tho Neptune's guns will be so arranged as to gWe additional stern hrc. 'lhe veswl which will succeed the Neptuno on the slip will be still larger, One of tho most interesting things in connection with tho Neptuno is that she is supposod to be an accelerated ship When it becamo clear that Germany was acceloTuting her progiammo, tho Briti«h Admiralty dooided to bee i what it could do tilth the Neptuno, which lmd been laid down in January of this year lho programmed month for launching was Octpbor, hut it was announced last April that building would bo expedited, and that tho launch would probably tale place in Augustan expectation >hat h<l3 failed to bo lenhsed ™ nf tt ?h Cel i. B H t ' O X "I tn .° nlonths ,vould ha >° meant that the Neptune's successor could have uoon put on the slip proportionately earlier It remain? to be soon whether tho Neptuno will bo computed before her programmed date, January, 1911 (two yoars from time of lavinc down). 1 b