SINGAPORE BASE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1934, Page 13

SINGAPORE BASE

ALREADY IMPREGNABLE

A GERMAN DESCRIPTION

Three 18La guns, tho heaviest iii existence, aro mounted in tho batteries at Chaugi, guarding tho new naval base at Singaporo. This statement, togethor with much further, information about tho now.British base- in tho ITar East and its defences, appears in an official German Service organ, writes Hector Bywater in tho "Daily Telegraph.';' The 1 Sin guns, it is added, were shipped to Singaporo in 1925. Each of them is over 59ft long, weiglis 150 tons, and fires a projectile} of more than 33001b. '~ Those guns, according to the same account, were- originally destined for tho battle cruiser—now tho aircraft-carrier —Furious, and towards tho end of the war one was mounted in each of the monitors, Lord Clive, General Wolfe, and Prince Eugene, to shell tho German defences on tho Belgian coast. Tho following details of the • Singapore defences aro given by the same German publication. Their accuracy, of course, cannot be determined. Seven to eight miles cast of the now aerodrome (at Seletar, ■ adjoining tho new base), at the entrance to the Old Strait, the island of Singapore terminates at Cape Changi. Here, and also on the islands of Pulo TJbin, Pulo Tekong Kechi, and Pulo Tekong Besar, situated one to five miles from Cape Changi, new batteries are being erected. Upon their completion these works, in conjunction with the new flanking batteries at Bedok—midway ■ between Singapore and Changi—will command tho approaches to the Old Strait, and therefore to the new naval base. THE HEADQUARTERS. In 1927 the Straits Settlements Government acquired for military purposes 350 acres of jungle and tho rubber and coconut plantations in the Changi and Bedok 'districts. In the hilly region of Changi, which is admirably adapted for battery sites, is the headquarters of the entire defensive system of tho northeastern seaboard of- Singapore. Here is mounted the heavy artillery, consisting mainly of guns on railway mountings. The entrance to the newly-built garrison _ town of Changi, with its artillery, engineer, and infantry barracks, is from tho north. .At this point, the channel has a depth of eleven fathoms, and is thoroforo navigable by tho largest ships. Dutch East Indian newspapers, says tho German journal, report progress on tho Changi works up to tho end of January, 1934. It has been decided to complete the works with all possible speed. For example, the heaviest batteries are to be ready six months in advance of tlio original date, that is, by next September at latest. . Already, however, tlio naval harbour is in a position to withstand every attack. New guns are continually being placed in position. Sixteen British artillery officers have just arrived in Singaporo to supervise tho mounting of the many now guns of 13.5 in calibre. The coolies hitherto employed in building tlio, concrete battery positions have been replaced by w.hito labour. At the present timo several thousand men are at work. BASIN DREDGED. Other statements of interest concerning the new base aro mado. A 150-ton crano brought from Devonport has been erected in tho dockyard.. Near the 00,000-ton floating dock, capable of taking tho largest battleship afloat, a basm has been dredged which enables ships to berth alongside tho warehouses and discharge their cargoes. A now wireless station is now in working order and maintains constant direct communication with the Admiralty in Whitehall. The fuel-oil depot contains 1,250 000 tons, sufficient to supply the needs of a large fleet for six-months

The aerodrome at Seletar lies six to seven miles east of the dockyard, from which it is separated by a broad tributary of the channel, now spanned by a bridge. The work of clearing 600 acres of jungle for this aerodrome was begun in 1927, for completion in March, 1934, though actually it was finished last December. Tho establishment includes two. iron-built hangars 250 ft in length, workshops, barracks, etc., and a broad concrete ramp for seaplanes. The local air forces consist for tlio present of two torpedo and bombing squadrons, and one- squadron of flyingbouts. It is intended eventually to increase the strength to six squadrons.