HELIGOLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 8

HELIGOLAND

NOW REFORTIFIED

OTHER ISLANDS ALSO

The Foreign Under-Secretary (Lord Cranborne), in reply to a question in the House of Commons, on July 13, said: "As a result of. inquiries I undei> stand that Heligoland (which-was permanently' demilitarised under the Versailles Treaty) is'being fortified. There is no right of inspection." Commander O. G. Locker-Lampsbn (Conservative) asked: Is it being fortified by leave of the Brjtish Government? . •'. : Lord Cranborne replied: No, it is not being fortified by' leave of anybody. ' . ''~'■■ Writing in the "Daily Telegraph" on June 17, Hector Bywater threw light on the position. ■ The report that Herr Hitler made a- sea cruise during the weekend, he said, is believed in certain quarters, to be connected with the refortification of the German North Sea coast. I understand that Heligoland is receiving special attention. . -■- Work is said to be proceeding with the utmost energy on reconverting the island into the impregnable fortress it was before the war. The defences of the' island, which" is 31 miles from the German mainland, then included eight. 12in naval guns in armoured turrets and a battery of lliri howitzers. ' During the war Heligoland was used as an advance base for submarines, patrol vessels, and aircraft. Its,svategic value was not as : ver> great by British authorities. Under the Versailles Treaty the island was to be permanently demilitarised. ' The two huge moles, which enclosed an artificial harbour, were demolished. Other measures were taken to ensure that the natural process of erosion by the sea would not be checked; According to my information, a new harbour is under construction and powerful batteries have been installed. The original methods of checking erosion by buttressing the sandstone cliffs with ferro-concrete have been adopted. ■ Other German islands in the North Sea which have been refortified and heavily armed are Borkum, off the Ems estuary, and Wangeroog, which guards the entrance to the great naval base of Wilhelmshaven, Norderney, and Sylt are also reported to be strongly defended. ; v The East and North Frisian islands form a natural barrier fronting the German estuaries, and, together with the shifting sands, would render any direct approach to the mainland exceedingly hazardous under war conditions.