HISTORIC DOCKYARDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 14 November 1925, Page 3

HISTORIC DOCKYARDS.

RIOSYTTL TO BE SCRAPPED. A cable message on Friday intimated that in following out its economy p&, icy, the Admiralty proposed to scrap two naval dockyards, including Rosyth Rosyth is a British naval base on the Firth of Forth. It lias been developed into a dockyard ranking with oiie older, naval yards of the conutry Portsmouth, Devouport and Chatham. Rosyth was one of the principal base;nd very important in particular a a docking and repairing base of the Grand Fleet during the Great War, and the headquarters of the cruiser squadrons. Its' inception coincided with the change of the naval front from the channel to the North Sea. The intention,'to establish the base was mentioned in March, 1903; but ar.angeiheuts for taking over the lam: and the making of plans occupied several years, and actual work did not begin until March, 1909. The position is above the Forth Bridge at St. Margaret’s Hope on the north side of the estuary, where the depth in the middle was 40 or 50 fathoms.

The plan provided for the construction of a main basin covering an area of 55 acres, enclosed by a sea-wall, and entered through a lock which would enable the biggest ships to pass in and out at all states of the tide. There was to be a dry dock, 750 feet in length and 110 feet in width, but a second lock was added to the scheme, and in 19L3 a third, these admitting the largest whips in the Navy. These docks are dosed by sliding caissons, and Lee pumping plant is of enormous capacity. There were also plannned a large submarine tidal basin, and ranges of workshops, stores, offices, in addition to extensive electrical power and pumping stations.

The Great War found the dockyard, in its main features, completed or approaching completion. About 300 acres had been recovered from the sea, and the sea wall had been constructed by sinking huge concrete monoliths to a firm bed in boulder clay or rock, each 40 feet square and each weighing many thousands of tons, and shod with cutting shoes, weighing 50 or 60 tons each. In 1913 3000 men were employed, and work went on night and day. The plan included the building of 8000 houses for seamen and dockyard workers, and the expectation that the whole establishment would be completed in 1916 was fulfilled. Additional shops and offices were planned in August, 1914, and work was in active progress during the first years of the war. The resources were increased in the light of the new and enormous requirements, and provision was made for the docking, refitting and repairing of every, class of vessel. A large coaling station was established, with very extensive oil tankage, and every equipment for rapidly supplying ships.

The great basin extends for about three-quarters of a mile from east to west, and about a mile from north to south, and the submarine basin is on the east. Eastward of the dockyard the Firth of Forth was dredged to a width of 600 feet, and at low tide the water in the fairway is over 36 feet deep. In the latter part of the war the main elements of the Grand Fleet were transferred to Rosyth from Scapa Flow.