Dover a Naval Base.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14074, 4 December 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Dover a Naval Base.

AFTER TWELVE YEARS' WORK. The naval harbour works at Dover have been in hand for twelve years. Dover was used as a base for the*fleets which the Romans maintained for the suppression of the pirates of Northern Europe. Sir Walter Raleigh recommended Dover for development as a naval base, and Henry Vllft did much for its benefit, building a new pier there. * The new work has been a tedious one. and it is open to doubt—in naval circles, to openly' expressed doubt—whether the place will ever be worth what has been spent on it. The result of the twelve years' work is a naval harbour of 610 acres in extent, and a tiny commercial harbour (by courtesy) of nighty acres. The harbour is enclosed by the Admiralty Pier. 4000 ft lonfr. the "eastern arm," 3320 ft long, and the detached southern breakwater. 4200 ft long. In addition, a sea wall 3850 ft long was built in connection with the reclamation of 23 acres of land at tlte eastern end of the harbour. During the twelve years of work, as many as two thousand men have been employed at one time. The construction of the eastern arm and of the Admiralty Pier extension were proceeded with simultaneously. Most of the concrete blocks used weighed 40 tons each, and were placed in position by powerful cranes. Three of these machines always followed each other on the works, the first preparing the sea bed,' the second placing the blocks, and the third working the great diving • bells for under-water work. The gantries for the crane railways were made of Australian bluegum, specially selected in the tree liy a. representative of Messrs Pearson, sent to Tasmania for the mirpnsc. Each of the piles w;is about 100 ft long, and their value, when prepared, was £IOO each. The distance frnni the sea bottom to the surface of the piers and breakwaters is about 80ft. and the "deck" is some GOft wide. The two entrances are each about fiOOft wide, and are defended against marauding toniedo craft by forts containing six-inch quickfiring guns. There an; fortifications and quarters for artillery on the detached breakwater, but these will not he permanently occupied. On the 23 acres of ground which were reclaimed from the sea there have been constructed workshops for the repair of submarines and torpedo-craff, and also two large tanks for the storage of oil fuel for these vessels. These works are still incomplete. A basin is being built for the accommodation of the flotillas of submarines and destroyers which, it is anticipated, will shortly be based on Dover. A great deal of trouble has been experienced in connection with' the laying of moorings for the use of sjiips stationed in the harbour. There', will have to be dredgers continually at work maintaining an adequate depth of water ,while entrance to aud egress from the harbour will at certain times bo attended with considerable risk, especially for small craft, owing to the strength of the tides which sweep past the openings. Accommodation has been provided for about 24 large and 40 small ships, some of the former having to lie alongside the piers and breakwater. At first the mooring buoys were laid so close together that ships made fast at two adjacent ones would have come

into collision when swinging with the tide. Even now it is stated that when a large number of ships arc in the harbour they will have to bo moored fore and alt, a circumstance which will interfere, considerably with their readiness for sea. In his introduction to the Estimates for ]909-10 Mr Melvcnna stated that the Atlantic fleet would in future use as its base. Bcrehaven and Dover. This is suggestive of the transference of the centre of naval activity from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe, which has been going on for some years past. The Atlantic fleet and the Channel fleet were gradually strengthened at the expense of the Mediterranean, and then came the Home fleet, formed by taking units from all three existing fleets, and stationed at the Norc. Now the Channel fleet has cone altogether, and the Home fleet, absorbing it. Ins become the most nowerful fleet in the world, and is stationed permanently in the North Sea.