GERMANY'S NAVAL BASES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2222, 7 August 1914, Page 6

GERMANY'S NAVAL BASES

THE KIEL CANAL A SHQRT CUT TO THE BALTIC Germany has-two'naval harbours, Kiel and Wilheliusliayen. '■ Kiel .Harbour, or" rathe.r Kiel.Fiord,',on the Baltic, is a deep and well-sheltered natural inlet of the-sea which/affords ample room to all warships of Germany present and to come. Wilhelmshavon, on the North Sea, is a small- port laboriously dug' out of. the mainland. It is quite insufficient for Germany's naval requirements, as regards size, and the narrow entrance has to be kept at a proper depth by constant dredging. Thus, writes J. J3llis Barker, in the "Nineteenth. Century," Nature has placed the German War harbour in the inaccessible Baltic. Kiel is Germany's principal naval base. Germany's naval battles .might have to be fought in the' North Sea. (Jnder these • circumstances the precariousness' of the connection between the Baltic and the North Sea by way of the Skager. Back and. Kattegat, and. through the Danish Archipelago, tho length'.of the roundabout journey, and the fact that in war / time the.German'fleets would constantly > have to pass, to and fro under the eyes i and under the guns of Denmark, were ex-' • ecedingly irksome.to Germany, especially as, untjt lateljy Denmark was not friendly to her mighty neighbour, remembering; her spoliation 0f'1861..: Germany had to., be. prepared, to 1 fight either Prance or Bus-, sia, and perhaps both Powers simultaneously. Therefore, she had.to maintain 'strong, fleets in both, the Baltic and the North Sea, and'she ; had to bB able to fight' with. her. whole .'naval, strength in either.-sea and at shorty notice: ,'■' ':_.- To effect rapidly and unnoticed a junc-tion-of her fleets, either in .the North Sea or in the'! Baltic, Germany created 'an artificial link' connecting' the North Sea and the Baltic by -the'eonstruction' of -the Baltic and North Sea. Canal'.' "The Baltic and North Sea Canal has. been planned - with great wisdom,.and has'been built without'regard to expense. It leads from the'interior of Kiel- Harbour to- Brunsbuttel, a--town which: lies on the lower reaches- of the Elbe twenty-five--miles above the mouth of that river, and the shallows surrounding it. Therefore the . North-. Sea .opening of. the • ■ canal is exceedingly well sheltered. It is neither ! easily accessible to a hostile fleet of war-1 ■ships and of transports carrying landing parties, nor can. it easily be observed by hostile* sea-keeping. /cruisers and naval ■ balloons, because the distance which separates the canal opening from the-open sea is too-great. i-:V-.> . •. ■--. - . The -distance; which- separated Kiel and the lhouth. of • the Elbe before the ..construction -of the Baltic and North Sea Canal, was .650., m'ilesv■• ..The cutting;of the Canal-has-reduced that: distance to but ififty-five miles'. As', the, CaiuU has no gradients -to be' overcome' br locks, as its banks' 'are so' -very solidly, built that the wash of'skips passing - through at speed will not damage.- them, as all along the route numerous- commodious basins -have b'oe'n built, where ships -going in different directions , may pass one .'another,. and whereto disabled ships', may be dragged in order not to block the passage, and a3 the fixed bridges leading across .the. Canal are so high' aboveithe' water, level as allow high-masted ships to'pass easily underneath, ' warships are 'able/to-. traverse the Canal with great rapidity. Tbe-pas. sage fromEiel to Brunsbuttei can', under favourable circumstances, be - made in' five hours or less. ■'.; Therefore' Kiel' protects Hamburg very effectively, and'-it may be : said that,'thanks-tothe canal,' Kiel has become a. harbour on the North Sea as well-as.on the Baltic: .- !; ■ . The greatest, strategical importance, in" the North Sea are wee in' number.: the month of! the Elbe, which gives access, to Hamburg and to the -western.entrance of.the.^Baltjc^and.North-Sea, Canal; ..the!n'aval; , ;harbour.';of''. I 'vv'ilhelihs-' haven;!ahd: tho mouth of the Weser. with Bremen.. ! These- three -points 'are admir-' ably, defended, by permanent land fortifications of: great strength,'and by the sea fortress of Heligoland./which'is likely, to' -play'a.'very important part in any naval war. of! detence.'in which Germany jnay be "engaged/ .!,;'!''. : Heligoland is'a rock some hundred and fifty feet high, and'hot much larger, than avpafk of.'moderate 'size, such as.Hyde Park...' It is. almost exactly equi-distant' from,the mouth of the Elbe: with; Hamburg and ; the entrance'to the' Baltic, and the North Sea Canal, from, the mouth of, the Weser with Bremen; and from Wilholmshav'en.- .Therefore Heligoland • pro-' vides a most excellent advanced point; of observation. It is amply "provided with signal'stations, and ■'■ with;/ appliances-, for wireless telegraphy'; and it is connected by' cable with Ouxhaveh and' Wilhelnis- ■ haven.- Besides, Heligoland will serveAn war as. a'base'for /torpedo boats, 'which; win- lie' in' its', shallow ■ harbour, whilst I larger ships will be.able to.anchor.close to' Helgoland' sheltered by the "Dune," and there to-'iako in■■ ammunition, and I'coal. " Heligoland is so strongly fortified' -that-it is "not only, secure against'a coup ; de"main,''but'that;iti'would'be a l 'very!awk-.' ward antagonist to all! ships within reach ; of its heavy;'guns and howitzers,' 'will no' doubt take a,' very 'active-part in any naval battle'which may-be fought in' its vicinity. Heligoland'lies about forty' .miles in front' of : the ■ German coasts, but, - - owing to the extensive shallows already referred to, it lies only-about fifteen miles in' front!of -the.'open sea. .zone! of ;Ger-' many.' Consequently its' puns are able" tfl cut very effectively - into tho nia--noeuvriug field of a:!hostile fleet,."whilst they would give-an; invaluable support to a German fleet issuing from the induth. ■ of the Elbe br from Wilhelmshaven or retiring to/one of these points.' -Lastly, all merchantmen going'to, or contfng from Hamburg must pass close to Heligoland.; Consequently Heligoland makes the block- . ade of Hamburg difficult,', and facilitates; the protection-.of merchant shipping going to, or issuing'from, that point. Thus Heligoland serves at the' same time a 9 an advanced point of, and as_ a powerful floating battery which./admirably, covers, the roost vulnerable spots of Germany in the.'North. Sea. ' .