BULGARIA’S NAVAL BASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1460, 16 October 1915, Page 2

BULGARIA’S NAVAL BASE.

Vakna, Bulgaria's naval base on the Black Sea, which was reported last week to have been bombarded by Russian warships, and where, accoiding to later telegrams, antiwar demonslt aliens have taken place, has seen a great deal of war in the last roo years. It was occupied by the Russians in 1828, and in the Crimean War it was a base for the Allied operations against Russia. In the first Balkan War of 1912-13 the Turkish fleet bombarded it, throwing roo shells into the town, but doing littledamage. The Turkish Navy set up a form of blockade of the coast, and shelled several places, but apparently only one attempt at landing was made, the boats not reaching the shore. Bulgaria's mosquito navy showed considerable pluck in meeting Turkish cruisers. Pour torpedo boats engaged two cruisers on one occasion, and a torpedo was successfully fired at the Hamidieh, which reached Constantinople with her forepart almost level with the water. There is a mining depot as well as a naval school and an arsenal at Varna, which is about 250 miles from Odessa and about 15 miles south of the Roumanian frontier. It was lately reported that the defences ot the port were being strengthened by the mountfug of long range guns. Burgas, the other important Bulgarian harbour, bas a less imposing situatlou for its town, because it is built on a low foreland, whereas Varna Is on the side of a hill, but Burgas has a more modern harbour. Varna is the most important city, but Burgas handles a greater volume of traffic in normal years.