HELIGOLAND

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 134, 9 June 1916, Page 2

HELIGOLAND

IS THE FORTRESS VULNERABLE? When the island of Heligoland was ceded to Germany by Britain in exchange for a million square miles of jungle and swamp in Africa,, the great Dark Continent explorer, Sir H. M. Stanley, exclaimed that Britain has secured a whole suit of clothes for a '' mere trouser button." But to-day, says the military correspondent of the People's Journal, that little "button" of rock to the North Sea is as vital to Germany as some single remaining button often is to a* bachelor or a schoolboy. In short, Heligoland is to Germany almost what the Dardanelles is to Turkey. <3 This beingr so . is the Inland of Heligoland capable of attack by the V Fleet? The Germans evidently think, that some such raid may be made. Wellauthenticated news states that the fortress is in an acute state of "nerves" Larger and yet larger guns have been taken from the underground arsenals and placed in position. WILL THE FLEET ATTACK,

Sir John Jellicoe is a man of brilliant enterprise. That being so, it is quite possible that one day in the not distant future he may make a bid for possession of the island.

Formidable Heligoland certainly is but that it is proof against bombardment is a theory that would find little support from British naval men. 3> the first place, it is well out of range of the nearest shore defences on Wf>n"Further.) the water round it varies ;- Vr>tJi ?f>ven fathoms to th n northn"«t of the island to nineteen fathom? the Weser Estuary, to the pouthwest. That is to say, our Buner-Dread-nonjrhts have sufficient depth of water steam round the island—once the wav through the minefield is knowto bombard it from all sides, and to pour into it the concentrated fire of r« mimv ships as the commander-in-cln'p'' " , " , « to t n \p itb Mm on tho And the Germans cannot increase the "*ren£rth of the defence bv a single gn*~ -niless the Hiedi Seas Fleet comes out iu»i gives battle. As was shown by the battle erip'op* submarines are no menace to big ship* moving- at hicli speed. Torpedo ?s?f* "rn be kent at bay easily in davKg]i+ The only real protection to Heligoland in fact, is the minefield, and that in view of the German Navy's own urgent '

need of the use of these waters, cannot be very extensive, or it would serion , »Jy hamper their own freedom of movement, especially now that the German Fleet (if we may believe news from Holland) is making at intervals little excursions from the Kiel Canal. Moreover, it is very possible that Britain has by this time some means for effectively disposing of minefields when the approximate locality of these has been determined. THE CUXHAVEN RAID There are some, of course, who maintain that the guns of Heligoland are such that any hostile warships which attempted an offensive against the is''and would be blown out of the water. In answer to this it may be stated that both during the "Fight in the Bight" and the Cuxhaven raid our ships were admittedly well within range of the Heligoland guns. yet. these guns failed to work them any injury. Heligoland cannot move. Its guns are fixed; their radius limited to :i few miles from the sandy cliffs of that £.Oll- - one-fifth of a square mile on which they stand. It is not as though Heligoland commanded narrow straits, as do the forts on the shores of the Dardanelles. These have their uses, but Heligoland stands alone in the seas, 25 miles from any other land defences, Like an isolated army corps, it simply asks to be surrounded and cut up. In some quarters it is objected that though the navy could reduce Helgoland to dust and ashes it would be a mere spectacular feat. ' The damage done to this home of Zeppelins and submarines would be very actual, and the attack would, moreover, be exceedingly likely to bring out the German Fleet. Thus the great naval battle for which our North Sea heroes are so earnestly praying might swiftly come to pass.