OUR NAVAL BASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 304, 18 May 1911, Page 7

OUR NAVAL BASE.

.AUCKLAND'S DISABILITIES. ADVANTAGES OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND. Christchurch, Monday. Dr. Redman, Mayor of Picton, whohas been on a visit to Christchurch, ikdS something to say in an interview on tJhcs. subject of the naval base which it', seems likely will be established in New Zealand in view of the fact that the Commonwealth of Australia has decided to establish a navy of its own. Auckland, which has been mentioned as the most likely place, labors under many disadvantages, in Dr. Redman's opinion. In the first place, he says, the channel by which entrance to the Auckland harbor is gained is not deep enough to allow of the passage of deep-draught vessels of the Dreadnought and super-Dreadnought types now being built. Secondly, a fleet lying in Auckland harbor could be very easily bottled up by an enemy's neet. Thirdly, Auckland is situated towards the extreme north of New Zealand, and assuming that the enemy had bottled the fleet up in Auckland harbor the other big towns of the Dominion would be absolutely powerless and defenceless. Not long ago the steamer Kaipara, a small vessel compared with a Dreadnought or a super-Dreadnought, went aground in Rangitoto Channel; and the shallowness of that channel is Auckland's great diS' ability, when considered as a possible naval base. Over a very large area, as the chart showed, the depth of water in Rangitoto Channel only averages five and a-half fathoms, or 33ft. Queen Charlotte Sound, on the other hand,, was free from these disadvantages; The largest vessels afloat, or the'largest that were iikclv to be built, could'navigate the Sound with safety. At both .enjmmges there were high rocky lying across lend themselves ;S batnrft'fiy l#e^sti»^'l,fortification, and would render practically impregnable. With the completion of the South Tsland Main Trunk line it would be an easy matter to land large bodies of troops in the vicinity of the base from other parts of the South Tsland. Railway connection with the West Coast would render a naval base at Queen Charlotte Sound independent of sea-borne coal. The completion of the East and West Coa«t, (Midland) railway would effect the same end. The average depth in the main channels of the north entrance was not less than 20 fathoms and similar conditions as to depth of water existed in Torv Channel. At the head' of the Sound there was an excellent anchorage, with a depth of from six to fourteen fathoms, where vessels could lie •in absolutely safety, and where it would be impossible to shell them from outside, as the Sound was surrounded by mountainous country. It had been decided to brine the advantages possessed by Queen Charlotte Sound under the notice of the British Admiralty, and a communication on the subject was at present on the way to the Admiralty.