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2. Recent events have led the Admiralty to believe that under certain circumstances the possibility of attempts being made to block the entrances at certain ports in the United Kingdom, either simultaneously with or immediately after the outbreak of war, is by no means an improbable contingency, and has resulted in their Lordships reviewing afresh the whole question.
3. It is believed that satisfactory arrangements have now been made at all ports liable to this form of attack whereby it will be impossible for outgoing vessels to carry out such operations successfully, but in the case of incoming vessels the only safeguard appears to be the provision of an efficient Examination Service at such ports.
Barrow is of especial importance to the country from a naval point of view, and the blocking of its entrance for any appreciable period during war would be of considerable inconvenience to the Admiralty, taking into consideration the vast development of Messrs. Vickers' works during the last few years.
Moreover, further enquiry has elicited the fact that the available resources of Messrs. Vickers for dealing with vessels sunk in the fairway are in reality very slight, and totally inadequate to clear the channel rapidly in the event of a large vessel being sunk in the entrance. It is also improbable that, in war, Government aid could be relied upon at short notice.
4. In view of the above facts, the Naval Members of the Home Ports Defence Committee adhere to the opinion that the provision of an efficient Examination Service at Barrow is essential, even though it may involve the provision of additional fixed defences.
December 16, 1912.
APPENDIX V.
Copy of a Letter from Messrs. Vickers (Limited) to the Assistant Director of
Dear Captain Charlton,
Torpedoes, Admiralty.
December 5, 1912.
I HAVE spoken to Mr. McKechnie, our director at Barrow, on the subject of your telephone message to me this morning, and he tells me that the probable local method of removing a vessel scuttled in the fairway would be to discharge the stone into barges at low water, patch the hole, if available, with the aid of divers, and float the vessel away. Owing to the great range of tide in Walney Channel, and the comparatively shallow fairway at low water, the removal of an obstruction of this kind does not present as great difficulties as at ports with a less range of tide and a deeper fairway at low
water.
There are three local divers in the employ of the Furness Railway, which is the harbour authority. They have the usual equipment and boats. The Furness Company also have some very powerful tuga, dredgers, barges, and punts. Barrow has a floating crane with air-compressing plant on it, which would also be available.
The general opinion locally is that an Examination Service would be of utility at Barrow, but the question is really one of general naval tactics. If it were installed the vessel should be supported by another land battery at the south end of Walney Island.
Sir Trevor Dawson will be back here next week, and I will remind him of your having written to him on this matter.
[557]
Yours faithfully,
ALBERT VICKERS.
F
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