1941-08-02 — Page 11

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

August 2, 1941.

SINGAPORE NAVAL BASE

Although most people now understand the lisportent role of the Singapore Naval Base in making it possible for British Fleet to operate at will in For Eastern waters, only a comparatively few appreciate the important func- tion of the toeni naval forces in the defence of the base.

The base is designed to provide all the facilities re- quired by a battleflect, dry docks, repair worksligps, stores, stocks of munitions and so on-and that lu a function can fulfil to perfection, so complete and up-to-date is its equipment.

One reason why Singapore, and, in particular,, the Sembawang district of Singapore, was chosen for the alte of the Naval Base when the decision to build it was reached in 1921 was that it'lu idenity altunted strategically and is particularly well placed for defence.

Strategic Positions

A glance at the map shows how Singapore stands at the meeting place of the minjor trade routes between the Indian Ocean and the China Sea and within a compara- tively, short distance of other chipping lanes which are vital to the British Empire. It also shows that the Straits of Johore, where the Naval Base is situated, are protected by the east coast of Singapore Istand leading to Changi Point, the islands of Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin and the south-east coast of the Malay peninsula.

The protection of the approaches to the Naval Base lo targely the task of the military authorities, Indeed, the formidable land fortifications of Singapore are almost as fatty as the Naval Base itself. No bare can be depen- dent, however, on land defences alone, and it is here that the local forces plny such an important part in ensuring that the facilities at Sembawang will always be available for the fleet.

Strong Naval Patrols

The local naval forces comprise units of the Royal Navy permanently based on Singapore, including those munned by the Straits Settlements R.N.V.R. and the walls of the Maluy Navy,

One of the duties of these local naval forces is to main- tain uncering etgilance and to ensure that the waters around Singapore are kept safe for navigation. This is art absolute necessity in wartine even though the main theatre of hostilities is several thousand miles away.

Precautions must

be taken against

the

possibility... and in war it is often the Improbable things which happen submarines or other craft entering the hor- bour. Furthermore, measures must be taken to keep the inain channels in and out of Singapore free from

enemy mines.

chemy

To guard against enemy vessels approaching Singapore, patrols are mabilained by the local defence flotilla. These include Straits Settlements R.N.V.R. launchen, and fuenl small ship which were converted into auxiliary naval vessels in the carly weeks of the war. It is in these ships that the men of the Malay Navy have such a

votumble opportunity for service and every man attached to that young branch of the Navy is performing a duty that is essential for the defence of his own country as well as for the protection of the Naval Base which has a very wide Imperial significance.

Examination Service

Other local naval defence measures of equal importance include the examination service which was explained to the seafaring community in a series of announcements by the Muster Attendant at the outbreak of war. This ser- vice has been malatained ever since and not a single ship can enter Singapore waters without satisfying the inquiries of the offteers in charge. The aim is to guard against any ship entering

the harbour unless her friendly intentions have been assured, Linked with the examination service are the Port War Sigon Stations which challenge every ship approaching and immediately informs the defences if the ship fails to carry out the prescribed rules of approach.

."

For the defence of the entrancer' to the Strolls and harbours there are contact mineftelds. These make it needsgury for any ship approaching Singapore to follow cortuin early defined Channels which are swept daily.

There are also other protective devices of a more secret nafüre at the entrances to the harbours.

The emphasis placed by the Authorities on minesweep- ing has been illustrated by descriptions which have already been published of some of the work of the Straits Settle- iments R.N.V.I. The RN.VA. units and other vessels are dolly engaged on sweeping the channels in the vicinity of Singapore.

These measures, and others which cannot be divulged, are taken with two objects In view-the safety of Singapore for use by merchant shipping carrying on the valuable Import and export trade of Malaya and the safety of the Singapore Naval Base which, will not be called upon to fulfil its most important role unless and until a battle- flect is required to operate in For Eastern waters,

Service Station For Fleet

The bose itzelí is a means to an end-it provides the facilities without which the British Fleet could not control the South China Seas and the trade routes of the western Paelfle. It was built because the lncreased size of modern battleships and the extensive requirements of other units of the Fleet demand convenient and adequately-equipped bases. British command of the seas depend not merely on the possession of a great and powerful havy but also on sui

suitable bases from which the Fleet van operate and to which i can turn for supplies, overhaul and repairs when needvet.

Singapore provides an near an ideal naval base an ean be found anywhere in the world. The natural harbour of The Straits of Johore Including the mouth of the Johore river, has some 50 square miles of deep water anchorage, I was undeveloped before the Admiralty decided to con struct the Hase and there was therefore nothing to prevent the naval authorities securing

control of the This is a valuable asset in

security aneasures.

In the past thirteen or fourteen years the four square miles of Singapore Island which are now within the Naval Base boundaries have been transformed from an area of coastal swamp, coconut and rubber plantations to. # morlern naval station provided with every convenience and require- ment, from an abundant fresh water supply to workshops where navat guns can be overhauled and repaired.

Dockyard Facilities

In the dockyard is the King George VI graving dock which was formally opened by Sir Shenton Thomas, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, in 1938. This is one of the biggest val dry docks in the world, capable of accommodating the biggest battleship afloat. Adjoining are workshops for repairs of all kinds, & damaged can be dealt with in a few days, heavy guns or boilers can warship be lifted out of shus for

ships for repair in the workshops, and. normal routine inspections and overhauls carried out with as little delay as in a dockyard in Great Britain.

The floating dock, which was towed out to Singapore before the Naval Base was built, remains in the Straits and virtually doubles the facilities provided by the graving dock. It is a self-contained unit, will its own workshops and

wardating station, and is big enough to take any

The Naval Base. is however, much more than a dock~ yard where repairs to ships may be effected. Provision has been made for the revictualling and refuelling of ships and the stores basin is normally one of the busiest sections of the Base. The stores sheds hold stocks of all the re- quirements of HA ships and food enough to feed offlcers and men of the Eleet for several months,

Oil fuel depots are obviously a very necessary adjunct uf the Base. Several hundreds of acres are devoted to oll tanks, and a ship that berths alongside the wharves can take on fuel for many weeks at sea and soon be away again, for Singapore is one of the great of distributing centres of the world although no oil is found in the Malay península.

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AND

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METAL POLISH GIVES BRILLIANCE

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Few visitors to the Naval Base' have ever inspected the armament and torpedo depols, The former, wilero mices and naval shells of every calibre are stored, fy notur- ally one of the 'hush-hush' 'features of the Buse. It is constructed so as to give complete protection against aerial attuck and is an arsenal where munition may be tested as well as stored. The torpedo depot Included a range where this potent naval weapon can be tested.

Milos Of Workshops

T'h tour the Base is a rata privilege and ope receives surprises at every turn. But oven in outward appearance the Bose is remarkable. Standing on the wharf-side ore massive * ctanes, while running throughout the dockyard and stores yards are mille after inkle of reliwaya with trucks to provide easy transport. At each whorl where ships berth are points where the oll, water, electricity and com- pressed air mains can be

be tapped. Walking through the workshops it in to believe

Cagy that there is practically no tasks, big or small, which the Naval Base could not undertake. Working under Euro- penn engineers and overseers are thousands of Asiatle artisans on whose skill depends so much. The Base la amazingly complete and every device for its profection in wartline seems to have been thought of and provided.

Safe Against Air Attack

All the buildings não constructed to afford the maxinium safely tyinat ale attack. If incendiary bombs fell on the roofs they would never pierce through to the workshops. If high explosive bombs fell in the Base damage from fly- ing splinters and blast would be negligible, while all vital When one realises points are proof against even direct luts.

the aulikelihood of enemy ralders ever getting near enough to Lomb the Naval Base, the extreme thoroughness of tho Admiralty precautions is at once apparent,

in the outlying parts of the Base in the residential areas, for example, air raid damnge would be minimised by the passive defence organisation. As an illustration, there is the fire fighting service which is equipped with trailer pups that could deal at one time with innumerable widely

takered fires

res such as might be caused by incendiary bombs. The water mains go through the Base with booster pumps at various points to increase the water pressure

asure should that be necessary in fighting Brea or for other purposes.

In considering the many ways in which no detail has been overlooked in building the Base, the facilities provided for rest, and recreation for personnel of ships using the fluse deserve mention. The Fleet shore accommodation can house nearly 2,000 men. They have a canteen at their dis pasal and two cricket grounds, seven football pitches, 10 tennis courts, two squash courts, a swimming bath and two elneaias,

The Base is to-day a town of its own with most of the essential community services. It is a healthy spot as anywhere in Malaya-and that is saying a great deal for Mais country has an enviable health record now that en- gineers and doctors have controlled malaria,

From All Corners Of Empire

Adiniralty personnel Ilving within the Base-several hundred Europeans and thousands of Astaties-have moderu accommodation built to provide the maximum comfort in tropical conditions.

Malay syces, Chinese tukangs, Tamils and Malay work- men, and Sikh policemen drawn from different corners of the Empire, and speaking their different languages, find, themselves working together for a common cause.

All this is in an area where in 1927, fourteen years ago, a visitor com sep G

"milles of mangrove swamp and poisonous black mud bounded by an ill-defined shore."

It is a great achievement made posable by British engineering skill, but the function of the Base must never be forgotten--without it the British Fleet could venture cast of Suck only at great hazard, while with the unlimited facilities of the Base the Fleet can come and go at will, maintaining the freedom of the seas for the ships of all peaceloving nations in a quarter of the globe many thou- sands of mites from the mother country of the Empire.

PRIVATE LIFE OF A PRIVATE

The Wins a

-Further extracts--from-the- diary of a journalist turned soldier.

Other battalions have

UR old squad is scattered.

absorbed most of the men who

Kid

Stripe

11-is not enough that he Jnows.his. stuff. He must learn how to impart what he knows.

So he is taken in hand by The Man Who Will Be Regimental Sergeant- Major.

HE'S A TERROR!

This man is something more thou first looked at each other over a man; he is a Man in Authority. A the little billiard table in the Sergeant-Major is terrible. The Man reception building and paled as Who Will Be R.S.M. is more than a they heard the voice of a cur- Sergeant Major

lle poral drilling recruits outside. Class on the Square. He goes all His voice sounded like the over the old drills with a vengeance. breaking-up of old iron castings. Our hearts sank,

the Young Corporals'

Yelling, snapping, strutting, and crackling like a dyname, he chases them several times a day.. Watching their heels, you feel a sympathetic

Once, when we heard an in- domitable recruit addressing a pain run up your leg.. man with a stripe as "Corp." They have got to be an example Wo recoiled, it to be held up to gaping new- fearing that comers. They must be ready at any the thunder- moment to give a Complete Deinon- stration of nearly everything per- bolts which Heaven would taining to training.

And, as a cock must learn to crow, hurl down to so must the Young Corporal fearn 10 wipe out the shout. He must pick up all the in- irreverent one flections of authority, so that is might spoil volce will be something that com-

mands Instant obedience.

our newly CORPORAL KNOW-ALL polished boots.

Where are He must learn how to balance und The Kid from they all, those time a ward of command to coincide Widnes good men who with the coming-down of the left

foot.

wer,

mucked-in in the remote days of He must revise all he ever know August, 19407

about rifles, Bren-guns, anti-tank The Tall Boy from Sunder- tifles, hand grenades, mortars and land, having Alled out and other accessories und components of shown promise of becoming u He is expected to know everything. kind of intelligent Carnera, was if o recruit asks him a‘question, he taken away in a lorry, in full must have the answer on the tip of marching order: so were many more..

They are somewhere in Eng- Jand. Good for England.

his tongue. -

For him there must be no slip-up on words, for he is Authority.

Weeks past. At last the moment -urrives. He is marched into the

And now, if you address the presence of the C.O., who looks at Kid from Widnes, you call him him and says, "All right," or words Corporal, Recruits will tremble to that effect.

at the sight of him, and đỡ -THE GREAT DAY

exactly what he tells them to

do.

"HIYA, COCKREL!”

And then he marches out and goes

to the Quartermaster of his cum- pany, who honds him alx stripes,

Thereupon, clutching these em- Even the Lad from the Elephant blems of unarguable authority in a and Castle who is as irrepressible as hot hand, the Young Corporal rushes pale nie on a hot day, hastily re- to the tailor, and members the Kid's new dignity, and, sew these on quick."

Jay

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"Bo a pal-

For about forty-eight hours ho

THE

In the middle of his chirpy it struins his neck, looking down of his Cock" throws in

in the rank, saying:

"Hiyo,

Is

Cockrell"

alcoves. Then duty sucks him down Attaining non-commissioned_rank like a twig in a whirlpool: the life

11 stem burlness. The Young of an N.C.O. hás bogun.

Corporal gives up the joys of life, He is Acting Unpaid Lance-Cor

On recommendation, he is enrolled poral: and from now on, if he makes

in a Class. There are many things a mistake, there will be no excuse for him to learn. He has to struggle for himi

остояв that little wilderness that. Within seven dayi hợ is Corp.; like separates the pupli-from-the-tenchor, any other Corp.,

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