CAB37-17 — Page 139

Page 139

Singapore

Page 139

5

CHINA STATION.

Dimensions.

Place.

Name of Duck.

Remarks.

Depth

Length. Breadth. over Bill

at H.W.

Feet.

Feet.

Feet.

British.

Victoria

Albert

Admiralty..

Cosmopolitan

:::

450

470

60

530

85

460

Aberdeen, Hope

::

433

883 33

65

20

21

28

Admiralty have right of priority.

85

21

84

24

Hong Kong

Foreign.

French-

Saigon Chinese-- Fuchau

Shanghae

Port Arthur

Russian-

Vladivostock

Japanese-

Government, No. 1

545

69

Government

390

77

Boyds, new

450

Government

359

..

Government

550

Nagasaki

..

Yokosuka

Metsu Bishi Government, No. 1

600

401

•

No. 2

513

2 F83 * 28*

30

23

80

22

75

80

83

94

2 888 8 28

82

30

26

23

..

From the above list it will be seen that on these stations :

Battle-ships :-

Royal Sovereign" class can be docked only at Hong Kong (if lightened). "Centurion" class can be docked only at Hong Kong.

First class cruizers can be docked at:-

Bombay.

6

Calcutta.

Hong Kong.

Table Bay (by lightening).

Cape of Good Hope.

The Cape Town dock, which can only take first class cruisers when lightened, is very awkwardly placed; and it is not probable that space for a second dock could be found, nor that the Colonial Government would make another dock unless practically the whole cost was assumed by the Admiralty.

As the naval station and dockyard is at Simon's Bay, it would be far more convenient to have the large dock there, if a suitable site can be found.

As regards the choice of position, another point to be kept in view is the possible contingency in the future of the severance of South Africa from Great Britain. In such case the Cape Peninsula, with its defended station of Simon's Town, would presumably remain British; and it would be important to have a British dock also.

Mauritius.

Mauritius lies 2,220 miles from the Cape, 2,530 miles from Bombay, and 2,090 miles from Colombo.

The largest dock here only admits the second class cruisers. As Mauritius will assuredly be the head-quarters of a squadron, for reasons given above, a dock that can receive large vessels is a necessity.

The approach to the existing docks is shallow and tortuous; and the enlargement of one of the docks, and deepening of the channel, frequently discussed, has been abandoned as an expensive and inefficient mode of attaining the object.

The use of the Mauritian docks, which depended largely upon the great sailing trade before the opening of the Suez Canal, has much diminished of late years; and there is no probability of a dock large enough to meet naval needs being established

с

[206]

Page 139

Page 139

Page 139