Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-25
GERMANY BEGINS
BIC NAVAL PLANS
Huge BattleShip Fleet Is Sta
toned Permanently in
the North Sea
CALLED STRATEGIC MOVE
Garrison at WiIheImShaVen to Be
Increased by Over
5000 Men
CALLED STRATEGIC MOVE

BERLIN, April PA step of the
greatest Importance in the naval de-
velopment of Germany was taken a
few days ago, when, for the first time,
a fully commissioned battleship fleet
was permanently stationed in the
North sea. Hitherto, although the COM
naissioned fleet under the Double Eagle
has nominally been divided between
the Ostsee, or the Baltic, and the Nord-
see, or North sea, Kiel has, to all in
tents and purposes, been the headquar-
ters of both the squadrons into which
the High Sea fleet (Which the German
admiralty prefers to call the Aktive
Schlachtflotte, or active battle fleet)
is divided
Now this state of things has been
altered. Vice Admiral Pohl, comman
DER under Admiral Won Holtzendorff
of the first squadron, has taken his
ships to Wilhelmshaven, upon which
port they will henceforth be perma-
nently based The British will not have
forgotten the eclat which was raised
when, in 1907. the British fleet was for
the first time in recent years based
on the More. This move on Germanys
part is no less important than that,
and is part of a great scheme of ma
ttonal naval preparation more far
reaching than anything yet attempted
by Great Britain on the shores Of the
North sea-
Wilhelmshaven today is in the proud
position of being the most fully equip
ped dockyard for Dreadnoughts in the
world. Nearly ten thousand men are
employed, and there are three docks
that can take Dreadnoughts and three
suitable for other ships, in addition to
three floating docks for torpedo craft
In the whole of the British naval dock
yards there are only four docks that
can accommodate Dreadnoughts.
TO INCREASE GARRISON
1t is significant to note that stimuli
taneously with the transference of the
first battle squadron the garrison of
Wilhelmshaven is to be increased by
no fewer than eight thousand men. 1t
is not at Wilhelmshaven alone, how
ever, that German activity in the North
sea is being manifested. One of the
most striking instances is Borkum, the
island that is situated at the mouth
of the River Ems. and the most west
erly point of the German territory. The
fortifications of this island, hitherto
only moderate, are being greatly in
creased, and their ultimate strength
will include between forty and fifty
heavy and medium quick firing guns.
it has become known in Germany that
the plans of the British admiralty, in
the event of a war with Germany, In
cluded the seizure of this island, to
serve as base for torpedo operations
against the German coast. How Ger
many became possessed of such in
formation it is impossible to say, but
the fact remains that it did. and that
Germany is consequently taking steps
to prevent the achievement of such an
object. Quite recently the garrison Of
the island has been increased by three
battalions of artillery, while accom-
mediation for 400 reserves has been
erected at Emden.
Much of the same reasons probably
account for Germany's great expendi-
ture on the island of Heligoland. over
$4,000. 900 is being spent upon the de-
velopment of this mass of clay-one-
half for Notifications and the other
half for the construction of a torpedo
harbor.
CONSTRUCTION YARD
Brunsbuttel is another point on which
much energy is being concentrated. A
great repairing yard IS in course or
construction here, and there Is every
likelihood of the work, which includes
two Dreadnought docks, being COM
pleted by 1914, or two years before the
one dock of the British at Rosyth. The
Kiel canal. again, is being so enlarged
that Dreadnoughts will be able to ira
verse it, and as this work is costing
$50 900, 900, or 100000 more than the
original cost of the canal, it Will be
seen that Germany is prepared to sac
rifice much to secure something that
NAV be of use to her when the time
comes.
Vice Admiral Pohl's squadron will
not vet of course, stand comparison
with the British home fleet. 1t consists
of eight battleships, two armored
cruisers and three scout cruisers or
the battleships, only two, the Nassau
and Westfalen, are Of the Dreadnought
tvpe but they carry twelve 11-inch and
twelve 5.9-inch guns, which is su-
perior armament to anything yet put
into a British DreadnOught
It must be understood that the trans
ference of this squadron to Wilhelms-
haven does not mean that it comprises
the whole naval force which Germany
has at her disposal in the North sea.
The second squadron, though contlnu-
ing to be based on Kiel, will spend
even more time than previously in the
North sea. It comprises the same nu-
nerical strength as Vice Admiral
PohPs command. Each new Dread
nought as it is completed will be draft
ed into the first squadron, relieving
vessels of older types, and it is the
intention of the German admiralty SO
10 arrange things that early in 1911
if shall be composed exclusively OF
ships of the uper-Dreadnought type.