Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-04
FORTS At KR0NSTADT
RIVALS OF GIBRALTAR
Begun by Peter the Great, They
Have Been Improved On by
Every Gear Since.

"Kronstadt. the island that guards
the imperial city of Russia, Petro-
grad, is the most strongly fortified
place in the northern empire" begins
statement on war geography just
given out by the National Geographic
Society. THE Notifications on the
island were begun by Peter the Great
in 1903. after the dispossession of the
Swedes. They have been added to and
strengthened by many first-rank en-
gineers in every reign since then. until
today they form a formidable obstacle
to any fleet that rides the seas. Kron-
stadt is the port and outpost defense
Of the Russian capital, the seat of the
Russian admiralty, and the first naval
station of the car. The port city Is
situated on the Island of Kotlin,
though it is generally written of I'M
city.
Kronstadt. five in number. repulsed
the Anglo-French fleet during the
Crimean war. These redoubts today.
although mounting modern ordnance.
are largely obsolete. but powerful
forts and sunken batteries have been
opment of the naval strengths of
neighboring states. The defensive
works Of the island and adjacent shores
have been carried out on an extensive
to the specifications of Todleben. mod
flied and brought up to date by sue
ceeding engineers.
Eleven Batteries Guard Channel.
Fort Constantine and four batteries
were constructed by Todleben to de-
fend the principal, or southern, ap-
proach, while seven batteries were
placed to guard the shallower northern
channel. The modern works are low,
armored and reinforced
and mounting heavy Krupp guns in
turrets. Earthworks link up the chains
of redoubts.
The island on which Kronstadt stands,
lying nearly in midchannel. at the head
Of the Gulf Of Finland. is the front door
of Russia. 1t is so situated as to make
the bombardment of the capital Impossible
before the passage of its forts and bat
teries. The island Is twenty-one miles
west of Petrograd. and stretches for eight
miles, east and west, in the midst of the
pocket-like gulf. It's guns are within easy
range of the shores to the north and SOUTH
thus enjoying perfect command of the
channels between, and their effectiveness
extends well into the country beyond the
water 1t is fortified by parallel lines on
the northwest. southwest and southeast.
The southern line of defenses is the
strongest. Altogether the island leaves
little in the way of military supremacy to
Helgoland and Gibraltar.
Can Dock 1000 Ships.
Formerly most of the imports into Rus
STA by way of Petrograd were landed at
and thence taken to the capt.
tai by lighters and by land. Canalization,
however. has made 1t possible for larger
freighters to reach the Petrograd docks.
and this has somewhat cut down the i'm
portaEce Of Kronstadt as a commercial
harbor.
The port city is situated at the eastern
base Of the island. we'll sheltered from
hostile attack, and it commands three
harbors. The commercial harbor has
and anchorage for 1000 ships.
The central harbor is equipped for the
building and repairing of merchant YES
sells. while the remaining harbor Is de-
voted to naval usage. 1t is equipped with
excellent machine shops, dry docks and
other factories peculiar to the modern
navy yard. This harbor offers secure
anchorage to the Russian war vessels, be-
hind the island, and protected by the
weight Of powerful Qualifications