The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-02-27

base and permitted correspo
defense might of the fortres.
Should the British war fleet ever
move to eastern waters. Il would
find at Singapore every facility
which II required. from an extern
sive harbor safe from enemy at
tack to docks where the biggest
battleship could be accommodated
for repairs and for overhauling
Nothing has been forgotten. and a
British warship would be as much
"at home" at Singapore as at Dew
onport, Portsmouth or Scapa Flow.
The admiralty harbor extends
al the way down the Johore
straits from the causeway which
joins the island Of Singapore TO
the mainland at Changi point. on
the east coast of Singapore. in
Guiding the mouth of the Johore
river. This provides more than 20
square miles of deep water anchor
age. more than enough to accom-
modate the entire British fleet.
BASE AT SELETAR
The base itself, several miles up
the straits at Seletar. covers an
area of four square miles. Tower
Ing over all are the masts Of
naval radio station. and as one
goes up the straits the jib of a
massive crane comes into view and
the sides of the huge floating dock
can be seen.
The facilities at Singapore base
comprise q stores and provisioning
yard. repair yard. rest and recre-
alton facilities for personnel, med
ical facilities and headquarters for
the command.
Thousands Of yards of seawall
and wharves have been built, with
berths to accommodate several
warships at the same time where
they can take on fresh stores and
fuel. Nearby are rows OF store
sheds capable of holding all the
many and varied stores required
for q large fleet which may be
operating at sea for weeks without
an opportunity to return to port
for supplies.
The provisioning yard includes
extensive cold and aforementioned
storage chambers in which perish
able provisions are stored. Enough
food and other supplies for a small
town are kept in store at the base.
Singapore Is fortunate in being
situated close to the oil fields Of
Borneo and Sumatra. but 1t is
necessary to keep within the base,
or near at hand, stocks Of oil
that can be drawn upon immedi-
ately the need arises. II has often
been estimated that oil sufficient
to maintain the fleet for six
months u kept at Singapore.
WATER SUPPLY
PROTECTED
Great mains bring the water
supplies to Singapore and in the
unlikely event these cease to func-
ton there are, actually within the
boundaries OF the base, two reser-
voirs which hold sufficient water
for emergency supplies.
In the armament depot at the
base are magazines holding stocks
Of all types Of naval shells, mines
and torpedoes. They are construct
ed to withstand a direct hit by a
heavy bomb. These magazines
can supply any man-of-war from a
15-inch gun battleship to an escort
vessel There are more than II
miles of railway for handling OF
stores, a. well as large numbers
Of cranes. engines. trucks; lighters
and motor vehicles.
The repair yard provides facili-
ties for the repair and overhaul of
ships with q minimum Of delay.
There are two docks. one the King
George vi craving dock. one of the
biggest naval docks in the world.
and the other the floating dock
which was brought out to Singa-
pore in sections when the work on
the base was in its early stages.
DOCK FOR THE
BIGGEST SHIPS
These docks can take the largest
battleship afloat and the King
George VI dock is extensive enough
to accommodate the biggest ship
In the world. The floating dock.
which was built in Great Britain,
and lowed 5000 miles to singa-
pore in sections is 4 self-contained
dockyard. II has a displacement
Of SO 700 tons and has its own gen.
Grating stations and workshops.
The King George VI craving
dock required excavation Of sew
eral million cubic yards of mud
and earth before the foundations,
which 90 down deep to hard rock.
could be provided. II was a gigan-
tic Undertaking. requiring several
years to complete. II is 1000 feet
1oag. 40 feet wide and IS feet
1sep at the entrance. Once q ship
= berthed inside the dock, the
water can be pumped out in q
short time, leaving the underwater
structure At ths ship exposed for
repairs.
Large blocks Of workshops stand
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