WILHELMSHAVEN.
Wilhelmshaven ranks officially as Germany’s second war harbour, though its strategical position makes it, in fact, the principal base of a German fleet operating in the North Sea. It began its career as a naval station as late as 1869, since when enormous sums of money and infinite labour have been expended on its development.
In area the dockyard is almost four times as large as that of Kiel, and it is even more modern in equipment. It contains a bewildering number of docks and basins, together with building slips, repair shops, depots, and store-houses. There are three Dreadnought graving docks and four smaller ones, and five floating docks, of which the latest can raise vessels up to 39,500 tons.
Only one of the building slips is available for constructing Dreadnoughts, but a second is being lengthened sufficiently for this purpose. The total number of officials and workmen is about 10,500 under peace conditions. At Wilhelmshaven were built the Dreadnought battleships “Nassau,” “Ostfriesland,” and “König,” and at the present moment the battle-cruiser “Ersatz Hertha” is building there.
The terminus of the Ems-Jade Canal is inside the dockyard, but so far as is known this waterway is too shallow to permit the passage of any class of warship.
The Jade Channel, which leads to Wilhelmshaven, is exceedingly difficult to navigate, owing to the innumerable and constantly shifting shoals with which it is infested. To keep this channel clear elaborate dredging operations have to be carried on throughout the year, as otherwise it would speedily silt up and become impassable. Access to the harbour is gained through huge locks, most of which can be used, if necessary, as emergency docks for repairing damaged ships. When these locks are closed the harbour is entirely cut off from the sea, thus affording the ships inside complete security against torpedo attack.
Commodious as the harbour is, however, it is not large enough to contain the whole fleet, and consequently extra moorings were recently laid outside for cruisers and other small craft. The locks are designed on so large a scale, and are so efficiently operated that several squadrons of big ships can be passed through in a few hours.
Wilhelmshaven is the base of the First Battle Squadron, the Scouting Squadron (i.e., all the battle-cruisers and other cruisers of the High Sea Fleet), the 2nd Torpedo Division, and of a submarine flotilla. It is very heavily fortified.
The approach to the Jade Channel is commanded by the batteries of Wangerooge, an island garrisoned by seamen gunners, and said to have very powerful guns. There is a flying station at Wilhelmshaven, with hangars for a dozen seaplanes.