HC Deb 16 February 1911 vol 21 cc1409-10W
Lord CHARLES BERESFORD

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many docks capable of taking battleships and armoured cruisers of the "Dreadnought" class are there, built, building, and projected, in Great Britain and Germany; what are their dimensions; and where are they situated?

Mr. McKENNA

There are twelve docks in Great Britain capable of taking the "Dreadnought," and ten docks building or projected capable of taking the same vessel. Their positions are as follows:—

Docks built:—

Admiralty docks—

Four at Devonport and one each at Portsmouth and Haulbowline.

Private docks—

One each at Liverpool, Birkenhead, Bristol, Southampton, Belfast, and Hebburn-on-Tyne.

Docks building and projected—

Admiralty docks—

Three each at Portsmouth and Rosyth and one at Sheerness.

Private docks—

One each at Liverpool, Glasgow, and Southampton.

The corresponding figures for Germany are as follows:—

Docks built:—

Imperial docks—

Four at Wilhelmshaven and two at Kiel.

Private docks—

One each at Bremerhaven and Hamburg.

Docks building and projected:—

Imperial docks—

One at Kiel.

Private docks—

One each at Bremerhaven, Hamburg, and Bremen.

Some of these docks, both in the United Kingdom and in Germany, would not be capable of taking all ships of the "Dreadnought" class, but it is undesirable to discriminate between them, as confidential information as to the dimensions of ships would thereby be disclosed.