King George VI Dock opens

King George VI Dock (KG6) was the world’s largest drydock when it was unveiled on 14 February 1938.^[1] At 1,000-feet (305 m) long, 130-feet (40 m) wide and 35-feet (11 m) deep,  the dock  could accommodate  the largest capital naval ship of the time – the Dreadnought class battleships – for resupply or repairs.^[2] KG6  was located at  the Sembawang Naval Base and was one of the naval base’s two main drydocks,  the  other being the  50,000-ton Admiralty Floating Dock IX anchored in the Straits of Johor.^[3] The unveiling of KG6 also marked the official opening of the Sembawang Naval Base.^[4]

The opening ceremony of KG6 was officiated by then Governor of the Straits Settlements Shenton Thomas, who broke the dockyard’s ribbon while on board the governor’s yacht, Seabelle II.^[5] This was witnessed by around 11,000 guests comprising Malay rulers, British Residents, leading civil servants, service commanders and foreign consuls.^[6] The event also comprised a parade of 42 naval ships, including the British aircraft Eagle, and a low flypast by 64 aircrafts.^[7]

Construction of the £1 million KG6 took place in tandem with the construction of the naval base, which began after the building contract was awarded to Sir John Jackson (Singapore) Ltd in September 1928.^[8] The construction process of KG6 was extremely challenging as it required more than 1.25 million cubic yards (955,694 cu m) of excavation, as well as the installation of two cofferdam structures measuring a total of 3,600 feet (1,097 m) in length to isolate the construction site from the Straits of Johor.^[9] In addition, a new granite quarry had to be opened at Bukit Lunchu on the Johor side of the straits to obtain the 1.6 million tons of granite stone needed to build the concrete walls and base of the graving dock.^[10] Furthermore, six miles (9.7 km) of railway track, along with a 600-foot long (183 m) jetty, were constructed at the site. To handle the enormous amount of construction work and materials, some 5,000 local workers and 100 British staff were hired.^[11] The construction of KG6 was a massive undertaking that took the British a decade to complete. Construction of the dock was also delayed repeatedly by a number of external factors, including the British government’s apathy.^[12]

References
1. Chew, M. (1998). Of hearts and minds: The story of Sembawang Shipyard (p. 41). Singapore: Sembawang Shipyard. Call no.: RSING 623.83 CHE.
2. Features of Singapore base. (1940, December 4). The Straits Times, p. 12. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Chew, 1998, p. 26.
3. The Straits Times, 4 Dec 1940, p. 12; Chew, 1998, pp. 31, 34.
4. Opening of naval base. (1938, January 6). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 9; Naval Base opening postponed. (1938, January 12). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Chew, 1998, pp. 41–42.
6. Chew, 1998, pp. 41–42.
7. Chew, 1998, pp. 41–42.
8. The biggest naval dock in the world. (1938, February 14). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Chew, 1998, pp. 30–31.
9. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 14 Feb 1938, p. 1; Chew, 1998, pp. 30–31.
10. Chew, 1998, pp. 41–42.
11. Chew, 1998, pp. 41–42.
12. Chew, 1998, pp. 34.