Duncan Dock was built between 1807 and 1810 and was then the largest dry dock outside Europe. It remained in use and made Bombay an important construction, refit, and dry-docking centre through the Second World War. The yard could handle substantial Royal Navy vessels even though it could not accommodate a ship as large as HMS Hood. Bombay still could not substitute for facilities elsewhere: the sea distances to Hong Kong and Singapore made distributed support essential.
Chapter · 24:36-26:35
Duncan Dock and the distances of empire
Bombay's Duncan Dock supported large Royal Navy refits for generations, but its distance from other bases reveals why a global fleet required a network.