The proposed canal would connect major industrial and port regions across Britain. In wartime it could have shifted large quantities of supplies without relying entirely on coastal shipping or the rail network. That logistics value would also make the waterway a target for mining. Keeping it open would therefore require its own minesweeping effort, turning civil infrastructure into an active part of maritime defense.
Notable Point · 2:37:34-2:38:46
A cross-Britain canal as wartime infrastructure
A major canal linking British industrial regions could move wartime cargo inland, but its strategic value would also make regular mining and minesweeping likely.