It was inevitable that Wales would play a major part in defending the sea lanes on the western side of Britain. These shipping routes were of the utmost important - along them were carried essential food stuffs, the raw materials for armaments, and Welsh coal, which was still the main power source for many Royal Naval vessels. The British Channel and Western approaches were high risk areas because of the access they provided to the South Wales ports (Llaneli, Swansea, Barry and Cardiff) and to those of the West Country (e.g. Bristol and Gloucester). The Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Liverpool Bay were also risk areas because of the sea access to Belfast, Holyhead, Liverpool and the industrial northwest via the Manchester Shipping Canal. In the early months of the war, the Royal Navy (comprising battleships, battle cruisers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and all sorts of auxiliary vessels) was looked to for the protection for commercial shipping. The greatest initial threat was the German High Seas Fleet, which attacked shipping where the Navy was spread too thinly. But within months these vessels had been hunted down, sunk or blockaded in their home ports. This provided time for a network of Welsh airfields and landing strips to be built providing bases for airships and aircraft undertaking regular patrols over the shipping lanes. A new threat soon emerged - the German Uboat capable of sinking vessels by torpedo, gun fire or by laying mines - and with it the announcement by the German High Command on 4 February 1915 that all commercial shipping was a legitimate target. Over 170 vessels were sunk by enemy action or through services related to the war effort in Welsh waters. Aircraft and airships flying regular patrols over the shipping lanes also feature in the losses - as shown in the map above.