布政司署 BY BAG
香港下亞畢道
SECRET
R&R
本署檔號 OUR REF.: SCR 22/5061/66 Pt 4
* Your Ref.:
C.S. 41A
RECENT 19
REGIST
0. 1
H L1 DAVIES ESQ
FED
12 JUN 1974
F CO
Daan High
HKK 2/j
REPAIRS TO SOVIET VESSELS IN HONG KONG
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
a
7 June 1974
2 Dilwiddy (HRIOD)
I think that this
من
your subject.
b.e. Ehrman
11/6
PA
김
24/6
The latest list of vessels which may come here for repair during 1974, as submitted to us by the Hong Kong United Dockyard, includes the m v "M URITSKIY", She is described as a twin-screw passenger ship with a gross registered tonnage of 4871 and a net registered tonnage of 2061. The "M URITSKIY" has called in Hong Kong four times in the past five years, most recently in 1972, when she was here for six weeks under repair. However the latest Ministry of Defence list of Soviet research vessels and other ships on non-commercial charter, which was issued shortly after the "M URITSKIY" last called in Hong Kong, includes a "MIKHAIL URITSKIJ" which, both from her general description and from her call-sign (U LG F), seems to be identical with the "M URITSKIY". Apparently in early 1970 the "M URITSKIY" or "MIKHAIL URITSKIJ" was sighted at sea in the company of a Soviet submarine, and at that time she seemed to have some special equipment on her deck (although this was removed before she came to Hong Kong).
2.
If the "M URITSKIY" is on the M O D list it would not be our practice to admit her to Hong Kong for repairs, and probably not even for commercial purposes either. I assume that she was on previous M O D lists in view of the 1970 sighting, and it is odd that she was able to come here at all in earlier years.
3.
I would be grateful if you could quickly check with M OD whether they have any more up-to-date information about the "M URITSKIY" and her apparent doppel- gänger, which has, I believe, been listed as one of a number of miscellaneous "surveying associated vessels".
SECRET
-/2.