GRS 400A
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CATA
SECRET
(HKK 10/1)
293
FROM F C 0 021150Z
SECRET.
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 756 OF 2 OCTOBER.
YOUR TELNO 915: DEFENCE COSTS.
MOD HAVE ASKED US TO PASS THE FOLLOWING:
LAST RE:
N2A1
REF.
298
BEGINS:
༢.
IF IT IS DECIDED THAT THE FIVE PATPOL CRAFT RATHER THAN A FRIGATE
BOULD CONTINUE TO BE STATIONED IN HONGKONG, WE PLAN TO KEEP IN HONG KONG THOSE PATROL CRAFT ALREADY THERE. THERE WOULD, HOWEVER, BE A PERIOD DURING WHICH FULL CREWS FOR ALL THE PATROL CRAFT WOULD
NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL REPLACEMENT CREWS HAD ARRIVED FROM UK.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY AT PRESENT HOW LONG THIS PERIOD WOULD BE SINCE IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS CAME FORWARD. (FIVE MONTHS NOTICE OF POSTING WOULD NEED TO BE GIVEN TO ANYONE POSTED TO HONG KONG WHO WAS NOT A VOLUNTEER). DURING THIS PERIOD WE PROPOSED
TO KEEP HMS CHICHESTER IN HONG KONG AND TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE PATROL CRAFT OPERATIONAL. PLEASE CONFIRM YOU WOULD SEE NO OBJECTION
TO THIS IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES POSTULATED. ANY PUBLIC STATEMENT WOULD, OF COURSE, NEED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THESE PLANS.
2. IF THE PATROL CRAFT ARE NOT PART OF THE AGREEMENT THEN WE REQUIRE
THEM BACK IN THE UK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID FURTHER DOWNSTREAM
AFFECTS. THEIR PLANNED DEPARTURE IN MID-NOVEMBER IS BASED ON YOUR REQUEST FOR A POSTPONEMENT OF DEPARTURE BY A MAXIMUM OF TWO MONTHS FROM 15 SEPTEMBER (THEIR PREVIOUSLY PLANNED DEPARTURE DATE.) IF THE TWO PATROL CRAFT FROM HONG KONG DO NOT RETURN TO UK IN TIME, TWO
OTHER PATROL CRAFT WHICH IT IS PLANNED TO PAY OFF ON 1 APRIL
1976 WOULD NEED TO BE RUN ON WITH ATTENDANT EXTRA COSTS.
SECRET
13.
IF IT