Page 133
Page 133
[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.}
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. September 12, 1900.
SECRET.
No. 247 R.
C.O. Nos. 18516 S., and 18518 S.
HONG KONG.
Defence Scheme revised to May, 1900.
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
Covering Letter of General Officer Commanding.
THE Colonial Defence Committee attribute very great importance to the early completion of the topographical survey of the new territory referred to in paragraph. of the covering letter. When it has been received steps will be taken for a thorough revision of the map of Hong Kong which accompanies the present Scheme, and for the addition of a second map, including the whole of the leased territory. A few places in the old territory mentioned in the text of the Scheme (e.g., Nos. 10 and 11 Hills at Kowloon. Plunkett's Gap and Mount Cochrane) do not appear in the map, and should be added in the locally revised copy of it forwarded with the next revision.
2. Page 1, paragraph 5.-It is here stated, though apparently not elsewhere in the Defence Scheme, that launches manned by infantry are to act as guard-boats to the mine-fields. This is contrary to the principle laid down by the Joint Naval and Military Committee on several occasions, and stated in their Report XXXI, dated the 28th March, 1900, in the following terms :---
“No special provision, such as guard or torpedo-boats, for the protection of any mine-field is necessary, as QF. guns and electric lights from the shore will give such protection as will be required to meet the more probable forms of attack."
The objections to guard-boats preclude the utilization of the proposed launches, whether armed with Q.F. guns or manned by infantry.
3. Page 1, paragraph 6; page 2, paragraph 12; pages 2 to 6, Sub-Inclosures 1 to 3.- The General Officer Commanding forwards three interesting Reports, giving the naval and military accounts of combined operations on the evenings of the 27th, 28th, and 29th March, 1900. The general idea was that three torpedo-boats should attempt to get within the man-of-war anchorage, by either entrance, between the hours of 7 and 9 P.M. on the evenings specified.
Every form of peace exercise of this character must necessarily to some extent fall short in its representation of war conditions, and the operations reported are, perhaps, open to the objection that they tend to convey the idea that the efficiency of
[848]
B
Page 133
88
Page 133
Page 133