Page 307
Page 307
Page 307
6
APPENDIX.
Covering letter of Sir J. F. Owen.
Sir,
H.M.S."Terrible,” October 6, 1906. WITH reference to War Office letter No. 266/910 (C. 3) of the 23rd July, 1906, I have the honour to forward herewith advance report containing the recommendations of the Committee as to the fixed defences of the undermentioned port.
IX, Hong Kong.
JOHN F. OWEN, General, President Committee on Armaments of defended Ports abroad.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
The Secretary, War Office.
Enclosure.
Advance Report (No. IX) of Committee on Armaments of Hong Kong.
HONG KONG, the principal naval base of our fleet in the Far East, and also a commercial port of very great importance, is, at present, defended against attack by a powerful squadron of armoured ships. It is now held liable to Class "A" attack.
The enemy's main objectives would be damage to, or destruction of, H.M. ships in harbour or in dock, the Naval Dockyard on the island of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong aud Whampoa Co.'s Docks at Kowloon-which have been used by H.M. ships up to the present, pending the completion of the dockyard above referred to-and Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's large docks, now in course of construction at Quarry Bay.
A secondary objective would be the destruction of mercantile shipping, usually collected in large numbers at this port.
2. The Committee observe that the existing defences appear to have been designed, as a whole, with a view to meeting, at close range, an attack of vessels attempting to force an entrance into the harbour, and that the whole of the inner waters are covered by guns, which, in many cases, do not bear on the approaches.
3. According to the Committee's instructions, the only form of attack now considered reasonably probable, by day, is long range bombardment, against which very little provision has hitherto been made.
From the Eastward. This can only be carried out against the Kowloon Docks, from a limited area of water, within close range of batteries already constructed and armed for the defence of the approaches to the harbour through the Lyemun Pass.
From the South.-The harbour and dockyards are entirely hidden from the enemy by a range of hills, extending the whole length of the island from east to west, and bombardment from that direction, though possible, cannot be considered as reasonably probable.
From the Westward.-Though a large portion of the harbour can be seen, the Naval Dockyard alone is visible, and that only from water to the north of a line drawn from it bearing N. 60° W.
Owing to the comparatively shallow water on Kellett's Bank, to the north of Green Island, the area of water from which direct bombardment of the dockyard could be carried out, by large vessels, is very limited.
The only approaches to the western entrance, for heavy armoured vessels, are through the East Lamma Channel and, possibly, through the West Lamma Channel; both channels can be commanded by works sited at Mount Davis, but none of the existing batteries at Stonecutter's Island and Belcher's Point-constructed for the defence of the western entrance--are sufficiently advanced to cover these channels.
4. To deter attack by day, the Committee recommend the guns below:- (a.) Eastern entrance-
2-9.2-inch guns, Mark X, already emplaced at Pottinger Battery. 1-9.2-inch gun, Mark X, to be emplaced on existing site of the 6-inch guns in Gough
Battery. These guns should bear on the approaches to Lyemun through the Tathong Channel.
(b.) Western entrance—
5-9.2-inch guns, Mark X, emplaced on Mount Davis, from a point near the summit_to, approximately, the 500 feet contour west of it, so as to fulfil the condition that 4 guns at least should be capable of bearing at a time on any approach to the western entrance, i.., over water between the East Lamma Channel on the south- east and Stonecutter's Island on the north.
Page 307
a
22
al
E
}!
Page 307