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SECRET.
Printed for the Home Ports Defence Committee. May 1913.
The Fixed Defences of Ports on the West Coast of England.
I.
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MINUTE BY THE HOME PORTS DEFENCE
COMMITTEE COVERING
H.P.D.C. MEMORANDA 21-M, 29-M, AND 30-M.
AT the 120th Meeting, held on the 6th December, 1912, the Committee of Imperial Defence approved the Report (C.I.D. Paper 54-A) of the Standing Sub-Committee on the North-East Coast Defences, which contained inter alia the following recom- mendation :—
"Political and strategical considerations point to the possibility of reductions in garrisons in the southern and western portion of the United Kingdom being possible, but guns where mounted should not as a rule be removed unless strong reasons can be adduced for doing so. The Home Ports Defence Committee should be directed to consider what reductions can be effected on the basis of a revised scale of attack to be furnished by the Admiralty."
2. On being apprised that the Committee of Imperial Defence had approved this recommendation the Home Ports Defence Committee applied themselves to their new reference, which is still under consideration.
3. Prior to the receipt of this reference, however, the Admiralty had directed the Committee to consider the question of establishing an examination service at Cardiff, Barry, Penarth, Swansea, and Barrow, in order to obviate the danger of the approaches to these ports being blocked in time of war.
4. The results of the Committee's inquiry into the expediency of providing an examination service at these ports are contained in H.P.D.C. Memorandum 21-M* so far as concerns Cardiff, Barry, Penarth, and Swansea, and 29-M* as far as concerns Barrow. Certain additional measures for safeguarding commercial harbours against blocking are dealt with in H.P.D.C. Memorandum No. 30-M.*
5. It will be seen from the Memoranda referred to that the Home Ports Defence Committee have recommended the establishment of an examination service at each of the ports named except Swansea. At Barry, Cardiff, and Penarth the only additional expense is due to a small increase in the war personnel, which is practically negligible, but in the case of Barrow the establishment of an examination service necessitates the provision of a new supporting battery at a cost of 26,0801.
6. The Home Ports Defence Committee have recommended that this expenditure should be incurred, but, having regard to the fact that this recommendation might at first sight appear contrary to the policy of reductions in the garrisons of the southern and western portions of the United Kingdom contemplated by the Committee of Imperial Defence, they think it desirable that their recommendations should be referred for the approval of the Committee of Imperial Defence.
[557]
* Attached to this Minute.
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