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of the island and False Bay, in which bay, though the upper part is shallow, there is good landing Appendix No. 4. for boats, and it would be possible, if the main body of the garrison of the island were confined to the isolated land on the western side, for an enemy to land, and, though certainly with great difficulty, to bring up guns under cover to command the harbour at short range.
3. If it should be considered necessary to protect the island against a force landed on the north shore, which will be treated of further on, the difficulty of keeping up communications between the portion of the garrison of the island required for that service and the men required to man the guns at the spit would be very great, while, if the work were on the other side of the harbour, the com- munications between all the forces on the island would be short and direct.
It may be remarked, however, that a battery on the spit would have a more extended range to the westward, and so better cover the water off the harbour in which ships could manœuvre to shell vessels lying inside, but in such a case they could be moved nearer the northern part of the harbour and there moored.
For the defence of the harbour, therefore, against an attack by sea, I would recommend that a battery be placed on Lee Point, on a contour running at an elevation of about 90 feet above the sea- level, and between the two beacons, to mount six 10·4-inch breech-loading rifled guns, firing over the approaches and entrance to the harbour, with two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns on the left to oppose any attempt at a boat landing in False Bay, and two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns on the right to flank a line of submarine mines, which should be placed across the entrance; the four lighter guns to be placed on a lower level than the main battery.
PERIM.
Lee Point Battery.
610-4-in. B.L.R.
1. guns. 4 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Cost-
Work
£ 40,800 Armament 29,200
Total
The battery could be made secure against a land attack by scarping the rock to the seaward, which could easily be rendered inaccessible, and by cutting off the rear by a flanked ditch, the interior Garrison- of the battery being defiladed in rear.
The construction of the battery would be very costly; the whole surface of the "hilly portions of the island is covered with a close mass of basaltic boulders of every size and shape (varying roughly from 8 to as much as 125 cubic feet), but mostly rounded. Underneath these lies a layer of volcanic soil from 2 to 6 feet in depth" (King, p. 15).
I doubt much if the soil here mentioned would be of any use whatever in forming parapets. It would not bind, nor would grass grow upon it. In many places, too, there is nothing but loose sand under the boulders, so that it would probably be on the whole least expensive to provide for the main guns being mounted behind an iron parapet.
The whole of the ground on the site of the battery, and for some distance in front and also in rear, would have to be cleared from boulders. If this were not done, the works would be untenable from splinters unless the guns were under casemates.
Fair building stone and lime from coral can be obtained on the island, but the expense of labour, which would have to be brought from Aden, would be very high; the cost of removing the boulders and preparing the site can only be very roughly estimated, but for such a battery as proposed, with a guard room, in addition to barrack accommodation outside for 150 men required for the guns, the expense (including armament, 29,2007.) could not be estimated safely at less than 70,0007. When plans, however, have been drawn out, it will be possible to estimate the cost very nearly by means of the details prepared by the Simla Defence Committee for proposed works at Aden.
The above provides for the defence of Perim against an attack by sea, but in the contingency alluded to above of an enemy being able to utilize the Suez Canal for the passage of his ships into the Red Sea, Perim might be attacked, not only by ships, but by a force landed on the island.
Any landing in force would not probably be attempted on the southern shore, as the battery on Lee Point would render this an operation of extreme difficulty. Unless a strong north-west wind were blowing, which may occur at any time between October and June, sometimes continuing for several days, the best landing place is on the long extent of sandy beach (called Turtle Beach), on the northern side of the island.
To oppose this the best position to be occupied is near the lighthouse, where cover could be thrown up for light field or machine guns to sweep the beach and low level sandy ground between it and the hills. After leaving the flat the approach would be over boulders, which would prevent anything but infantry advancing in very irregular order, so preventing any sudden rush in force.
A blockhouse or inclosure, formed of the boulders themselves, with very little clearing in front, would be sufficient, if placed on the projecting point to the westward of the lighthouse, to prevent any landing on the northern shore.
A few pits or slight screen for musketry fire might also be thrown up to the east of the light- house to oppose any advance from men thrown ashore in Shelter Bay.
Though, on the western side of the island, it might be possible for a few men to land on small sandy patches to north and south of Shark Point, any land operations carried on from that direction would be so difficult, from the great extent of rocky ground that would have to be passed over, that it is not considered necessary to recommend any advanced post on that side of the island.
A small defensible barrack is constructed round the lighthouse. This it would be well to retain and improve by loopholing the walls and giving somewhat more efficient flank defence; it would then serve as keep to the advanced positions recommended above.
This barrack is only capable of accommodating fifty men, but for the defence of this part of the island it is considered that 100 would be required, as a guard would be wanted for the protection of the water-condensing apparatus in Fisherman's Bay.
For the land defences two light field guns and two machine guns should be supplied.
Artillery
Infantry
Total
Though for a peace garrison the number now stationed on the island is sufficient, in time of war Garrison the number required would be:-
[1103]
2 R
*
**
70,000
Men.
90
40
130
•
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