Page 344
Page 344
Appendix No. 4.
HONG KONG.
See general view of Kowloon, Licutenant W. Russell's water colour sketch No. 5.*
4 10-inch guns.
Cost
Work
Armament
£
316
little doubt that the Committee was fully justified in considering it as one of those harbours which should be made secure ports of refuge."
<<
As, from the important naval establishment at Vladivostock, Russia could, at short notice, put to sea a powerful fleet in these waters, the recommendation of the Committee, providing for heavy guns at the most important points, seems to be judicious.
The positions of all the batteries proposed could not have been better
Selected.
Taking first the batteries for the defence of the eastern approaches, we
have-
A. Battery at Kowloon Dock.
B. Battery at North Point.
C. Battery at Quarry Point.
(A.) Kowloon Dock.
At Kowloon Dock Battery, which is at present constructed for three 7-inch guns, it is proposed to put four 10-inch guns; and considering the position of 27,150 this battery, seeing, as it does, into Kowloon Bay, and straight towards the Lyemoon Pass, this armament cannot be considered excessive. Although the position is good, the ground is of such a nature as to render the construction of any work most difficult. The present battery is quite open to the north, and it will be impossible to defilade it without occupying the adjacent hill to the north- west, as recommended by the Committee; and as this battery is cut off from the other batteries on the Kowloon Peninsula, it will be the more desirable to adopt this course.
Gun detachments, 68 men. See water colour sketches by Lieutenant Russell, R.E., No. 1, view from the east, and No. 2, from
Observatory Ilill.*
Cost-
3 9-inch guns. 1 04-pounder.
Battery..
Armament
Total
£
5,558
In carrying out any new work, it will probably be necessary to remodel the battery altogether, particularly as barrack accommodation for the gun detach- ments is to be provided; but this cannot be determined without an accurate contoured survey.
(B.) North Point.
This battery forms, in connection with the battery at Kowloon Dock, an admirable defence for the waters of the intermediate channel and over Kowloon Bay. But as it does not fire up to the mouth of the Lyemoon Pass, and leaves 7,386 open to an enemy the whole of the water in Aldrich Bay, an armament of three 9-inch guns with one 64-pounder to flank the mine field would be sufficient. This latter gun will only be required if a regular scheme of submarine mining defence is determined on.
12,944
Gun detachments, 68 men.
4 10-inch guns.
2 64-pounders.
Cost-
Battery
Armament
Total
The guns in the present battery are very much confined, though well placed, and the battery might be completed on the present design; and by means of scarping it might be made secure against a coup de main.
(C.) Quarry Point.
To command the Lyemoon Pass it has been proposed to establish a battery 22,131 at Quarry Point.
14,335
36,4661
Gun detachment, 100 men.
Se water colour sketches, No. 3, Bremer Point, No. 4, Quarry Point, by Lieutenant Russell, and photo- graph.*
This has been chosen in preference to Bremer Point, as it sees further down towards the Lyemoon Pass, commands the whole of Aldrich Bay, and is also about 1,000 yards in advance of a dock which is about to be made in Quarry Bay, capable of taking ships drawing 25 feet of water.
The ground is also better adapted for the site of a battery.
The guns are proposed to be placed in open battery, but instead I would Casemated battery for four guns strongly recommend a casemated battery for four 10-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns, about 30 feet above the water, with the addition of two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns as proposed by the Committee, one to command the Tytam Road, the other to fire across Aldrich Bay.
recommended.
Defects of existing batteries.
I do not think, after a careful inspection of the ground, that there will be room for four guns in open battery without cramping them too much.
The fault of all the batteries lately constructed here is that the guns are in too confined spaces, and are too close together.
This is, no doubt, owing to these batteries having been thrown up in a hurry.
As the ground is generally very easily excavated, it would be advisable in the construction of any future batteries to level the tops of the hills so as to form proper plateaux large enough to give the guns sufficient space, and to enable them, if possible, to be on nearly the same level or on regular terraces.
The question of the positions for the infantry defence of these batteries will be considered further on, but it may be stated here that the work on Quarry Point would completely block the road from Tytam Bay.
* Not printed.
The garrison and cost of this battery would be reduced by one 64-pounder (2,3331.) if the scheme for submarine mining defence, hereinafter proposed, be adopted, making total cost 10,6117. The cost is given as stated by the Committee; as a casemated battery would probably not cost
more.
Page 344
Page 344
Page 344