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provide it, the duty will, in accordance with the decision of the Joint Naval and Military Committee, approved by the Admiralty and War Office, be entirely for the naval authorities. It may be observed that there will be little likelihood of an attack by torpedo-boats except when men-of-war are in the harbour. 4. Defence Lights.-The electric installations should be as follows:- (a.) One fixed beam at Pujet's Wharf of 30° divergence to illumine the inner anchorage and mine-field.
(b.) Two fixed beams at the present installation on Little Sober Island, each of 30° divergence, to illumine the mine-field.
(c.) Two fixed beams on Little Sober Island, each of 25° to 30° divergence, bearing on the examination anchorage and approach to harbour entrance.
(d.) At P. (Flagstaff Point) one beam capable of being traversed.
5. Q.F. Armament.-The Q.F. battery is best at Ostenberg Point as at present. Any risk to Little Sober Island from its fire must be accepted.
6. Heavy Armament. The proposed posts at Dutch Point, Rock Point, and Chapel Hill are not necessary. The heavy howitzer battery approved, when funds became available, for Ostenberg Ridge will meet the danger apprehended from the possibility of a hostile ship lying in the unseen water south-east of Elephant Ridge.
7. Look-out Stations.-The Local Committee are the best judges of the most suitable points for look-out stations, but the utility of anchoring a canoe in connection with each station 1 mile off shore, as proposed at p. 14, is not evident. It is not clear what the canoe is intended to do.
8. The proposal at p. 16 for the provision of two first-class torpedo-boats cannot be entertained.
In their remarks of June 1893, the Colonial Defence Committee pointed out that it is useless to make recommendations to localize torpedo-boats, as the Admiralty have consistently declined to tie down vessels of any class, torpedo-boats included, to the local defence of any port.
The Report assumes that the use of these boats would be an unmixed advantage. This is not the case. It is only at night that they could act with any effect, and such useful action as they might possibly then possess would be far out-balanced by the embarrassment which they must inevitably cause to the shore defences. It has been found impossible to rely on being able to discriminate at night between friendly and unfriendly torpedo-boats, and any attempt to do so must end in the shore defences being confused by compli- cated orders. Their orders must be simple and positive to fire on any torpedo- boats seen outside the defences at night. So important is this consideration, that it is now recognized that even our own torpedo-boats must not approach a defended port by night, and in case of stress of weather must seek shelter elsewhere.
April 20, 1894.
(Signed)
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W. PEACOCKE, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY T. HARRISON,--;
-24/4/94.
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