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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. November 15, 1894.
CONFIDENTIAL.
95-R
BRITISH GUIANA.
Delences of Georgetown.
B. GUIANA.
497.
2
Remarks by Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Defence Committee have carefully considered the Report of the Local Defence Committee on the proposed defences of Georgetown, and the Memorandum of the Commandant inclosed therewith.
They note that the final decision of the Local Committee is that "the Combined Court should vote the purchase and mounting in Fort William Frederick of two 5-inch B.L. guns, and that the Imperial Government should be asked to present as a gift two Maxim machine-guns in lieu of the two 16-pr. R.M.L. guns offered. They do not recommend the acceptance of the two 64-pr. R.M.L. guns offered by the Imperial Government on account of the cost of mounting and upkeep of the, same."
The Colonial Defence Committee concur generally in this decision, and are of opinion that the most suitable armament would be two 5-inch B.L. guns on fixed mountings, or preferably two 4'7-inch Q.F. guns on pivot mountings, to be mounted in Fort William Frederick, with a movable armament of two Maxims on field carriages, or, failing that, the two 16-pr. R.M.L. field guns offered by the Imperial Government.
In forming this conclusion the Colonial Defence Committee have had the benefit of the views of the Director of Artillery, and a Memorandum by him on the subject is appended.
It will be seen that the lattice girder mountings for the 5-inch B.L. guns may be dismissed from consideration as unsuitable, and that the choice lies between two 5-inch B.L. guns on naval Vavasseur mountings, or two 4·7-inch Q.F. guns. The Q.F. guns would cost a little more than the B.L. guns, but on the other hand the cost of works should be less in the case of the Q.F. guns. The Q.F. ammunition costs more than the 5-inch B.L. ammunition, but, on the other hand, with the Q.F armament there would be a saving in personnel, and consequently a saving in the cost of annual maintenance.
An abstract of the relative cost of purchase and of maintenance is also appended.
The cost of the works in the estimate can only be regarded as an approximation, but on learning the final decision of the Colony, the Colonial Defence Committee will be prepared to request the Inspector-General of Fortifications to furnish detailed designs for the two emplacements. The War Office is already in possession of the necessary plans and sections of the existing fort.
It will be seen that the Director of Artillery is strongly in favour of the Q.F. guns, and in this the Colonial Defence Committee fully concur. They would, in the long run, cost the Colony less, and it is certain that with them much better practice would be made.
As regards the movable armament, the two Maxims on field carriages
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