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Page 45, paragraph 4.-It is proposed to issue 150 rounds of ammunition to each man of the garrison at St. Lucia immediately on mobilization, and to those arriving from Barbados as soon as they disembark.
The Colonial Defence Committee do not consider it necessary to issue to the infantry more than the 100 rounds per man that can be carried in their pouches; for the artillery, 50 rounds should suffice. There should be no difficulty in storing ample reserves at the various points occupied by the troops, or of issuing additional rounds to the men when an attack is imminent, in accordance with section 132, paragraph 8 of "Infantry Drill, 1896."
19. Pages 51-54, Table (C iii).--See paragraph 4 of these Remarks.
20. Page 57, paragraphs 5 and 6.-These paragraphs relate mostly to ordinary Royal Artillery duties, which it is scarcely necessary to lay down in detail in the Scheme of Defence.
There should be no need for sending in demands for tubes, fuzes, &c., on mobilization. The Ordnance Officer should have lists of exactly what is required, and should issue the stores at once without further requisition.
21. Pages 59–62, Table (D i).—There appear to be certain discrepancies between the numbers given in this Table and in Table B (iii), which should be corrected in the next revision.
No reference is made in the Manning Table to the two 9-pr. guns at Shipley Battery, but from Table B (iii) it appears that they are to be worked by Royal Engineers and infantry. It is doubtful whether useful work can be obtained from the guns under these conditions.
22. Page 65. Note.-The Local Defence Committee propose that an existing path between Morne Didon and Trois Pitons should be improved, and in part realigned. These proposals are also the subject of a separate communication from the Officer Commanding the troops in Barbados, dated the 17th September, 1896, which has been referred to the Committee by the War Office. From this communication it appears that the object of improving the road is to facilitate the movement of troops told off to hold Morne Didon against an enemy advancing to the attack of the Trois Pitons and Morne Fortuné, while the object of realigning the road is to expose an enemy's advance along it to view from Abercrombie's Peak and the Morne Fortuné. In his letter, the O.C. Troops further proposes to acquire land on the Morne Didon for the construction of works there for guns of position, Q.F. and machine-guns, and for rifle fire.
With regard to the latter proposal, the Colonial Defence Committee note that it would involve considerable dispersion of the personnel and armament allotted to the occupation of the Morne Fortuné position, and would increase the difficulties of reinforcing Toc from there, as contemplated in the Scheme. They do not consider that the tactical advantage gained by the permanent occupation in war of the Morne Didon position compensates, with the small garrison available, for the dispersion of forces involved. Nor does it appear to the Committee that the improvement of the road between Morne Didon and Trois Pitons would be greatly in favour of the defence. On pages 16 and 17 of the Scheme, stress is laid on the difficulties which the bad communica- tions to the Trois Pitons impose on the attack. There seems to be no good reason why these difficulties should be lessened. It appears, however, to the Committee that it might be advisable to replace part of the existing path, so as to expose as much of it as possible to view from Abercrombie's Peak, and the Morne Fortuné, and they suggest that the War Office should consider this matter.
23. Pages 68 to 75.-It is for consideration whether most of the detail in these pages could not be more clearly and concisely shown in Tables giving the superintendence, working parties, time, tools, and materials required for each defensive work described in pages 64 and 65.
?
The
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