The provision of a suitable submarine mining-boat and the practice in laying out the mines, recommended by the Commandant, are essential, if any reliance is to be placed on the submarine defences.
The Committee do not recommend that the New Zealand Government should go to the expense of providing a new torpedo-boat for Wellington.
The utilization of the sparc 8-in. gun now at Auckland for the Dorset Point battery at Wellington would deprive the former station of the one-gun battery proposed by the Commandant for Mount Victoria. The narrowness of the entrance to Auckland Harbour-under 2,000 yards-makes it, with the defences already provided, a strong position. It might be further strengthened if the spare 6-in. B.L. gun, which appears from the latest Returns of Resources to be available in the Colony, were mounted en barbette as an addition to the existing work at Fort Bastion. The recommendations of the Commandant as to provision of 12-pr. Q.F. guns, and as to completion of telephonic communication, of submarine mining defences, and of electric light installations are concurred in.
The Committee do not recommend that the New Zealand Government should go to the expense of providing a new torpedo-boat for Auckland.
At Lyttelton the Commandant reports the defences to be in an unsatisfactory position, and his description of the fort at Ripa Island shows that it fails to meet modern artillery requirements. The best position in which to remount its armament of 2-8-in. and 2—6-in. B.L. guns would appear to be, judging solely from the chart, the high ground at Toloa Head. From here the guns would, with convenient arcs, be able to fire into Ports Lyttelton and Levy, as well as out to seaward, whereas if mounted on the north shore of Port Lyttelton it would be difficult to arrange for a concentrated fire over all these waters. In the absence of knowledge of the actual ground, the Committee hesitate, however, to make recommendations on this subject in opposition to those of the Commandant, and they also fully appreciate the im- portance he attributes to the concentration of the available garrison, which would be possible if only the north shore were occupied.
The actual position of the electric light emplacement at Lyttelton would depend on that chosen for the main armament of the defence.
The Committee concur in the recommendations of the Commandant on the defences of Dunedin and Port Chalmers, including the removal of the 7-in. R.M.L. gun from St. Clair. They think that this gun might advantageously be mounted with the 7-in. R.M.L. gun now at Taiaroa Heads in the site, said to be available, and pre- sumably Harrington Point, from which fire can be directed on the entrance water. If, as would appear to be the case from the latest Returns of Resources, a 3rd 7-in. R.M.L. gun is available, it might also be mounted on this site, which, commanding the narrowest part of the channel at short range, and being covered from the distant fire of ships, is a suitable one for guns of this nature.
6. The principal recommendations of the Commandant embodied in the present Report, apart from those affecting the defences, were also contained in his Report on the Defence Forces, and have been dealt with by the Colonial Defence Committee in their Remarks No. 177 R, dated the 26th February, 1898.
The absence of any reliable reserve of small arms is a serious matter. The Com- mandant proposes that—
(1.) A supply of magazine carbines be obtained sufficient to arm all the troops, and give a reserve at the four centres and Nelson.
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sold."
(2.) The present Martini-Henry arms be kept as a reserve for the militia.
(3.) As soon as the new supply is obtained the present stock of Snider arms be
The Committee concur in these recommendations, except that with regard to (2) they are strongly of opinion that the reserve arms should be of the same calibre as those in the hands of troops. They understand, however, that the New Zealand Government have recently ordered 3,525 Martini-Enfield rifles and 1,069 Martini- Enfield carbines, and they assume that this is with a view to the complete rearmament of their forces with small arms of 303-in. calibre.
The Committee desire again to express their concurrence in the Commandant's recommendation for the provision of serviceable field batteries.
They consider that the remarks of the Commandant on the discipline of the forces deserve the very serious consideration of the New Zealand Government.
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