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In the St. Lucia Defence Scheme, revised to May 1896, it was laid down that a boom should be prepared, and that the Commanding Royal Engineer should collect materials for the purpose.
Dealing with this statement in their Remarks No. 156 R, dated the 15th February, 1897, the Colonial Defence Committee pointed out
“that, until a dock has been made, or there is some other form of valuable Government property exposed to the attack of hostile torpedo-lats, it would appear to them that an electric light and well- placed Q.F. guns were sufficient defence without a boom.”
A battery for 2-12-pr. and 2-3-pr. Q.F. guns and an electric light installation have now been provided at the Vigie.
In a letter, dated the 1st February, 1898, annexed to that of the G.O.C. covering the Defence Scheme at present under consideration, the Naval Commander-in-chief states that he feels confident that the light Q.F. guns would not be sufficient to prevent the entrance of hostile torpedo-boats into Port Castries, and suggests that an obstruction should at once be prepared either in the form of a boom or of wire hawsers stretched across the narrow entrance of that harbour. The G.O.C. adds, with reference to the Colonial Defence Committee's Remark of 15th February, 1897, that "valuable property in the shape of Her Majesty's ships is often there."
The Colonial Defence Committee now desire to point out that the status of St. Lucia is that of a coaling station fortified to protect it from a raid or attempt at capture which might be made by hostile cruisers in the absence of Her Majesty's ships. When Her Majesty's ships are present in the port the responsibility for their defence from the torpedo-boat or other attack to which they may be liable rests mainly upon themselves. Boom defences, where considered necessary, are provided and worked by the Navy, but at St. Lucia, owing to the absence of any permanent naval force, a boom defence, if adopted, would have to be worked by the military garrison.
These are reasons against the adoption of a form of defence at St. Lucia which has not been sanctioned elsewhere in similar cases. The recent development, however, of Fort de France as a naval base and the contemplated dispatch to that station of two first-class torpedo-boats this year have created somewhat special conditions at Port Castries, and the Colonial Defence Committee propose to deal in a separate Memorandum with the measures which it may be necessary to adopt in order to meet the possible increase of risk to St. Lucia.
2. Page 1, paragraph 3.-The Committee are informed that the pack transport recommended by the G.O.C. for the Maxim guns is under provision.
3. Page 1, paragraph 4.-The G.O.C. recommends that the 9-pr. guns available at the station should be replaced by 12-prs. The War Office have now replaced the 4-9-pr. R.M.L. guns by 6—2.5-inch R.M.L. This appears to the Committee a better substitution than that proposed by the G.O.C., having in view the impracti- cability of the communications for wheeled transport, especially in the vicinity of the Morne Position (see paragraph 15 on p. 8 of the Scheme).
4. Page 1, paragraph 5.-The General Officer Commanding again recommends that the landing-place of the cable should be removed from Sein Point, in Cul-de-Sac Bay, to Toc Bay. The Colonial Defence Committee have reconsidered this proposal, which is not open to the objection of that originally submitted from the Colony, viz., to remove the landing-place to Castries Harbour. The position proposed in Toc Bay has, undoubtedly, some advantages over the existing position from the point of view of convenience for defence, and the Committee now recommend that the removal proposed by the G.O.C. should be agreed to.
5. Page 1, paragraph 6.-With reference to paragraph 11 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 156 R, the G.O.C. recommends the force at Morne should not be increased at the expense of other stations, his reason being that they are some distance off, and must have separate messes. This applies to permanent quartering.
The Remark of the Colonial Defence Committee was intended to apply to the proposed distribution in time of war, and is satisfactorily met by the allotment to the
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