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25.
To the West of Hong Kong, the area between Castle Peak Bay and Brothers Point, a stretch of coast 3 miles long, with sandy beaches and low-lying cliffs, is considered the most likely area for amphibious landings. The area is within range of the shore batteries on Lintin Island; in addition to which it would be possible temporarily to close the area to our own Naval Forces by the mining of the most direct passage, że. between the North Eastern tip of Lan Tao Island and the mainland.
26. Many beaches and suitable approaches are available on Lan Tao and on Hong Kong Island. A build up on Lan Tao as a stepping stone to the Castle Peak area or Hong Kong Island is a possibility. Since, however, no immediate objective is gained with the capture of Lan Tao and since the beaches on Hong Kong Island itself are easily defensible it is unlikely that these areas will be used initially.
27. On balance, therefore, the best advantages are afforded by the Castle Peak and Port Shelter areas for the main assaults, but small landings supplementary to the attack across the land frontier might also be made across Deep Bay and Starling Inlet. Clandestine activities, however, could probably be successfully accomplished from the other landing arcas.
Nuclear Warfare
1
28.
CCA forces are untrained in the use of nuclear weapons and it is considered most unlikely that nuclear missiles would be made available to them in the period under review by the Soviet Union. Furthermore, since they have over- whelming forces available and since they would wish to make use of the port of Hong Kong to further their interests in South East Asia, it is unlikely that nuclear weapons would be used in an attack against the Colony, particularly since it is unlikely they would wish to alienate potentially sympathetic populations here and elsewhere in Asia. Some training, however, in defensivo measures to be adopted against the nuclear weapon is already under way. This is likely to change their tactics and whilst the overall number of troops employed in an attack may remain unchanged, tactics based on greater dispersion and infiltration are likely.
POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION
AGAINST HONG KONG
29. Hong Kong is vulnerable to attack across the land frontier with China, sea-borne operations against the New Territories, the Kowloon Peninsula dnd Hong Kong Island or a combination of these. The four main courses, each of which must be expected to have strong air support, are considered below.
Course A A frontal assault in great strength against the rain
Course B
Course C
defences in the New Territories.
A major seaborne assault against Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, or both, possibly accompanied by minor subsidiary land attacks across the Sino- British frontier.
A frontal assault in strength across the ino-British frontier combined with small diversionary sea-borne attacks and infiltration against Hong Kong Island, the New Territories or both.
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