DEF.75/51/01
TOP SECRET AND PERSONAL
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Colonial Office,
The Church House,
105
107
Great Smith Street,
London, S.W.1.
21st March, 1956.
You will remember that, following a talk which Sugden had had with Admiral Pride, we had correspondence in February, 1955, about American assistence in the defence of Hong Kong.
2.
We have since heard from the Admiralty that there was further discussion on the subject at an informal meeting between the First Sea Lord and the United States Chief of Naval Operations during the former's visit to the U.S. late last year. In that discussion the U.S. naval authorities confirmed that, while their policy is not to be committed formally to the defence of Hong Kɔng, U.S. naval aid would be forthcoming, so far as circumstances at the time permitted, if you asked for it. The Americans said that air support would be provided from U.S. carriers but that this could be effective only if certain equipment, not held in the United Kingdom and available only from U.S. sources, was available in Hong Kong. The equipment would be required to enable U.S. aircraft to be identified and controlled from Hong Kong and to facilitate support of the army at night or in bad weather. The U.S. Chief of Naval Operations said that this equipment could be provided from U.S. carriers when required and that, in order to find out whether this was practicable, next time the U.S. 7th Fleet was in Hong Kong the equipment should be tested under cover of what he called a "test of evacuation arrangements". That suggestion was apparently made because the Americans had strong objections to testing the equip- ment in such a way that it looked as though they were taking part in a defence exercise.
3. Since then the Commanders-in-Chief's Committee in the Far East has been informed that the United States Government has authorised the despatch of the necessary equipment (U.H.F. and I.F.F. Mk. 10 sets) to the U.S. Assistant Naval Attache in Hong Kong. One set is to be delivered tɔ the R.A.F. and the others are to be kept by the Americans until, as they say, "the need for their use arises either for combined training exercises or in the case of emergency"
44. We realise that it would be out of the question to have an evacuation exercise as a cover for the test mentioned in paragraph 3, and it seems that the Americans may not intend to follow up that suggestion. The potential value of American support in the event of hostilities involving Hong Kong is however so great that, as you will agree, we must show the best spirit of cooperation possible without detriment to the security of the Colony. "Combined training exercises" look a more promising cover for a test, but we realise that even these might be objectionable if they went much beyond the sort of routine training activity which occurs all the time, particularly if they involved the presence of American ships and aircraft in unusual numbers or formations.
Sir Alexander Grantham, GCMG.,
Hồng Kong.
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5. The Admiralty is about to send a signal to the Commander-in- Chief, Far East Station, asking him to discuss with you and the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, what could be done to provide facilities for testing this equipment and to report back. We should be glad to have your own views before any exercise of the kind envisaged is authorised.