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B. Harbour and Dock Installations.
The Naval Dockyard was damaged by air raids to the following extent:-
(a) Naval Store Officer's Transit Shed, Superintending Electrical Engineer's Workshop and the Submarine Battery Shed were completely demolished.
(b) Severe damage to the outside of the wall of the Tidal Basin at the North East corner and on the inside of the same wall at the South East corner. The wall to the west of the entrance to the Dry Dock was also badly damaged,
(c) Minor damage was caused to roofs and walls of various
buildings.
2. The main cause of the work required for rehabilitation was, however, sheer neglect. Machines had obviously had no maintenance, and buildings, sewerage, lighting etc., were in the same state.
3. The graving dock had suffered no damage, but overhaul of the caisson and the pumping machinery was necessary before the dock could be used. It was prepared for use by 15th October, and "WAVE KING" was docked on the 20th October, since when it has been in constant use.
4.
Similar defects to caisson and pumping machinery had to be made good before Hope Dock, Aberdeen, could be used, and these took longer so that this Dock was not in use until December,
5. Clearance of debris in the Yard and the repair and rebuilding of damaged buildings has proceeded at a satisfactory pace, and meanwhile machines and tools have been provided by Fleet Train ships and from Australia so that ships' defects could be taken in hand. The "MONTCLARE" and "ARTIFEX" were of invaluable assistance in the early days both for taking on work and providing skilled personnel.
6. Pre-war Dockyard employees returned by the hundred and thanks in a large measure to their return and also to their willingness to work, the Dockyard was estimated to be turning out
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in December 1945 not less than 90% of the work it did pre-war. European supervision up to February 1946 was very sparse, and even now many Chargemen and Inspectors are short of the required number.
7. Assistance has been given to the civilian Dockyards, all of which have been more severely damaged than the Naval Yard, and whose facilities for recuperation were necessarily less.
8. An early job was the repair of the caisson for Taikoo Dock and subsequent removal of a badly damaged ship from that dock, which was eventually made ready for use by the end of January 1946. This is the only dock large enough to take all cruisers except No. 1. Dock at Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co., Yard, and the latter is not likely to be available for a considerable time.
9. Arrangements for dockings have up to now been controlled by the Chief Constructor, H.M. Dockyard, but with the advent of the Admiralty Floating Dock, which arrived in early January and was refitted, placed at new moorings (which had to be laid after the Dock's arrival) and came into use in mid-February, naval requirements on the civilian yards have lessened, and the latter are now taking on work for merchant ships to an increasing degree and by direct arrangement with ships' agents.
10.
A strong and efficient Salvage Party under Captain Doust, C.B.E., R.N.V.R., has done valuable work in Port Clearance. Actual salvage of wrecks has been confined to small ships so far, owing to lack of suitable equipment, but with the recent arrival of two Bar vessels and an ex-Japanese Crane Ship the Salvage Department can now take on the work of lifting all wrecks in harbour, and a programme of priorities has been prepared to this end.
C. Accommodation.
The accommodation problem to be faced on the liberation of Hong Kong, was complicated by the fact that before the war houses were always in short supply and by the natural difficulty to be expected when a large number of men greatly surplus to normal barrack accommodation have suddenly to be billeted somewhere,