CO537-4999 — Page 188

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ARMY:

The total, repeated total forces required would be:

Two infantry divisions plus one brigade

plus

One Air Op Squadron

Ono Mule Platoon

Three Heavy MA Regiments

Headquarters RA Ops Room.

One division should be less two field regiments, the R..C. Regimant, the L... Regiment, the Anti-Tank Regiment and certain Transport, medical and ancillary units.

The scale of support to the whole force is in the process of being worked out. Although reduction in administrative transport will be feasible no reduction in actual first line transport would be acceptable. It is emphasised that;

(a) Army requirements will have to be increased if civil arrangements for ranning and guarding essential services and civil defence have not been completed.

(b)

It should be possible to cut down the total army forces required when the proposed road construction programme for the New Territories has been completed.

(c)

If harbour defence becomes necessary there will be a requirement for coast defence guns.

separately.

R..F:Total forces required

This is being dealt with

Five Fighter Bomber and One Fighter Recce Squadron.

One Photo Rucce Squadron.

One G.R. Squadron of Flying Boats.

Two R.L.F. Regiment Squadrons for ground defence of Kai Tak

and I.......... if not provided by the Army.

Six Dakotas for supply dropping and intercommunication.

Three Night Fighter Squadrons will be required if a night

attack threat develops but this will decrease the requirement for Day Fighters.

Four usters for close coastal recce.

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Even if the above forces can be provided Hong Kong may well prove indefensible against the scale attack envisaged above unless, in addition to action already in hand, civil measures are taken beforehand to enable the Colony to play the part of a fortress. These measures, the first of which is an immediate and drastic reduction of the population by one and three quarter million and the control of Chinese immigration starting now, would be incompatible with commercial operation and fiscal solvency. This dilemma. fortress versus imperial trade base is fundamental to all defence problems here and the Governor will shortly be addressing the Colonial Office on this question.

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