CO129-291 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [5-6] — Page 609

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sir,

From

Το

Enclosure 1.

C.O.

Letter of Command 17042

NECO

Ace 3 JUL 19

The Commandant HongKong Volunteer Corps. The D. A. A. dia and c. s. o.

601

China.

HongKong, 5th. April 1899.

}

I have the honour to request that you will be good

enough to lay before: Eh the Major General the following

proposal for the re-armanent of the Field Battery of the Corps

under my. command.

The Field Battery is at present armed with the 7 pr

R. M. L. Gun of 200 lbs; and it is felt to be prejudicial to

the efficiency of the. Gorps to be armed with so obsolete a Gun;

Or Service: guns there are none at present which would

seem to be suitable for the requirements of a Volunteer Battery

in this Colony.. The island being so hilly and the paths off the

main roads being usually very narrow, some sort of mountain dun

is absolutely, necessary. It would be also most desirable to have

a breach loading da, and if possible also ท fixed ammunition"

as the simpler the service of the Gun is made for the Volunteers,

the more effective will be their fire.

If it is decided to re-arm the Battery I would venture to suggest that the following points may be considered in choosing the gun.

(1). That the gun should be light in draught, and

1

, mounted on a carriage suitable for man draught,

perhaps a minimum of 900 lbs and a maximum of

.1000 lbe including ammunition carried on the gun

of limber ( if any ).

(B) That the gun be a B. L. gun, as affording greater

- protection to the detachments on the hillside.

(3)