19 恐 Kerable End, so. T. im China July 19007. No. 715/73 dated 6 11-6-04 339 Draft of letter from Commander-in-Chief, China to Admiralty on proposed scheme for wireless telegraphy and war signal stations at Hong-Kong.
C 0 31897 It is essential for naval purposes, especially in war time, to have a Service wireless telegraphy station at Hong-Kong, and it is also consented to have the station on the Hong-Kong Island rather than on board the "TAMAR", because of the great difficulty of communicating from a station ("TAMAR") inside the Harbour owing to its being shut in by high land. Experiments have been made recently with two cruisers to determine the most suitable place on the island for the installation of wireless telegraphy, and it is considered that the site of the old lighthouse at Cape D'Aguilar is the most suitable for the purpose.
To ensure such a station being efficient in war time, both for visual and wireless signalling, it is essential to have it manned in peace time and to give the personnel all the practice possible. This has been proved at home to be necessary, and good men have been found wanting at times of naval manoeuvres, solely on account of want of practice in looking out and using a telescope. It is therefore proposed to establish a signal station and instal wireless telegraphy apparatus at Cape D'Aguilar, and to make a port war signal station there. The crew of this station to be 1 naval signalman pensioner in charge and two other men. All three to be qualified in wireless telegraphy. To keep this crew in practice and to make them thoroughly efficient for the work they would have to do in war time it is proposed that they should do commercial signalling at Cape D'Aguilar, and they would be in communication with outlying, commercial signal stations in the vicinity, such as Gap Rock and Kowloon.
It is also proposed to similarly institute a port war signal station for the western entrance to Hong-Kong at the Peak with an auxiliary station lower down, overlooking the Sulphur Channel for use in fog or thick weather. A naval pensioner signalman should be in charge of the Peak signal station in substitution of the present man in charge and he should be assisted by the rest of the Chinese present crew. It is not proposed to fit this station with wireless telegraphy and the crew would therefore not need to be qualified in wireless telegraphy.
The war signal stations at home are all manned by the Navy and at several of the stations commercial signalling is carried out by the Navy on behalf of Lloyds. This gives the men the practice in peace time which is so necessary for their efficiency in war. Wireless telegraphy is installed at several of these stations for naval purposes.
Although as above stated the war signal stations at home are manned by the Navy the Admiralty have stated they are unable to find personnel in time of war to man the signal stations abroad. It is understood however that the signal stations at Malta are manned by the Navy, and it is proposed that Hong-Kong should also be an exception principally because of the necessity of having wireless telegraphy communication available at that port in war and peace time.
Although it is proposed that the Navy should perform all signalling and wireless telegraphy, both naval and commercial, at Cape D'Aguilar and at the Peak, both in times of peace and war, it is not proposed to take over similarly the other commercial signal stations in the Colony, such as Gap Rock and Kowloon, as these places are not required as war signal stations in war time and it is undesirable to so employ the former owing to it being a lighthouse and consequently should be considered neutral in war time.
To
19
恐
Kerable
End, so. T.
im
China
July 19007.
No. 715/73 dated 6
11-6-04 339
Draft of letter from Commander-in-Chief, China to Admiralty
on proposed scheme for wireless telegraphy and war signal stations at Hong-Kong.
C 0
31897
It is essential for naval purposes, especially in war time, to have a Service wireless telegraphy station at Hong-Kong, and it is also ensented to have the station on the Hong-Kong Island rather than on board the "TAMAR", because of the great difficulty of communicating from a station ("TAMAR") inside the Harbour owing to its being shut in by high land. Experiments have been made recently with two cruisers to determine the most suitable place on the island for the installation of wireless telegraphy, and it is considered that the site of the old lighthouse at Cape D'Aguilar is the most suitable for the purpose,
To ensure such a station being efficient in war time, both for visual and wireless signalling, it is essential to have it manned in peace time and to give the personnel all the practice possible. This has been proved at home to be necessary, and good men have been found wanting at times of naval manoeuvres, solely on account of want of practice in looking out and using a telescope. It is therefore pro- -posed to establish a signal station and instal wireless telegraphy apparatus at Cape D'águilar, and to make a port war signal station there. The crew of this station to be 1 naval signalman pensioner in charge and two other men. All three to be qualified in wireless tele- -graphy. To keep this crew in practice and to make them thoroughly efficient for the work they would have to do in war time it is proposed that they should do commercial signalling at Cape D'Aguilar, and they would be in communication with outlying, commercial signal stations in the vicinity, such as Gap Rock and Kowloon,
It is also proposed to sinilarly institute a port war signal stat- -ion for the western entrance to Hong-Kong at the Peak with an auxil- -iary station lower down, overlooking the Sulphur Channel for use in fog or thick weather. A naval pensioner signalman should be in charge of the Feak signal station in substitution of tho present man in charge and he should be assisted by the rest of the Chinese present crew. It is not proposed to fit this station with wireless telegraphy and the crew would therefore not need to be qualified in wireless telegraphy.
The war signal stations at home are all manned by the Navy and at several of the stations commercial signalling is carried out by the Navy on behalf of Lloyds. This gives the men the practice in peace time which is so necessary for their efficiency in war. Wireless telegraphy is installed at several of these stations for naval purposes.
Although as above stated the war signal stations at home are manned by the Navy the Admiralty have stated they are unable to find personnel in time of war to man the signal stations abroad. It is understood however that the signal stations at Malta are manned by the Navy, and it is proposed that Hong-Kong should also be an exception principally because of the necessity of having wireless telegraphy communication available at that port in war and peace time.
Although it is proposed that the Navy should perform all signall- -ing and wireless telography, both naval and commercial, at Cape D'Aguilar and at the Peak, both in times of peace and war, it is not proposed to take over similarly the other commercial signal stations in the Colony, such as Gap Rock and Kowloon, as these places are not required as war signal stations in war time and it is undesirable to so employ the former owing to it being a lighthouse and consequently should be considered neutral in war time.
To
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.