TNAG-0757-FCO40-961-Strength-of-UK-armed-forces-stationed-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 202

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CONFIDENTIA

CIVIL SECRETARY

11Q

16 APK.773

AUS (GS)

HEADQUARTERS BRITISH FORCES ¿ HONG KONG

Asst Sec ...*** Principal.........

BRITISH FORCES POST OFFICE 1 GSO 2(a)

HEO (a) GSO 1

Telephone: Hong Kong 238111 Ext: 3326)

•

DSZ

Ast Sec

GIO 7(a)

HBO (12......

Principal (b)....

Your reference

520our reference

HK 13223 G Trg

A1

Date

18 April 1978

GSO 2 (b) ......

Ministry of Defence (AT1c)

Old War Office Building Whitehall

LONDON

SW1A 2EU

DS1)

Asst Sec

Trinej

HEO НЕО (А) AT

སྟ......ཝཱ

CASTLE PEAK RANGE

Reference:

A.

1.

MODUK Army LDF 131420Z APR.

Copy File

10/5s/5

RS 71863

At Reference A you asked for our explanation of the training implications of the Hong Kong Government's proposal to route power transmission cables through Castle Peak Range.

2.

The map at Annex A shows the proposed approximate alignment of the cables and the actual proposal to redraw the range boundary by approximately 200 metres. The training implications are as follows:

A. Anti Tank. The anti tank firing points and moving target mechanism are the only static range facilities presently within Castle Peak. The two static firing points allow an arc of fire of 150 mils. As indicated at Annex A, the proposed 200 metre encroachment would result in a reduc- tion of the arc of fire by 70 mils. We consider this to be a serious degradation to the training value of this range, the only one of its type in the Colony. A similar loss of arc occurs when we use the field firing point (marked on our map at A) firing towards portable targets to the North. In this case loss of arc can only be described as incon- venient as it does not affect a static facility.

b. Mortars. The proposal would almost certainly entail loss of the frequently used mortar base plate position (marked at B on the map). This would be inconvenient rather than serious.

C. Small Arms and Mortars. It is impossible to illustrate the many permutations of mortar and small arms templates that could overlap the proposed encroachment. Suffice to say that many recent field firing exercises and mortar shoots have involved templates which have over- lapped the area in question. If accepted the proposal would result in a serious loss of flexibility in the planning of such exercises particularly as the proposal reduces the width of the range at what is already the narrowest point

d. Future Developments. The proposal would not affect either of the possible sites for the IS Complex (Annex A) nor, would it affect any other of the new range projects currently under consideration. It

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