CAB11-57-11 — Page 10

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CHAPTER I.

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There is a Brennan torpedo establishment on the south side in the pass itself, and there are five electric lights.

Arrangements are also made to lay a mine-field in the pass, but this is not kept laid, and would not be laid without Naval concurrence.

17. The examination ground for vessels entering is in Junk Bay, and there is an examination service for this entrance.

18. At the western end the total width of the entrance from the Island of Hong Kong to the mainland is about 6,000 yards, but this is divided at Green Island and Stonecutters Island into three entrance channels.

Of these, the southernmost, called the Sulphur Channel, is 400 yards wide, and is the one used by most of the larger shipping entering on the west side of the harbour. The centre channel between Green Island and Stonecutters is 4,000 yards wide, but the effective width is much reduced by Kellet's Bank, which stretches north from Green Island. This channel is used mainly by junks and river steamers passing between Hong Kong and Canton or Macao.

Inside the Kellet Bank these two channels unite with a minimum width of 3,500 yards between south-east Stonecutters and Belcher Point, and this is the selected line of defence for this entrance.

The channel north of Stonecutters is 1,200 yards wide, and is used mainly for access to the Cosmopolitan Docks and the Oil Works at Tai-Kok-Tsui. It is accessible from Chin-Wan Bay for boats passing north of Chung-Hue, and this constitutes the best protected, and in spite of some difficulties of navigation, the most probable line of approach for torpedo craft attempting to rush the harbour.

The depth of water is 10 fathoms in the Sulphur Channel, 3 fathoms over the Kellet Bauk, and 4 fathoms north of Stonecutters. These depths are, however, reduced further in to 4 fathoms off Belcher Point, and 23 fathoms between Stonecutters and the Kowloon peninsula. The approaches to this side of the harbour from the north-west are, from the Canton River by the Cap-Si-Mun Pass and the south of Chung-Hue, or by Chin-Wan Bay south of Chung-Hue. Neither route is lighted by night except by the one light on Green Island, and the north channel is somewhat dangerous from sunken rocks. The approaches from the south are from the lighthouse at Gap Rock (30 miles away) to Lamma Island, the direct route being to the west of the island; but the channel here is difficult for larger vessels. By going east of Lamma Island ample water is obtained, but this channel is only lit from Green Island.

On the whole the western entrances are less easy of access, and have less depth of water than the eastern side.

These conditions are, however, not unfavourable to an attack by torpedo craft and small cruisers, while the great width between Belcher and Stonecutters makes the defence of this entrance at night very difficult, so that this is probably the weakest part of the whole defence from a purely naval attack.

19. The gun defences of the western entrance are on the island of Hong Kong, at or near Belcher group of batteries, and on the Island of Stonecutters.

There are no defences on Green Island or on the mainland north of Stonecutters.

At Belcher the main gun defence is in Fly Point, Upper Belcher and Lower Belcher batteries, with a new battery under construction at Pinewood. Also Elliot Battery and three electric lights.

At Stonecutters the main gun defence is in the West, Central, and East batteries, all firing more or less to south and north of the island, and South Shore Battery.

Two guns of the movable armament are allotted to this side. There is one electric light on the south side, one on the north side, and one on the west, serving both

entrances.

Arrangements are made for a mine-field between Belcher and Stonecutters, and for another north of Stonecutters, each with a friendly channel; but these mines would not be laid until some emergency arose, not in any case without naval authority.

Entrance between Stonecutters and Green Island would be prohibited in time of war, but examination services are provided for Sulphur Channel and north of Stone-

cutters.

To meet the case of an enemy running through the outer defences, there are batteries at Kowlcon East and North Point, on the east side of the harbour, and at Kowloon West and Victoria Battery on the west side, covering between them all the

inner waters.

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