CAB11-57-15 — Page 16

CHAPTER I (C) and (D).

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Mauritius; and via the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Aden, &c. An alternative route, not all British, is as above to Australia; thence viâ Banjoewangie in Java to Singapore, &c. There is also one by trans-Atlantic cable and United States land lines to San Francisco; thence by American cable via Honolulu, Midway Island, and Guam Island to Manila; thence by the Eastern Extension Company's cable to Hong Kong.

2. There are various alternative routes, of which the principal are viâ " Indo," making use of the land lines through Germany, Russia, and Persia, and the route round Africa. All these touch or pass through various foreign countries.

There is direct cable communication from Hong Kong to Macao, Saigon, Labuan, Manila, and Sharp Peak, 28 miles from Foochow; these cables land in Tai-ho-wan. Also to Amoy; this latter cable lands in Deepwater Bay.

There are also the Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration's land lines to various parts of China.

3. For information on cable communications, see "British and Foreign Cable Com- munications" (A. 866), Part 1, page 18, a copy of which is included in the packet of documents kept by the General Staff Officer for issue to the Censor.

See also the various telegraph companies' handbooks.

(D.)-Probable Forms of Attack.

1. The following principles have been laid down as the basis of the Hong Kong Defence Scheme :-

(1.) Hong Kong is liable to Class (A) attack by battleships, but the only reasonably probable form of such an attack would be a long range bombard- ment by day. Therefore His Majesty's ships lying in the harbour are expected to take whatever steps may be necessary to defend themselves against this kind of attack.

(2.) That, owing to the distance of the nearest foreign torpedo flotilla bases, attack by sea-going torpedo craft need not, at present, be provided against. (3.) That the chances of attack by night by warships of a lesser fighting value than battleships at the eastern entrance are remote, but that owing to its width the western entrance is more vulnerable.

(4.) That the enemy's main objective in case of attack would be the destruction of His Majesty's ships in harbour or dock, the destruction of the naval dock- yard, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Docks, Quarry Bay Docks, and possibly, as a secondary objective, the destruction of mercantile shipping in harbour.

2. The main gun defences of the eastern entrance are Gough and Pottinger batteries on the north side, and Saiwan battery on the south side. There is a battery on the south side at Pakshawan.

At Lyemun there is a Brennan torpedo establishment on the south side of the pass, and there are three concentrated search beams and one in process of equipment.

3. The gun defences of the western entrance are on the Island of Hong Kong, at or near Belcher group of batteries, and in 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 and Lower Belcher batteries and Pinewood battery, and three concentrated search-lights.

At Stonecutters the main gun defence is in West and Central batteries and firing more or less to south and north of the island. Two guns of the movable armament are allotted to this side.

At Stonecutters West there are five concentrated search-lights. There are also two dispersed lights at Albion.

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General Outline of Defence.

4. The general plan of defence is as follows:-

(i.) To trust to the batteries and Brennan torpedo to prevent the entrance of ships into the harbour at either end, and to repel by the same means, aided by infantry and guns of the movable armament, the landing of a force in the neighbourhood of the batteries.

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