CAB11-57-15 — Page 79

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CHAPTER III (J).

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(J.)-Action by the Chief Ordnance Officer.

(i.) At the Precautionary Stage.

1. Arrangements have been made for the storage of a large proportion of the stores which would be required on mobilization in various forts and buildings on the island, at Stonecutters, and on the mainland, in charge of the Officer Commanding the Island Section, the Officers Commanding the R.G.A. Companies, and the A.O.D., thus. it will not be necessary to make abnormally large issues of stores likely to attract attention at this stage. Lists showing the stores required by each unit, the posts for which they are required, and the sources of supply, have been prepared, and are in the hands of the officers concerned. All issues will be made without indent, and arrange- ments have been made for the transport of the stores. Field dressings will be drawn regimentally by units immediately the precautionary stage is announced.

2. Table J (i), gives a detail of the stores required and shows the sources of supply. Table J (ii), gives an approximate time-table for the issue of stores from the A.O.D. Depôt, Arsenal Yard. Units will draw the stores held for them in the forts and buildings, as above, on arrival in their section or fire command.

3. Small Arm Ammunition. The Chief Ordnance Officer will send to the Sanitarium, Lyemun, Elliott Battery, and Stonecutters 150 rounds per infantry rifle for the troops allotted to those districts. He will apply to the O.C. Reserves for escorts as necessary. This ammunition will be in charge of representatives of the A.O.D., detailed by the C.0.0., who will be under the orders of the O.C. Island Section and the Officer Commanding Troops, Stonecutters. The C.O.O. will issue to the Commandant Hong Kong Volunteer Corps sufficient ammunition to complete to 150 rounds per infantry rifle and 60 rounds per artillery and engineer rifle for each man in his corps.

(ii.) At the War Stage.

4. The same arrangements with regard to the issue of stores to units in the sections of defence and fire commands exist for the war stage as for the precautionary stage.

5. Small Arm Ammunition.-Each infantry unit holds on charge 150 rounds per rifle; artillery and engineers 60 rounds. On mobilization, this will be carried by each man to his post, and in the case of infantry will be raised to 300 rounds by the addition of the 150 rounds sent out to sub-depôts on the precautionary stage.

The C.O.O. will forward 300 rounds per infantry rifle to the A.O.D. representatives at each of the sub-depôts mentioned above, applying to the O.C. Reserve for escorts as necessary.

He will issue to the O.C. Reserve sufficient ammunition to complete 300 rounds per rifle, and 10,000 rounds per machine-gun on his charge.

The whole of the reserve S.A.A. required for the mainland section is stored in time of peace at Kowloon West.

150 rounds per infantry rifle will be issued on the war stage, and be taken with the men to their posts, the balance (viz., 300 rounds per infantry rifle) will be divided between Kowloon West and a field magazine to be established at Sacred Hill in charge of an A.O.D. representative.

After the above issues have been made it is estimated that about 500 rounds per infantry rifle will be left in ordnance magazines from which sub-depôts will be replenished.

6. Gun Ammunition. As a rule all gun ammunition for both fixed and movable armaments is in charge of the Royal Artillery.

The C.O.O. will issue at once to the Royal Artillery all gun ammunition temporarily held by him for convenience of storage.

7. Hospitals, Stores, &c.-Stores for the expansion of hospitals will be issued in the same manner as other stores, vide paragraph 1, on the third day of the war stage.

Stores required for moving guns into new positions, and to meet all unforeseen requirements, will be made on receipt of indents.

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Mobilization

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Table J (i).—ORDNANCE Stores required

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