CAB11-57-1 — Page 134

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defences and electric lights at Hong Kong must be judged by their power to close the harbour to hostile torpedo-boats. Such an idea is scarcely correct. The Officer Commanding Royal Artillery records the opinion that no possible arrangement of lights or reasonable number of guns could effectively bar the passage at the western entrance to torpedo-boats. The Commanding Royal Engineer goes further, and concludes that torpedo-boats could not be absolutely stopped without some system of obstruction in addition to guns and lights. The question is not a new one, and has on several occasions been considered by local Committees at Hong Kong, and by the Colonial Defence Committec.

Hong Kong, being within 200 miles of Whampoa, comes within the category of ports liable to attack by first-class torpedo-boats, but this does not necessarily entail the employment of physical obstructions. In their Remarks, dated the 23rd July, 1894, on the Report of the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee of April, 1894, the Colonial Defence Committee stated :-

"The best method of meeting the danger of an attack by Chinese torpedo-boats from Whampoa would be to capture or destroy them at once at the outset of a war with that Power. As it may be anticipated that this course will be adopted by the Naval Commander-in-chief on the station, the Colonial Defence Committee cannot concur in the proposal to provide a protective enclosure or 'zariba' near Victoria Dockyard."

The Local Joint Naval and Military Committee of July, 1895, accepted this view, and considered that in any case Her Majesty's ships at Hong Kong must protect themselves against attacks by torpedo-boats of all kinds. The possibility of attack by 2nd class, that is by ships' or carried torpedo-boats, exists at every port, but it has been laid down in Report No. XI of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence that this form of attack does not necessitate the use of physical obstructions except at dock and lock gates, but should be left to be dealt with by men-of-war, against which it is primarily directed.

In these circumstances the Colonial Defence Committee are unable to concur in the proposed booms of junks for closing the entrances into the harbour.

Reverting to the question of the efficiency of the existing system of electric lights, it is to be observed that the primary objects of this system may be taken to be the illumination of the mine-fields and the examination of large vessels approaching the harbour, and that the detection of torpedo-boats is only a secondary purpose.

The combined operations have nevertheless afforded useful information as to the lighting of the harbour. Commander Green, R.N., considers that a second search- light is required at Stonecutters and the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery concurs that the channels north and south of the island cannot both be watched by one search- light. The Commanding Royal Engineer adopts the same view, and states that there is room for another engine at Stonecutters. The Officer Commanding Royal Artillery also asks for more gun defence for the channel north of Stonecutters.

The Colonial Defence Committee recommend that these proposals should be considered by the War Office. On the whole the additional light, the proposal for which is supported by the General Officer Commanding, appears to the Committee to be necessary, especially on the ground of the advisability of duplicating the present single beam on the northern channel, but they are more doubtful as to the need for additional Q.F. defence for this channel.

The Committee are informed that the suggestion of the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery, supported by the Commanding Royal Engineer, that the Belcher's search-light should be lowered, has been anticipated, and that the General Officer Commanding was asked by the War Office on the 8th April, 1899, for a design for a pier at the west end of Queen's Road to carry the emplacement of this search-light, and that correspondence on the subject has since been proceeding, a revised design from the station being now awaited. The insufficient lighting of Lyemuu Pass, noted by the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery, will, as the Commanding Royal Engineer points out, be remedied by the revised scheme of defence electric lights at Lyemun, which has been approved by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and com- municated to the General Officer Commanding in a War Office letter, dated the 29th May, 1900 (Hong Kong 5/348). This Scheme includes two concentrated and three dispersed beams. The construction of the permanent emplacements for these lights, and the completion of the neighbouring battery for four 12-pr. Q.F. guns, will obviate the possibility, pointed out by the commander of one of the torpedo-boats, of the pedestals of the lights being shot away.

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