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great superiority on the part of the latter, the interests it has to defend are incomparably greater than those of the two former.
II.-Organization of the Defence.
The strength of the garrison is as follows:-
Royal Artillery
China Gun Lascars
Artillery Volunteers
Royal Engineers Infantry
Departmental
Total
·
The Committee recommend the following distribution :—
Artillery.
Engineers.
Infantry.
221
178
117
112
1,079
31
1,738
Name of Division,
Name and Number
of Section.
Royal Artillery.
Gun Lascars.
Volunteers.
Fortress.
Submarine
Miners.
2nd Battalion Northampton Regiment.
1st Battalion Argyll and
Sutherland
Highlanders.
Total.
Remarks.
Eastern
Southern Victoria Peak
Mount Gough
Mount Cameron
. Lyemun
150
150
:::
:::
:::
:::
:::
150
150
150
150
200 of these to re- main as a reserve in Murray Barracks.
23
26
110
North Point
26
Kowloon Dock
42
Western
Stonecutter's Island
105
25 10
Belcher's Point
83
Kowloon West
50
Total in sections
214
136 117 45
*
In reserve
42
29 29:98
10
12
200
358
10
5
::
100
136
77
11
150
301
10
6
100
199
::
75*31 Departmental.
29
150
10
905 24
1,596
:
Total
221 178 117 73
39
150 929
111 In the Murray Barracks and adjacent barracks.
|1,707 | * Add 31 Departmental
1,738.
=
The Plan attached to this Report shows the positions of the sections and divisions. Whenever a state of war exists, the troops belonging to the different sections must be in the works ready to receive the enemy, otherwise the batteries may be taken by small landing parties before the troops could join their section from the barracks in Victoria.
The division attacked will be strengthened, if necessary, by the troops in reserve in or near Murray Barracks. This reserve is, unfortunately, very small, but with the number of troops available the Committee do not see their way to make it larger.
If the attack is directed against the Eastern Division, some small reinforcements will be sent to it from the Western Division, and also from the Eastern to the Western if the latter is attacked; but great caution must be used in the withdrawal of troops, as the distance between the two entrances of the harbour, round the island, is only 20 miles, an enemy, after threatending one entrance, might suddenly change his plans and attack the other before the men withdrawn could return.
Under no circumstances do the Committee consider it advisable to withdraw the few troops available for the southern defence, although any section of this defence will move to the assistance of a neighbouring section in which the enemy has effected a landing.
Head-quarters will be at Head-quarter House as the most central position from which to direct operations or to move by land or water to any section of the defence. It is connected by visual signalling with all the signal stations, and with the Commodore's head-quarters.
The junction of the military telephones from the harbour defences is at the Commissariat buildings, only 150 yards distant, and a connection will be made with it and with the police telegraph system. All reserves will be in the Murray and North Barracks, where they are close to the
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