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Movable Armament.-Four 9-pr. R.M.L. guns; two Maxims.
As the guns of the permanent batteries are intended to fight ships at the east and west entrances to the harbour, and as their fire to that end is well controlled by a chain of artillery command, the officer commanding this Section will not interfere unduly with the direction of their fire, but will more particularly direct his attention to the defence of the land front, and to preventing an enemy gaining a hill-top whence he might annoy the batteries by rifle fire.
Reserves.-At Victoria, as per Table B (iii), with two companies of the Hong Kong Regiment at Kowloon.
Supplies and Stores.-The above division into sections entails no greater difficulty in supplying their garrisons with food, water, and ammunition, &c., than as now. The provisions for the garrison of Stonecutters, Lyemun, and Belchers will be supplied as in ordinary times. In the Kowloon Section the positions of the outposts are not more than 1 mile from the Whitfield Barracks, and their food, &c., will be sent out in the same manner as is now done when a battalion is encamped there. The forts, including North Point, will be fed under existing arrangements. The two companies in No. III, or the Peak Section, are encamped within a mile of Victoria; they and the garrison of No. IV, or the Wong-nei-Cheong Section, will be provisioned in the manner at present followed when companies are encamped in various parts of the islands, i.e., a few coolies being told off to convey food to its outposts from company head-quarters.
As regards encamping the companies in the first line of the various Sections, there is no necessity for loading this Report with details as to the number of tent pegs, &c.; we now put under canvas more men than will be under canvas in time of preparation for attack, and there seems no need of treating this as an exceptional and unknown operation. There is camp equipment enough for all.
Fortress Head-quarters.—Head-quarter House, whence the defence will be directed, is in telephonic communication with the Colonial system and with the Commissariat Buildings, whence telephone and telegraph lines branch to the various Sectional Head- quarters and Batteries. It will be in communication with all the signal stations, and with the Commodore's head-quarters.
Engineer Supervision.-Owing to the paucity of officers of the Royal Engineers, the Sections are grouped for engineering duties (other than submarine mining) into four Engineer districts. The officers and men of the Fortress Company and Submarine Mining Company, localized in Sections, will be under the command of the Section Commanders, subject to the supervision, for engineering and submarine mining purposes, of the district Engineer officers and the officer in charge of submarine mining respectively.
The map attached to this Report illustrates the distribution into Sections, and shows the positions of the batteries, mine-fields, signal posts, and projected works, &c.
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