CAB11-57-8 — Page 32

Page 32

CHAPTER II (D).

Page 32

Page 32

30

Landing on Stonecutters.-An attack on the western entrance might be supple- mented by an attempted landing on Stonecutters Island. This would be met by the infantry and movable armament of the Section. A reinforcement might be quickly obtained of the whole Kowloon Reserve, and say, of one company European Infantry from Victoria Reserve.

Landing on the South.-The probable landing-places on the south are at Aberdeen, Deep Water, and Repulse Bays, Stanley, and Tytam Bay.

(a.) From Aberdeen three lines of advance are possible:

1. By the main road to Mount Davis Gap. This would be met, as in the case of a landing at Sandy Bay, by possible attacks on the flank and rear of the enemy by the Pokfulum Valley and Mount Kellet Roads. A modification of this might be the enemy attacking by the Pokfulum Valley, but this Valley is so open to fire from the positions on the Peak that an attack by it is hardly feasible.

2. By Mount Kellet Road to Victoria and Plantation Gaps. This would be met by the garrison of the Peak Section and the mobile armament, reinforced in thirty-five minutes from the Victoria Reserve. It should be noted here that Mount Kellet rises from a spur jutting from the ridge, and its possession by the enemy by no means gives him a footing on the main ridge.

3. By the Wanchai Gap Road. This would be met by the garrison and mobile armament of the Peak Section, supplemented by the fire of the guns on Mount Cameron. Reserves from Victoria can reach this position in forty-five minutes.

2 and 3 give steep bits of climbing, and it would hardly be possible to advance on the narrow paths under artillery fire.

The two 6'6-inch howitzers on Mount Kellet Spur would make it unpleasant for boats bringing troops to effect a landing at Aberdeen.

(b.) From Deep Water Bay there are two lines of advance:

1. By Wong-nei-Cheong Gap.

2. By Little Hong Kong and Middle Gap.

These would be met by the garrison of the Wong-nei-Cheong Section, including four 7-prs., supplemented by the Reserves from Victoria, and the boats would be under fire from the two 6-6-inch howitzers above Wong-nei-Cheong Gap. Repulse Bay need not be specially considered, as if ever a landing took place on its steep shores, the advance would be the same as that from Deep Water Bay.

(c.) As regards Stanley, the village might be destroyed, but an advance from here would only be a very much more toilsome way of attacking the points that are more easily attained from Deep Water and Tytam Bays; if an enemy, landing at Stanley, advanced northward over the rugged broken ground, it would only lead him to the spheres of defence of Wong-nei-Cheong Gap and Tytam Reservoir.

(d.) From Tytam Bay the objective of the attack would be :

1. To destroy the dam of the Tytam Reservoir and to seize the Wong-nei-Cheong Section; the two 7-prs. allotted to its defence, supplemented by the fire of the two 6.6-inch howitzers from Quarry Bay Gap, would hold an advance over this most difficult ground in check until the arrival of support from Wong-nei-Cheong Gap and of the Reserves from Victoria.

2. The deflection of this attack from the Reservoir viâ Quarry Bay Gap need hardly be considered, as it could not take place if the defence at the Reservoir held its own. If not, this circuitous route would hardly be adopted.

3. Advance by Tytam Gap and Sai-ki-Wan Road need hardly be considered, for after a lengthened march over steep slopes it leads to ground defended by Sywan Redoubt and the garrison of No. V Section. Reserves from Victoria would reach the Sai-ki-Wan Gap long before the advance from Tytam Bay, on which a flank or rear attack could be made from the Reservoir.

(ii) Attack from the Mainland.

If an attack be made from the mainland, the Kowloon Hills used as natural forts give a strong line of defence.

The right, on a ridge a little north-east of Hill No. 12, well tested in our tactical exercises, commands the low ground between the hills and the eastern seaboard, and, in

1

C

{

f

I

е

C

a

t

I

0

а

b

a

I

t.

Page 32

Page 32