Page 7
Page 7
infantry battalions, as explained above, it would be better if I estimated it in round numbers at 1,000 British infantry and 2,000 native infantry, and I again most strongly recommend that no less than this number be maintained, and trust the Colonial Defence Committee will support my contention. I make this estimate on the assumption that the whole of the China field force will sooner or later be withdrawn.
The line of resistance of the defence which it has been decided to hold runs, roughly speaking, in a circle, the perimeter of which, including both entrances to the harbour, is 23 miles long. Acting on the assumption that every man is available, and making no allowance for sick or men on leave, or short of strength, there will be, according to Army Estimates, including artillery, roughly, 4,000 men to hold it, that is, 1 man to every 10 yards, figures that speak for themselves. It is not, however, solely for the defence of the Colony, for I recognize the assistance which the navy will give, and the difficulties an enemy would always encounter in landing large bodies of troops, that I contend that 4 regiments should be maintained in Hong Kong. Recent events in China have brought into prominence the vast importance of troops being available for the formation of a column to move to any threatened point, or to nip in the bud any treacherous movement. There is, too, the contingency to be considered of a port, such as Amoy, for instance, having to be occupied. All such considerations, which have been occupying my attention of late, have further influenced me in bringing to the notice of the War Office the extreme desirability of the maintenance of a mountain battery, and I have quite recently submitted a scheme for the organization of one of the Hong Kong and Singapore battalions as such. A perusal of the Defence Scheme will show the measures which have been decided upon to meet an invasion of the Colony by the Chinese or an attack by a European Power from the mainland. In either of these two cases a mountain battery would render incalculable service, and the probability of a column having to be dispatched, as occurred last year, to Peking, must not be lost sight of I have repeatedly brought to notice the unsatisfactory and unreliable nature of coolie carriage, and during our tactical exercises this year this has been again emphasized. On several occasions coolies have been unable to carry the guns into the positions assigned to them, the result being that they have failed to come into action, at times too, when artillery fire would have turned the tide of battle. Besides their unreliableness, it is far from certain that coolies can always be obtained. It has twice happened, once in the new territory, once at Tientsin, that no coolies were forthcoming. The whole subject of transport presents difficulties enough, even under the most favourable circumstances. A glance at the nature of the country depicted on the map of the new territory which accompanies the Scheme will make a far more eloquent appeal than any words of mine as to the extreme necessity of this mountain battery, and I ask the Colonial Defence Committee to support this recommendation as well as that in regard to the strength of the garrison.
5. Some important, perhaps drastic, changes have this year been made in the general Scheme of Defence, of which the most noteworthy are now described. With the scanty garrison at disposal it has been decided to form a somewhat weak outpost line and to hold in hand as strong reserves as possible, ready to move to the point threatened, and the distribution of troops has been regulated by this principle. The line of resistance on the mainland has been pushed forward to the line of hills running across the Kowloon peninsula, as they, beyond doubt, present the tactical points which must be held. An enemy effecting a lodgment on these hills would have Hong Kong at his mercy, and they must in consequence be denied to him. From the map of Hong Kong will be seen the manner in which the terrain, especially on the south side resolves itself into a series of circular basins, the circumferences of which are formed by the main ridge and the spurs projecting therefrom. Each of these basins, of which there are three, seems to have been adapted by nature as presenting an admirable area for the sections into which the defence is divided, and it has been decided to take advantage of them for this purpose.
Under the old arrangement the limits of sections were defined by lines drawn from the water's edge along the ravines up to the gaps or passes. Under the new arrangements these lines have been transferred to the high ground of the hill spurs, and Commanders of sections will now be able to exercise far better control over their defence areas than they could formerly. Details of the limits and area of each section will be found in the Scheme of Defence.
6. The defences of Lyemun, though improved since last year, are not yet in a satisfactory state. Two 6-inch guns for Sywan Hill are ready for mounting, and can be
Page 7
Page 7
Page 7
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.