CAB129-35 — Page 74

Page 74

The arrival of reinforcements on the above scale would bring the garrison of Hong Kong up to the following strength:

9.

Army:

Air Force:

Navy:

(for whole Far East Station)

4 Brigades (9 battalions, 3 commandos)

48 Anti-tank guns (12 17-pounders, 36 6-pounders) 54 Field guns (25-pounders)

16 gun Medium Artillery (5.5 inch)

24 Heavy A.A. guns (3.7 inch)

36 Light A.A. guns (Bofors)

58 Tanks (52 Comets, 6 Light Tanks)

together with ancillary units.

From September the 2nd Guards Brigade to be earmarked to move from Malaya to reinforce Hong Kong in emergency.

2 Fighter Squadrons (32 Spitfires)

1 Long range Fighter Squadron (16 Hornets) 1 Flying boat Squadron (5 Sunderlands) Fighter control and early warning radar.

3 Cruisers

15 Destroyers (or frigates)

1 Light fleet carrier

1 Replenishment carrier (in October) 1 Hospital ship

24 Local patrol craft for Hong Kong.

The despatch of these further reinforcements will, however, have serious implications elsewhere, of which the principal are as follows:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(a)

The effect on Western Union of the despatch of

further relatively large British forces to the Far East may be very considerable.

It will be necessary to call up Section "A" of the Army Reserve (2,220 strong) (This was done for

the Shanghai crisis in 1926).

There will be no effective strategic reserve in the United Kingdom until another infantry brigade can be fully formed and equipped.

It will take some three months to do this, during

which there will be nothing more than an odd battalion to meet emergency calls for land forces.

It will be necessary to relieve the battalion of the

Commando Brigade now at Aqaba by an infantry battalion from the Middle East.

The Commando Brigade itself forms part of the forces available to come to the assistance of Trans jordan if our Treaty is invoked.

(e) The present army medical resources can provide the

minimum peacetime medical cover for the strength

of troops that will be in Hong Kong. If it has to provide even a "scaled down" medical cover to deal with operations it will entail the withdrawal of specialised personnel now employed in hospitals in Page 74ted Kingdom:

this will involve closing down Sonte 2,000 out of 5,500 hospital bais, tuereby throwing

-3