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Sir,

139

No. 51.

Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce

Abroad.

Downing Street, June 27, 1882.

I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, the accompanying Reports by Colonel Crossman, R.E., C.M.G., on the defences of Aden and Perim, which have been forwarded to this Department by direction of the Secretary of State for War.

I am to request that when the papers have been printed the Royal Commissioners will be good enough to cause this Department to be furnished with the usual number of copies.

Appenxdix No. 4.

ΑΦΕΝ.

86

I am, &c.

(Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

Inclosure 1 in No. 51.

COLONEL CROSSMAN'S REPORT ON THE DEFENCES OF ADEN.

Colonel Crossman, C.M.G., R.E., to the Inspector-General of Fortifications.

(Confidential.) Sir,

London, June 16, 1882. IN compliance with the instructions contained in your letter dated the 2nd November, 1881, directing me to report upon the defensive capabilities of Aden, I have the honour to state that I arrived at that place on the 11th May last, and I have to report as follows:-

The question of the defence of Aden has been carefully and fully gone

into.

1. In 1870 by a Committée of which General Tremenlere was President,

2. By Lieutenant-General Sir William Jervois in 1872.

3. By the Defence Committee of India in 1879 presided over by Lieutenant-General Sir Alexander Taylor, R.E.

I have carefully read and studied the Reports on the ground, and also the Memoran- dum of the Inspector-General of Fortifications of the 28th November, 1880,* and have examined the sites of the existing and proposed works of defence.

The value of Aden as a coaling and refitting station for Her Majesty's fleet, and its important strategical position in Eastern seas has been so fully set forth in the reports above referred to, and the topographical features of the place have been so fully described in the exhaustive Report of Sir W. Jervois, that it is unnecessary now to make any further remarks on this part of the subject.

As regards the nature of attack to which it is probable that Aden would be liable, there would appear to be a divergence of opinion between Sir W. Jervois and the Indian Defence Committee. The former officer (see paragraph 89 of his Report) pro- vides for "defence against an attack by a squadron of iron-clad vessels armed with powerful guns."

The Indian Defence Cominittee on the other hand (paragraph 14 of their Report) are of opinion that "a system of defence calculated to repulse the attack of a few vessels, iron-clad or others, that may have escaped the vigilance of our fleet, will satisfactorily meet the requirements of the case."

On reference, however, to the two Reports, it will be seen that in both, the same defensive positions are recommended and virtually the same armament, the extra strength provided by Sir W. Jervois being in placing the heavy guns of the harbour defences behind iron shields.

As these guns are at an elevation, in the two principal batteries, of over 100 feet above the sea, it would appear that if mounted en barbette, as proposed by the Com- mittee, they would still be most efficient against such an attack as is contemplated under the first supposition.

As, in the War Office Memorandum,* it is stated that "under no circumstances could Great Britain allow Aden to fall into the hands of any other Power," it is necessary to consider its defences under Head I of the conditions furnished by the "Royal Com- mission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad," viz., that it must be considered a 'port of refuge and refitting station in which ships may lie in security."

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The accompanying Table A shows the works and armament proposed in each of the schemes before mentioned, and it would appear only necessary for me to briefly recapitulate the various proposals under the head of each work, and from them put forward a scheme which will embody generally the views of those who have already considered the subject with such alterations as I may venture to consider advisable.

The defences of Aden may be taken, as has been done in all previous Reports, as existing under three heads:-

* No. 52.

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