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(Confidential.) Sir,

233

Inclosure 7 in No. 74.

Major Hannen, R.A., to Lieutenant-Colonel Parnell, C.B.

Singapore, January 1, 1881. CAPTAIN JOHNSTONE, R.N., Lieutenant Rhodes, R.E., and myself having sent in joint Reports on the defences of Blakang Mati and Mount Faber, I have only to submit some remarks on the new battery proposed at Passir Panjang and that for Tanjong Katong.

2. With regard to the battery at Passir Panjang, four guns will be required: two armour-piercing guns in the centre, and a 7-inch, or 64-pounder, on each flank. Captain McCallum's proposition to make the left gun fire over the two heavy guns is, I consider, inadmissible.

3. I consider that Tanjong Katong should be strengthened as proposed by Captain McCallum, armour-piercing guns being used both in the new and old battery.

4. It is quite certain that if the harbour and town are to be rendered fairly safe from an enemy's attack, floating batteries must finally be adopted. Their immediate use would render the second fort at Tanjong Katong unnecessary.

"

5. The term armour-piercing" is used to denote a gun that will pierce 8 inches of armour at 3,000 yards.

6. The use of 13-inch mortars at Mount Palmer is unobjectionable. To place them on Mount Serapong would be useless and dangerous. Their range is insufficient to act against an enemy's ships, but should Mount Serapong be taken, they might be turned with great effect against Blakang Mati East.

(Confidential.)

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure 8 in No. 74.

GEORGE G. HANNEN, Major, R.A.

Report on Mount Palmer Battery.

HAVING visited Mount Palmer, and having considered Article 85 of Captain McCallum's Report,* and Article 17 of that of Lieutenant Rhodes, R.E.,† we are of opinion that the following alterations should be made:-

(a.) No. 1 gun, at present a 64-pounder firing through 180 degrees, should be replaced by a 7-inch 6-ton gun, mounted on a land service dwarf traversing platform D pivot, with the same angle of fire as at present.

(b.) No. 2 gun, at present 7-inch 6-tons, firing through 70 degrees, should be replaced by an armour-piercing gun mounted on a land service dwarf traversing platform D pivot, so as to fire through 105 degrees from its present extreme left range.

(c) No. 3 gun, at present 7-inch 64-tons, firing through 70 degrees, should be mounted on a land service dwarf traversing platform D pivot, so as to fire through 117 degrees from its present extreme right range.

(d.) No. 4 gun, at present 7-inch 6-tons, firing through 70 degrees, should be replaced by an armour-piercing gun, mounted on a land service dwarf traversing platform D pivot, so as to fire through 90 degrees, i.e., through 10 degrees on each side of its present extreme range right and left.

(e.) No. 5 gun, at present a 64-pounder, firing through 180 degrees, should be replaced by an armour-piercing gun, mounted on a land service dwarf traversing platform D pivot, so as to fire through 180 degrees, its right extreme range being 8 degrees less than that of the present gun. The left extreme range being thereby increased 8 degrees, the gun will fire over Fort Canning.

(f) A new gun, a 64-pounder, should be placed in the salient of the demi-bastion, so as to fire

over the shipping and Teluk Ayer Bay.

2. If no battery is arranged to occupy a spot between Mount Palmer and the Fort at Tanjong Katong, another 64-pounder should be placed in the salient of the demi-bastion. This gun being intended to operate against boats landing at the town is not a part of the direct defences of the coal stores, but it is connected with the question of the land defences.

3. The term armour-piercing" is used to denote a gun that will penetrate 8 inches of armour at a distance of 3,000 yards.

4. The following Table will show the nature of the alterations proposed in the guns:-

Appendix No. 4.

SINGAPORE.

Page 261

At present Proposed 1 Or

..

:::

64-pr.

212

7-in.

* 2 2

3

Armour-piercing.

0

3 3

(Signed)

C. JOHNSTONE, Commander, H.M.S. " Egeria.” GEORGE G. HANNEN, Major, R.A.

Singapore, December 30, 1880.

E. F. RHODES, Lieutenant, Commanding R.E.

To Lieut.-Colonel II. Parnell, C.B., Commandant,

President of the Singapore Defence Committee.

[1103]

*Inclosure 15 in No. 74.

Inclosure 14 in No. 74.

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