CAB7-4 — Page 346

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Appendix No. 4.

HONG KONG,

Iron-clad fort on Kellet's Bank.

Too large and expensive.

Bullet-proof arches over gun em- placements.

Infantry defence of batteries must

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One 64-pounder gun should be added for the defence of the mine-field as at present laid out, but this is not included in the estimate.

Were an iron-clad fort (as I believe has been proposed) constructed on Kellet's Bank, between Stonecutter's and Green Islands, it would, in conjunction with submarine mines, render the western entrance to the harbour virtually un- assailable, but such a work of defence would be of a "large and expensive character, suitable for a first-class fortress," the construction of which the Royal Commissioners do not in any case anticipate.

Infantry Defence of the Batteries.

As regards the detaching of infantry to defend the batteries.-No doubt all the batteries on Hong Kong Island are commanded within a very short distance by very high ground, but it is to be remembered that owing to the nature of the country it would be very difficult for the enemy to bring any infantry to these points to annoy the battery, and, as regards artillery, it would be impossible.

I think, however, that it might be advisable, where they cannot be defiladed, to cover the gun emplacements with light bullet-proof arches.

Any garrison which could be given to Hong Kong would be too small to admit of great dispersion.

The infantry defence of these six batteries must be taken into consideration be taken into consideration with in connection with the general defence of the south of the island, which will be

land defences generally.

Lieutenant Friend's Memorandum.

War Office Scheme.

Western Entrance-

12 500-lb. ground mines. 92 100-lb. E. C. mines.

Between Stonecutter's East and

Kowloon--

24 mechanical mines.

Eastern Entrance-

12 500-lb, buoyant mines.

48 100-lb E. C. mines.

Between East Stonecutter's and

treated of hereafter.

SUBMARINE MINES.

Attached to the Committee's Report is a very exhaustive Memorandum by Lieutenant Friend, R.E., on the subject of the submarine mining defence of the harbour.*

The positions of the mine-fields, as laid down by him, are in accordance, so far as the main entrances to the harbour are concerned, with those laid down at the War Office; he, however, proposes to run a line of mines from the north of Stonecutter's Island to the Chinese mainland.

No doubt this would be a much better line than that running from Stone- cutter's Island to the Kowloon Peninsula, but the former would be half in the waters of a foreign Power, and would deny access to a mile of Chinese coast.

The War Office schemet must therefore be adhered to, if a regular system be adopted.

The number of mines required for the harbour defence is, according to a plan prepared in the Office of the Inspector of Submarine Defences, and approved by the Inspector-General of Fortifications :---

1. For channel between Stonecutter's Island and Belcher's Point, twelve C0-lb. ground mines, and ninety-two 100-lb. electro-contact mines.

2. To close entirely by mechanical mines the channel between Stonecutter's and Kowloon--twenty-four mechanical mines.

3. For channel between Kowloon Dock Battery and North Point Battery, twelve buoyant 500-lb. mines, and forty-eight electro-contact mines.

I doubt, however, considering the large amount of native traffic that passes Kowloon (in place of mechanical between Stonecutter's East and Kowloon, whether it would not be preferable to mines)—

use electro-contact mines on that line; in that case nine 500-lb. mines, and twenty- five electro-contact mines would be required, making a total of thirty-three 500-lb. mines, and 165 electro-contact mines.

9 500-lb. mines.

25 E. C. mines.

Total mines required-

33 500-lb. mines. 165 E. C. mines.

There are at present at the Station :—

Sixteen 500-lb. ground mines.

Sixty-one 100 electro-contact mines.

Leaving seventeen 500-lb. ground mines and

One hundred and one electro-contact mines to be supplied.

Lieutenant Friend proposes :—

Twenty-four 500-lb. ground mines, and

Two hundred and eleven electro-contact mines more than the autho-

rized establishment.

He has laid down his mines strictly in accordance with the rules laid down in the Manual for Submarine Mining, but it was not thought ncessary at the War Office to provide for such close intervals in this case, as would be the case in narrower channels.

However, taking the lowest number required for a complete and regular defence, viz. :-

Twenty-four 500-lb. mines, and

One hundred and sixty-five electro-contact mines,

although the cost of the material is small, as compared with the works on shore, it is to be pointed out that there are three channels, viz., between Belcher's

* Inclosure No. 4.

+ No. 102.

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