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Point and Stonecutter's Island, 3,840 yards, between Stonecutter's East and the Kowloon Peninsula, 1,300 yards, and between Kowloon Dock and North Point, 1,540 yards; making in all 6,680 yards, or nearly 4 miles of water-way to be defended.
To lay the necessary mines and to keep them in order, there should be at least three sections of submarine miners, or one complete submarine mining company, so requiring one-fourth of the whole of the trained men of the corps of Royal Engineers. The company would further have to be supplemented by an equal number of Chinese boatmen.
Appendix No. 4.
HONG KONG,
Water-way to be defended—
6,680 yards.
An entire Company of Submarine Miners, R.E., required for a regular
defence.
It is therefore, I submit, out of the question to attempt to lay down a plan Regular plan of submarine mining at Hong for a regular submarine mining defence of Hong Kong; all that can be done defence inadmissible would be, in time of war, if a superior hostile fleet were in Chinese waters, and Kong.
100 E. C. mines, irregularly diз- tributed in groups of four.
an attack on Hong Kong anticipated, to lay down a few groups of electro-contact Proposed mines- mines at irregular intervals in the various channels, say 15 groups of 4 electro- contact mines over the main western channel, 3 groups off Stonecutter's East, and 8 groups at the eastern entrance, making a total of 100 electro-contact mines, or of 39 in addition to the present establishment.
Lieutenant Friend's suggestion to use dormant mines in the narrow channel of the Lyemoon Pass is worthy of all consideration, and should a serviceable method of carrying out the principle be devised, 20 additional electro-contact mines should be supplied.
Submarine Mining Establishment.
100 E. C. mines sufficient.
Lyemoon Pass,
20 E. C. dormant mines. If principle successful, 20 addi- tional E. C. mines to be supplied.
Present site inconvenient.
The present submarine mining establishment on the site of the old Wellingtou Battery is most inconvenient; the proper place for the stores required for the western mine-fields is on Stonecutter's Island, and if part of the ground For western side of harbour, on which the prison stood could be obtained from the Colonial Government, it is Stonecutter's Island affords best admirably adapted for the purpose, 12 feet of water being obtained close to the shore on both sides of the low ground between Stonecutter's Central and East Batteries.
The water off this place on either side would make good ground for annual practice.
The present establishment would serve for the eastern passage, but if any general movement were made to Causeway Bay, a new establishment there would be much more convenient for submarine work at that entrance to the harbour, and would serve as a general depôt for the stores in time of peace.
"miner"
site.
•
Good practice ground.
Store buildings for eastern side best at Causeway Bay.
Boats for submarine mining scr
The Naval Department have issued tenders for the building of a and "lighter," and the Commodore has received orders to provide the remainder vice. of the boats authorized for the establishment.
If detached groups of mines are considered sufficient, one set of boats is all One set of boats sufficient if that is necessary, but if a regular system of mine defence is to be carried out, detached groups of mines only pro- two sets of boats at least would be required.
There are, however, a great number of lighters and launches in the harbour belonging to private firms, many of which could be utilized for submarine mining work in time of emergency.
Two trained officers and 10 trained non-commissioned officers and men should, I think, be constantly retained here. It is not necessary that more than one of the officers should be attached to the submarine mining company, but, if possible, one of the other officers on the station should have gone through a course of instruction in submarine mining. There would be no difficulty in obtaining men to assist in the work. The Chinese are good boatmen, and gene- rally handy and intelligent. In the event of war it would be easy to raise any number of men, who in a very short time would be able to do all that was required.
vided.
Local boats.
Two officers, 10 non-commissioned officers and men (submarine miners) required.
Chinese boatmen.
No men could be relied upon as
No dependence could, as anticipated by the Committee of 1880, be placed upon obtaining assistance from the Victor Emanuel" or the Navy Yard. In available from Admiralty during time of war the resources of the navy would be heavily taxed in providing what was necessary for the fleet.
NAVAL ASSISTANCE TO THE DEFENCE.*
The Committee recommend four torpedo boats, and fittings for twelve more, to be supplied to private launches, many of which are well suited to the purpose. and as These will form a most powerful addition to the defence of the harbour; a further naval protection to the harbour two gun-boats, each to carry a 38-ton gun, a field gun, and a machine gun, are recommended.
The small gun-boats, the "Tweed" and "Esk," now in reserve here, look very small indeed beside the powerful Chinese gun-boats of the latest type, now lying in the harbour.
The "Wivern" is a powerful boat for harbour defence, but as regards these vessels, it does not appear that they were sent out for the defence of Hong Kong
war.
Torpedo boats.
Gua-boats.
Small gun-boats now in reserve.
Present vessels not specially de-
specially, but are liable for general service on the station; they are therefore tached for defence of Hong Kong. hardly to be counted on as part of the permanent defence of the place.
* See Table No. 4.
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