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No. 123.

War Office Memorandum on the Defence of the Falkland Islands.

THE Falkland Islands, which are about 200 in number, but of which only two, East and West Falkland, are of any considerable size, cover an area of 7,600 square miles, forming a group in the South Pacific on the track of ships making for Cape Horn.

They contain numerous excellent harbours, the best of which is Stanley Harbour in the East Island, where is the seat of government, and it is this harbour which it is proposed to defend.

The islands are peculiar in containing no trees. The greater part of East Falkland is composed of quartz rock, but beds of clay, clay-slate, and sandstone also exist. There are numerous peat bogs. The population is small, and is mostly employed in sheep and cattle farming.

Port Stanley is described as a natural dock 3 miles long by about one-third of a mile broad, and the depths are 5 fathoms and under. The entrance is little over 200 yards wide. It is not immediately connected with the open sea, but opens into Port William, which is about 4 miles long, with very varying widths.

Stanley Harbour possesses no naval establishment, but a peninsula, about 1 mile long by 500 yards wide, forming part of the north side of the harbour, is reserved for naval purposes.

There is no garrison, and no defences exist.

Proposed Defences.

The information which we possess concerning the nature of the country about Stanley Harbour is not sufficient to enable the works to be laid down with certainty, but a general project for defence can be made which will serve as an indication of what is required.

The chief points to be noticed are that the defence against ships may be made either at the entrance to Stanley Harbour or at the entrance to Port William, and that the land defence is divided into two or three portions by the head of Stanley Harbour and by Murrell River.

Notwithstanding the strategical importance, in time of war, of Stanley Harbour, yet its distance from any possible base of operations for an enemy renders it improbable that any heavily armoured vessels would be sent to attack it, and makes it unnecessary to mount a heavier gun than the 10-inch 18-ton rifled muzzle-loader.

To deny the Harbour.

Appendix No. 4.

FALKLAND ISLANDS.

To deny the harbour to an enemy it would be sufficient to construct a work at Navy

Navy Point. Point on the west side of the entrance to Stanley Harbour, and to mount there, say, five 5 10-in. R.M.L. heavy guns behind iron shields. These should be supplemented with some medium guns, 4 64-prs. and with submarine mines laid across the entrance.

In addition to this, a line of intrenchments should be carried across the peninsula which ends in Navy Point.

Works

Armament Submarine mines-

Boats Buildings Stores

£

53,160

19,800

1,280

1,250

1,280

The Lines.

This line would stop an enemy advancing by land to destroy the naval establishment, which, it is presumed, would be situated on the ground reserved for that purpose.

3 64-prs.

This line, if it could be made at a place about 2,000 yards from the point, would be 4 field-guns. about 500 yards long; but it may be necessary to construct it further to the westward, Works between Watt Cove and Fairy Cove, where it would be 800 yards long, but it would then Armament be liable to be taken in reverse from the other side of Hearnden Water.

£ 10,000

1,350

Barracks Field-guns

50,000

1,000

Protection against Bombardment.

If it be desired to secure the place against bombardment from seawards, it is necessary to close the entrance to Port William. This may be done by erecting a battery at Yorke Point, where, from kelp to kelp, the channel is only 800 yards wide, and not too deep for the use of submarine mines.

Yorke Point Battery.

The head of Yorke Point appears to be formed by an isolated rock, which, as far as can be judged from the chart, affords sufficient room for the establishment of a battery. 6 10-in. R.M.L. If this be so, there should be built on it an inclosed work, mounting six heavy guns behind? 64-prs. shields, besides medium guns for land and beach defence.

-Works Armament

£ 60,720

•

22,950

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