CAB80-8 — Page 134

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ANNEX

Bo

Copy of a telegram No.6520, dated 30th January, 1940, from the General Officer Commanding Hong Kong to the

War Office.

Your 63650 13/1.

Assume garrison as stated in your telegram but omitting additional mobile artillery regiment which is not formed and for which no accommodation exists. In reply to your questions.

FIRST. It is possible to store on island food for garrison for 180 days under siege conditions. It is however only possible to hold 120 days flour for military use in air conditioned storage and this does not include any civilian stock of flour. There is only one cold storage plant to meet entire civil and military requirements of colony. It is situated in an exposed position on north side of island and possesses no auxiliary set if main civil electric supply is damaged. It is not possible to strengthen or reinforce buildings. It would be dangerous to rely on one vulnerable cold storage installation to house entire supply of perishables for civil and military requirements for 180 days. Necessary supplies for Indian troops can be held but storage accommodation will require to be constructed. Further contractors price will be materially higher to cover capital outlay and risk of deterioration.

SECOND. In general 103 days already held and answers to first cover this question.

THIRD. (a) Three weeks required to prepare plans and

estimates for new buildings. Rough

(b)

estimate of cost £20,000 excluding cost of land.

five months required to complete work if

this is given priority over work and material for camps for Chinese labour corps (your 63076 (A.G.14) 3rd January, paragraph 4 refers) and is not delay in provision of steel and cement.

FOURTH. No delay in completing it. Fuller details in reply. to 63989 (M.0.2) 19th January, are given in my 6521 30th January. In 1938 Committee of Imperial Defence ruled that Hong Kong is liable to the heaviest scale of attack by sea, land and air. Severe casualties must therefore be expected and garrison required to hold out for 180 will obviously be greater than that required for 90 days. The requirements in supplies of every description will be correspondingly higher. In my opinion it is not feasible to (?store) 6 months supplies for a large civil population and garrison in confined space available at Hong Kong island in a tropical climate. If attacked some reserves bound to be destroyed. I believe the maximum genuine practical figure is 130 days and this only if local Government will increase its efforts to add to civil supplies which now do not reach 103 days. If Hong Kong invested and not attacked possible that supplies for 130 days could be made to last longer.

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