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15. Pages 23 and 23.—The tabular statements on these pages, in so far as they deal with the distribution of Royal Artillery officers, is not in accordance with the artillery chain of command, as approved, and the General Officer Commanding should at once bring it into accordance.
The chain of command includes—
Two Fire Commanders, corresponding with the Section C.R.A.'s in the scheme.
Five Battery Commanders, corresponding, it is presumed, with the Fort Commanders in the scheme.
Ten Group Commanders, of whom five should, if possible, be officers. Where an artillery officer is commandant of a sea section of the defences, he would still be available to undertake the duties of Fire Com- mander.
16. Page 28.-It is unnecessary here to detail the distribution of men between different natures of earthworks. It may be mentioned, however, that infantry should rarely, and field-guns never, be placed in closed redoubts.
CHAPTER III.
17. Page 35.-The "Duties of Section Commandants" detailed here are partly repeated in the "Instructions for the Section Commandants," pp. 109 et seq. It is suggested that all the duties be given under the latter heading, and only a reference to it on p. 35.
18. Page 36.-It is not understood why look-out duties towards the sea are only required at dawn and dusk, and during the time that the guns are manned.
19. Page 37, line 6.-The reference to paragraph 21 is not understood. 20. Page 37.-Diagrams of the telephone system should be prepared in peace-time. It is understood that instructions will shortly be issued from the War Office on the subject.
21. Page 37.-The numbers of infantry and Royal Artillery detailed for signalling and telephones on pp. 36 and 37 should be included in the Return of garrison employed men at the foot of p. 37.
22. Pages 39, 42, 43, 44, and 46.-The details and Tables with regard to different natures of transport are mixed up, and require rearrangement.
23. Page 42.-Whereas the Return of launches, &c., required for service in the mine-field on p. 22, shows five required and two available, that on p. 44 shows four required in addition to those under R.E. charge at present. The second note in the column of remarks of the last Return is not clear.
24. Page 39.-It is stated that the two companies at Penang and the Perak Sikhs could be brought in three days in British India or ocean steamers. On p. 34, it is stated that the Penang detachment should arrive on the fourth day and the Perak Sikhs on the fifth day. In the Governor's covering letter, he states that the Penang companies could be in Singapore within forty-eight hours of the first alarm of war. There are discrepancies between these statements, and no detailed arrangements or definite orders for the transport are given in the scheme.
20. Pages 40, 41, 42, and 45.-The information under the heading Supplies "should be followed by that under the heading "Rations," then by the "Scale of Rations" and the Return now on p. 45.
The information under the heading
wards.
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" Barracks should come after
26. Page 48.-120 coolies, 8 bullock-carts, and 5 20-ton tonkangs required for the transport of four 9-pr. guns to Blakan Mati do not appear on the Tables of land, coolie, and water transport, given on pp. 46, 39, and 42.
27. The Commanding Royal Engineer's scheme is now very complete. It is thought that it might be possible to make it somewhat more compact by omitting certain repetitions, some of which are indicated hereafter, and also by omitting to include in the orders to R.E. officers principles of field fortification, with which they should be conversant.
It is thought also that the C.R.E.'s action might be brought more into
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