SECRET.
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. May 19, 1896.
Page 386
No. 140 R.
BERMUDA.
BERMUDA.
W.O. No.
4956.
Defence Scheme revised to January 1896.
st
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE covering letter of the General Officer Commanding deals with the various points raised in the Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee, dated the 25th June, 1894, on the former revision of the Defence Scheme, and indicates the various alterations that have been made in the present revision in accordance with those remarks. The Scheme now provides satisfactorily for the utilization of existing resources for the defence of the island. It requires certain minor amplifications of the nature indicated below, and the distribution of the artillery personnel might, it is thought, advantageously be further considered by the General Officer Commanding.
2. Page 11. Divisions of Command. The various appointments on mobilization should, as far as possible, be entered under this heading with reference to appointments held in peace instead of being left to be filled in with the names of individuals.
3. Page 11. Distribution of Troops and Armament.-It is stated in paragraph 11 of G.O.C.'s covering letter that "a Table has been prepared showing the complete peace and war distribution of the garrison by corps."
This Table should be inserted in the Scheme.
4. Page 29. Table C (v).-The arrangements for supply embodied in the Table are satisfactory, provided that the military authorities at Halifax are in a position to send the supplies which are reckoned upon as to be received from that station.
The Committee suggest that the War Office should communicate with the G.O.C., Nova Scotia, on this point.
5. Page 30. Table D (i).-It is noted that out of a total available force of 632 R.A. and artillery auxiliaries of all ranks detailed in this Table only twenty-nine are told off to Ireland Island, which has an armament of six 10-inch and fifteen 64-pr. R.M.L. guns, while the Prospect Hill Position (Forts Langton, Hamilton, and Prospect), with three 10-inch and seventeen 64-pr. R.M.L. guns are not to be manned at all. On the other hand, 188 men of all ranks are told off to the movable armaments (eighteen 9-pr. R.M.L., two 3-pr. Q.F., and nine machine guns) of Nos. 1 and 2 Sections of the defence.
It is for the consideration of the G.O.C. whether arrangements might not be made for manning a larger proportion of the fixed armament.
- It
6. Page 30. Action to be taken by the O.C.R.A. on Mobilization. would be convenient if the R.A. chain of command were embodied in this section of the Defence Scheme.
7. Pages 32 to 41. Works.-The works to be thrown up on mobilization include twenty-four gun-pits for the eighteen 9-pr. R.M.L. guns of the movable armament.
The Colonial Defence Committee consider it doubtful whether this form of cover is necessary or advisable.
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