CAB9-1_PT2 — Page 157

Colonial Defence Committee.

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.-24/2/98.

Page 157

Page 14This2Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Goverdiagat1158 of 290

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. March 2, 1898.

SECRET.

No. 180 R.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

New South Wales.

C.O.

No. 757. Secret.

Report of Local Defence Committee on Defence Scheme, September, 1897.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch from the Governor of New South Wales, dated the 11th October, 1897, forwarding a Report by the Local Defence Committee, dated the 1st October, 1897, on the Defence Scheme of that Colony.

The Colonial Defence Committee note with satisfaction that the Local Committee have seen their way to accept most of the recommendations contained in the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 159 R, dated the 28th July, 1897.

2. The most important point in which the Local Committee differ from the conclusions arrived at by the Colonial Defence Committee is the division of the Port Jackson and Botany Bay Sections of Sydney Fortress and the arrangements of Fire Commands consequent thereon.

The Colonial Defence Committee's suggestions placed all the guns which command the entrance into the harbour under one Fire Commander, the Local Committee prefer to divide them into two commands, placing the guns on one side of the water under one command, and those on the other under a second command. The former arrangement is in accordance with the principle that has been generally adopted, that guns which command the same water area, should be in one Fire Command. The guns now in question cross their fire at medium ranges, and their function would be mainly the same, namely, to bring a heavy cross fire to bear upon vessels attempting to enter between the Heads. Perhaps the recommendations of the Local Committee are due to a slight misapprehension of the functions of a Fire Commander who is not required to superintend the service of his guns (the duty of the Battery Commanders), but to insure their proper co-operation in defending a given area. The limits of his command should not therefore be considered from a geographical point of view, but with regard to the water areas over which the guns can fire.

The Local Committee prefer to place the two single-gun batteries at Bondi and Cogee under the Section Commander of Botany Bay. This again seems wrong; these two batteries armed with 9.2-inch B.L. guns, were obviously, from a consideration of the map, placed where they are with a view to prevent vessels shelling from a position close to the shore, the town or harbour, or taking the batteries on South Head in reverse. They should therefore be in the same Section as the rest of the harbour defences. The nearest, Cogee, is 10,500 yards from Henry Head, and they could therefore take no part in the defence of Botany Bay, in which Section the Local Committee propose to place them.

3. The Colonial Defence Committee are glad to learn that the details and tables referred to in paragraph 15 of their Remarks No. 159 R, all exist, and are in the hands of the Local Defence Committee. They note that that Committee do not

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