CAB9-1_PT2 — Page 177

Page 177

APPENDIX.

Page 177

GARRISON Artillery Personnel required for New South Wales.

Staff and Command-

Command

Range-finders

Telephonists

Gun Detachments (Fixed Armament)-

3-9.2" B.L. guns ..

2-8"

J

16-6′′

**

25

3-6′′ Q.F.

*

5-10" R.M.L. guns

1-g"

16-80-pr.

3

gun

guns

Two reliefs-

5-6-pc. Q.F. guns..

12--Nordenfelt machine guns

:::

:

::

:::::::

::

Magazine men, store men, orderlies, &c., add 66 per cent.

Gun Detachment (Movable Armament)——

5-40-pr. R.B.L. guns

Add 10 per cent. for sick, &c.

Totals

:

:

Totals.

Officers.

W.Os, N.C.Os., and Gunners.

Officers.

W.Os., N.C.Os., and Gunners.

34

11

34

11

54

41

::

:::

::

:

:

33

18

95

144

གྲའ༴ སྙ

144

12

55

9

30

72

517 345

*

50

59

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.-21/3/98.

50

34

918

4

92

38

1,010

Page 177

R

T

Page 78his Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Fagreement2190

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. March 16, 1898.

SECRET.

No. 183 R.

ESQUIMALT.

G. 2422.

Admiralty No.

3234.

Report on Electric Lights and Quick-firing Guns, March 1896.

I

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

IN June 1896 the Admiralty referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch from the Naval Commander-in-chief on the Pacific Station, dated the 5th April, 1896, forwarding a Report on Electric Lights and Quick-firing Guns, dated the 30th March, 1896, by Major Muirhead, R.E., and Lieutenant Boothby, R.N. They also referred to the Committee, through the Colonial Office, a further despatch of the Admiral, dated the 15th September, 1896, dealing with the delay in the completion of the defences and the organization of the garrison at Esquimalt.

2. In considering these papers and various other matters connected with Esquimalt which were then before them, the Committee came to the conclusion that before the details of the defence could be further usefully dealt with, it was necessary that the scale of the defence, in view of recent alterations in the probable strength of attack, and the responsibility for it should be authoritatively decided. They accordingly addressed to Government their Memoranda No. 79 M and 104 M, dated the 26th October, 1896, and the 30th May, 1897, respectively. In the former they asked whether Esquimalt was still "to be defended to oppose the raiding attack of one or two cruisers only, or whether it should be fortified and garrisoned on a scale sufficient to enable it to resist a determined attack from America." In the latter they proposed "to fix more definitely on the Dominion Government the charge of the coaling station."

The decision of Her Majesty's Government has now been communicated to the Committee. The defence of Esquimalt is to be undertaken only on a scale sufficient to resist an attack by one or two cruisers and the troops that might be landed from them, and it is proposed that the responsibility for and control of the Station is to rest for the future with the Government of Canada, the garrison, whether partly consisting of Imperial troops or wholly of Canadian troops, being placed under the General Commanding the Canadian Militia.

3. While these subjects have been under discussion the Admiralty refrained from further action, and have not yet approved the plans for the mine-field at the entrance to the harbour. The War Office have, however, continued to consider the question of electric lights, submarine mining buildings and armament, and to make certain arrange- ments with regard to them. It is, therefore, necessary, before dealing with these matters, to explain the action that has been taken with regard to them since the original reference to the Committee; and the present state of the different parts of the defence.

[320]