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Deep Bay and Bias Bay in motor junks and similar small craft.
Amphibious ships and craft of the Eastern and Northern fleet
are capable of lifting about 100,000 lightly equipped troops
but operational availability of these vessels is likely to
reduce this figure by one third. There are also large
numbers of Chinese merchant ships which might be used to lift
an amphibious reinforcement. It is unlikely that many of
these would be used in an initial assault on Hong Kong owing
to the fact that (a) they would have to run the gauntlet of
the Formosa Strait and (b) the CCN are not trained in
controlling a large force during a long sea passage.
9.
Whilst it is impossible to forecast the number of
troops which would be used in amphibious assault it is
considered that a maximum of 50,000 troops could be used in an
initial assault on Hong Kong with little warning and that a
further 100,000 could be brought in as reinforcements from
the Eastern and Northern Fleets but without the element of
surprise. In either case the landings might be covered by
gunfire support from the fleet. That from the Southern
fleet would probably be light and elementary and of a calibre
not exceeding 100 mm. Ships of the Eastern and Northern
fleets have guns up to 130 mm and the fire power is heavier
but would still be of an elementary standard.
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