850 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, i 893 . 
flotilla at 17 knots, and (0) a fleet of battle-sliips at an estimated speed 
of 12 knots. It is believed that these speeds would be endorsed by the 
Navy as approximately correct. The times are somewhat startling, 
Torpedo ex- when it is remembered that the class of vessels to which, columns A and 
can bedes- B refer could deliver thoroughly effective attacks without any delay, 
Moresy and an d without attracting any attention by preliminary preparations. The 
suddenness, fitting out of a big ship or ships must be publicly known, and that 
knowledge can hardly be prevented from reaching the enemy, but the 
movements of a torpedo boat or two need attract no notice. 
Table of the approximate number of hours required to traverse the 
distances been certain English and French ports :— 
French Port. 
Cherbourg and ad¬ 
jacent coasts. ... 
Brest and adjacent 
coasts. 
Dieppe and coasts 
Boulogne, Calais, 
Dunkirk, &c. ... 
Toulon, Marsailles, 
and adjacent 
coasts. 
Sicilian Coast 
(nearest point). 
Sardinian Coast 
(nearest point). 
Corsican Coast. 
Biserta (Tunis). 
Toulon, &c. 
Minorca. 
Iviza. 
Sardinia and 
Corsica. 
English Port. 
Distance in Hours. 
A. 
B. 
c. 
-2 
* 
s'ffl 
o § 
of 
& . 
‘p3 £ 
o -a 
&l> 
o >-< 
cp 0 
O 
^ 1-1 
2 & 
'it, os' 
pH J3 
°g 
o 
o 
S 
POSTS I IN' CHANNEL AND ATLANTIC. 
Portsmouth 
Alderney 
Guernsey 
J ersey 
Plymouth 
Portland 
Plymouth 
Falmouth 
Queenstown 
Dover 
Portsmouth 
Malta. 
Gibraltar. 
90 
3f 
H 
7* 
) 
| 65 
2f 
3§ 
30 
ii 
2 
a* 
50 
2 
3 
4 * 
60 
2| 
3| 
5 
140 
8* 
Ilf 
80 
°4 
5 
6f 
160 
6f 
9* 
lZk 
140 
5f 
8i 
Hf 
300 
12| 
— 
25 
80 
H 
5 
6f 
115 
4f 
6f 
9* 
22 
1 
If 
2 
L 
es 
}75 
3j 
4* 
RBANEi 
AN. 
700 
out of radius* 
•68i 
50 
2 | 
3 
4f 
350 
out of radius. 
29 
480 
out of radius. 
40 
280 
Hf 1 
— 
m 
r 
780 
out of radius. 
65 
i 
580 
„ 
„ 
48 
A 
420 
n 
if. ■ 
35 
l 
800 
" 
" 
66£ 
Remarks. 
Fractions less than 
quarter hours ne¬ 
glected. 
About 12 hours run 
is assumed as a 
limit to the ra¬ 
dius of action of 
boats. 
*Out of radius of 
direct action, but 
boats could, and 
probably would, 
be convoyed by 
ships, and might 
act effectively at 
Malta from some 
of these ports in 
48 hours from the 
outbreak of hos¬ 
tilities. 
