356 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1893 . 
Where the guns are laid by sights, a high speed, and the dazzling of 
the gunners by the use of ships or boat search-lights, turned full into 
the battery, will be very effective in spoiling their aim and rendering 
their fire worthless. In addition, all the measures enumerated as suit¬ 
able for evading electric lights are applicable to the problem of getting 
safely past the gun defence. 
And the Attack may remember that even in daylight, with well 
trained men, a very slow moving target, and all conditions as favourable 
to the guns as possible, actual hits are not numerous. How much more 
difficult then will it be to destroy a scarcely visible enemy, appearing 
suddenly, at any hour of the night, and in any weather, moving at high 
speed, and in an erratic course, and probably disappearing long before 
the ranges can be taken and guns laid. A method of dealing with the 
problem of the application of heavy guns to such objects will be pro¬ 
posed immediately. 
But a portion of the gun defence, far more formidable to torpedo 
boats and lightly armoured craft, is fire from the lighter quick-firing guns, 
such as the 0-pr. These guns should be liberally supplied to the defence 
mounted on transporting mountings . They can thus be utilised just where 
required, and the sites where they will be found need never be known 
beforehand to the attacker, who will thus be hindered in planning 
beforehand any special attack upon them. Of course the ammunition 
should be smokeless. The important point of the supply of quick- 
firing guns will be considered later. 
The Submarine Defence — Mines.—Here we have the real “dark horse” 
of coast defence. In their earliest form they were used in the American 
Civil War, and on several occasions with effect. At the battle of 
Mobile, the Federal “ Tecumseh” was sunk by a mine, as was also the 
“Cairo” in the Yazoo river on December 12th, 1862. In their present 
elaborate form, however, they are quite untried, for, unfortunately, they 
do not appear to have been used in any of the operations of recent 
years. 13ut dangerous as they undoubtedly may be, they have many 
weak points. They are highly elaborate, take some time to lay cor¬ 
rectly and effectively, and while constantly liable to injury, not only 
from tides, currents, and weather, but also from craft and shipping, 
are difficult to repair. Save in the case of purely mechanical mines, 
which would only be used in exceptional situations, their use involves 
great responsibility, and the risk of destroying friendly vessels by 
mistake, or accident, is considerable, and this must greatly paralyse 
their action, especially at night, and in thick weather. There are also 
great practical difficulties in keeping observers always at their posts, 
and vigilant and clear-headed. Furthermore, mine defence is more 
likely to be effective against large ships with considerable draught of 
water, than against the light draught torpedo boats. The French sea¬ 
going boats of 150 tons only draw 7 feet, and at the top of the tide and 
running fast, might very likely safely traverse a mine-field again and 
again. 
Remembering all this, the main attack may traverse a mine-field by 
a rush, while, as in the case of lights, the attention of the defenders 
and observers is distracted by subsidiary attacks. The under-water 
