362 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1893 . 
channel leading to a dockyard. Here the outermost zone of all would 
of course be naval, and patrolled by guard-boats. These boats should 
thoroughly examine all merchant shipping approaching the port and 
would be responsible for the regulation of the traffic —-a most important 
and necessary measure in time of war. This, however, is not the place 
to go into detail on this point. One (or more if possible) harbour of 
refuge, defended by mechanical mines, &c., &c., and supported by a 
special force on shore, should be provided for these boats within their 
own zone, whose limits landwards would be marked by buoys and land¬ 
marks by day, and possibly by a fixed beam by night. 
(4.) Information and Warnings. —To give warning at night of the 
approach of attackers each boat should have a supply of rockets, and 
in each zone, whether Naval or Military, a rocket station, or stations, 
must be established, where they are under the control of the officer 
commanding the zone. These stations are not intended to repeat one 
another’s signals, but to throw up rockets only so long as an attacker is 
within their own zone. No signal rocket must ever be fired except by 
the order of an officer. The rockets of each zone should be of a dis¬ 
tinctive colour , so that it would be apparent to the whole defence which 
zone was signalling, and the inner defences would be thus kept 
progressively informed of the passage of the attacker, and would know 
approximately when he was nearing their zone. 
Behind the outer naval zone will come a military zone, or zones, to 
be defended by guns, mines, and infantry. Inside of this again will be 
another naval zone where boats should lie to deal with any attacker 
who may have successfully run the gauntlet of outer defences. Should 
a boom exist, this might suitably mark the line between the zones, its 
seaward side being swept by fire from the shore, while behind it would 
lie the inner squadron of guard-boats ready to fall upon any one who 
might get by. 
(5.) Lighting the Approaches. —The beams of electric lights alone 
should not be relied upon. At uncertain intervals parachute lights, or 
something similar, should be discharged, during the burning of which 
a coup (Tail could be taken of the whole area to be defended. 
(6.) The Gun and Mine Defence. —It is the duty of the guns, in con¬ 
junction with the mines, to sink or destroy every floating thing which 
may enter their zone between sunset and sunrise. The guns must, 
moreover, so arrange that their smoke does not obscure the mine-field. 
The present systems of gun defence require certain modifications. 
As already stated, heavy guns worked by P.F. and D.R.F. are too slow 
to be worked with effect against small, rapid, and erratic objects, 
especially at night, and under the distraction of subsidiary attacks— 
and heavy guns also produce great volumes of smoke. The Q.F. gun, 
firing smokeless powder, is the most dangerous enemy of the torpedo 
boat, and a very large increase in our armament of these guns is an impera¬ 
tive necessity. Rapidity must be met with rapidity, and it is not fair to 
those who will be blamed, should they fail to keep the enemy out, not 
to supply them with suitable weapons. These Q.F. guns should not all 
be placed in fixed positions,, but some of them should be upon transport - 
