THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
103 
The Practical Sailing of Iron-clad Vessels in 1864.* 
Having shewn above the composition of our iron-clad fleet, we shall now 
say a few words about the trial trips of this newly constructed fleet. This 
first trial of our iron-clads presents an interest and signification greater than 
ordinary practical essays, as our seamen appeared for the first time in their 
new task of managing iron-clads. We see here then not only the repetition 
of exercises in the art, already firmly established on experienced naval 
principles, but also a creation and adoption of new methods governed by 
the originality of a task scarcely commenced by the first-class European 
fleets. 
On the formation of the complement of men for the iron-clad fleet, 
attention was first given to the selection of suitable commanders and their 
assistants, and afterwards to the formation of the crews, which were chiefly 
composed of men on unlimited furlough, and consequently old and 
experienced seamen. 
The required number of artillerymen and mechanics was completed by 
men from other war vessels. 
At the end of the winter 1863-64, the formation of the crews was finished 
and their instruction commenced. 
By the nature of the work and the exclusive object of the iron-clads 
(excepting iron-clad frigates), the working of sails, which in old men-of-war 
was the principal object in the instruction of a sailor, was considered as 
of secondary importance, and attention was chiefly directed to artillery 
practice. 
The war vessels of our time, as remarked in the review, must be considered 
as a special branch of artillery, each one from a war point of view being a 
complete arm of artillery, and being a moveable battery of a certain number 
of guns, consequently the first condition required from an efficient war vessel 
is that it should possess amongst its crew a sufficient number of good 
artillerymen. 
It is also of the utmost importance to have good riflemen, the greatest 
number of whom should be able to use boarding weapons. A considerable 
part of the remaining men should be well trained for infantry service and 
equal to land forces, and finally, it is indispensable to have a sufficient 
number of men for the mechanical work and as attendants. 
During the winter season they proceeded to take instruction in artillery 
service, for which purpose a wooden turret was constructed in the gymnasium 
of the chief admiralty in St Petersburg. 
By this means 430 men were taught the artillery service required for the 
turrets of monitors, which number was destined to form the crews of eleven 
turret boats (in double sets). At the same time two books were prepared, 
entitled, “ Instruction in Artillery Service,” and “ Description of Turret- 
Boats,” fixing the exact complement of such boats. The captains and 
* We include here a short extract from the Review “Trials of Practical Sailing of Iron-clads 
in 1864,” by His Majesty’s Admiral Lichatchelf. See “ Naval Magazine ” (Morskoi Sbornick), 
No. 2, 1865. 
