THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
179 
side furthest from the guns, which they strike in reverse, or penetrating 
below her water-line ; and this the gunners are doing without flurry, 
almost, if not quite, secure from the enemy’s fire. Indeed, I believe 
that to engage the batteries of Gibraltar successfully, if guns are only 
placed high enough, a new form of iron-clad would have to be devised, 
proof against both horizontal and vertical fire of the heaviest descrip¬ 
tion ; so that, leaving out the probability of any nation incurring the 
enormous expense of building such vessels without certain advantage, 
I think it will be allowed that the solving of such a problem would 
require a great increase of knowledge in naval architecture. 
Intermediate I do n °I i n anything I have urged wish it to be under¬ 
guns not en- stood that I hold guns in intermediate sites entirely useless ; 
tn-eiy useless. .p ar f rom -ft, they would aid in the destruction of opposing 
ships. But the enormous expense of mounting these guns cannot but 
render it desirable that they should be, at the outset, placed in positions 
where their great power can be made to tell with the greatest effect. 
Space is not such an object on this vast Rock, that in order to mount 
many guns, some must be placed in faulty situations. The number of 
guns which it is at present proposed to mount, could readily be placed 
in situations differing entirely from the intermediate one which I have 
endeavoured to show to be bad. 
Remarks All the above remarks apply to heavy guns intended 
apply to guns solely to resist shipping, and only partially to such guns as 
se^defence 1 * con A>ine this duty with that of land defence. There may 
s ‘ c e enc * be, and indeed I believe are, positions in which, though 
“ intermediate,” it would be highly desirable to place guns of this 
nature. 
An admirable opportunity lately presented itself for testing 
the views obtained of the decks of iron-clads from the heights 
of the Rock; and could any theoretical artilleryman have 
been induced to ascend to the Signal Station and look 
down on the decks of the large ships composing the combined Channel 
and Mediterranean squadrons, he would have agreed with me that a 
very few guns, situated on the place he stood, would have rendered the 
whole number of these powerful men-of-war very insecure habitations. 
It must be borne in mind that, to avoid too accurate fire 
Ship must from the low batteries, a ship must circle, and so occasionallv 
accurate fire, lie end-on—a most favourable position for the high line of 
guns. The low line of guns would strike her with terrible 
accuracy if she remained motionless, broadside on, returning their fire, 
but would be puzzled by her circling; while immediately she did so, she 
opens an opportunity for the high guns to sink her. 
I should have been unwilling to have brought my ideas on the 
armament of Gibraltar so prominently forward, had they not been 
confirmed by many officers, capable of forming an opinion, to whom I 
have spoken on the subject. The opinion of a distinguished naval 
officer of high rank, who was good enough to examine my rough notes 
on the subject, is so valuable, that I append a portion of his remarks. 
To a great extent, it will be seen, they bear me out in what I advance; 
the chief difference being the minimum altitude at which the high 
Iron-clad 
squadron at 
Gibraltar. 
