SPEED IN FIRING WITH GARRISON GUNS. 
101 
Until the introduction of B.L. ordnance the area of water available 
to the Artillery of a coast fortress for the attack of ships did not much 
exceed 2,500 yards from the coast line. Fire effect was therefore sought 
by multiplying guns and siting them so as to bring a cross fire to bear 
in every direction. As there was delay and difficulty in firing S.B. 
muzzle-loaders at angles of depression, and their range was so short, 
nearly all were placed near the water’s edge. Scarcely any mechanical 
aids were used, and there was nothing to interfere with a very con¬ 
siderable rapidity of fire being attained, for the projectiles were generally 
of a weight well within the lifting power of one man, a very important 
element in rapidity of service but one which has too often been allowed 
to drop out of sight. Consequent on the introduction of B.L. guns not 
only has the accuracy of fire greatly increased but the area of sea 
available for attack from fixed guns has been gradually and largely 
extended, and has now probably attained a practical limit of 7,000-yds.for 
fast work up to 10,000-yds. for considerably slower fire ; but, concurrently 
with this increase of available range, the number of guns has diminished, 
so that each gun is called on to do far more, while the time available 
for the attack of ships has decreased in a higher proportion. Garrison 
guns fired as fast, or faster, before the introduction of steam war vessels 
as they do now, but sailing ships moved exceedingly slowly and once 
in range were apt to be kept under the fire of stationary guns by failure 
of wind, the action of currents, or by wreckage of their masts, &c. 
Now-a-days ships can get out of the limit of practical range of Garrison 
guns, from any position in which they may be placed, in less than 
fifteen minutes ; unless therefore an exceedingly rapid fire is brought 
to bear the chance of injuring a ship during her stay in the zone of fire 
as she passes a fort, or forces her way through a channel, is exceed¬ 
ingly small. If guns, however, can ensure a large number of strikes, 
even with comparatively small projectiles, there is always a chance of 
disabling a ship sufficiently to keep her longer under fire. 
At the present time, then, targets which will offer themselves to 
Coast Artillery move so fast that men trained on a slow and sure system 
have a poor chance of damaging them. In the Chino-Japanese war this 
was exemplified. The plan adopted by the Japanese was that indicated 
as probable in my paper “ Defence of a Coast Fortress,” Yol. XX., 
R.A.I. Proceedings, that is to say an attack in the nature of a recon- 
naisance was conducted to test preparedness, with a few ships engaging 
generally at a long range. The ships are said to have steamed leisurely 
along the whole front of Port Arthur, offering the Chinese Coast 
Artillery a rare opportunity but, though they possessed suitable guns, 
they were quite unequal to the occasion. No doubt had rapid, accurate 
work obtained among the Chinese gunners, the ships would have made 
off out of range as fast as they could, but then the reconnaisance would 
have failed, a subsequent Naval attack might not have been made, and 
during the few minutes occupied in getting away possibly one or other 
of the ships might have been disabled, and damage out of all proportion 
to what the ships could effect, would have been done ; for if a ship is 
so injured as to have to retire out of action it is not one gun but the 
whole of her armament which ceases to be a factor in attack, and it may 
be long before her guns can be of the slightest use again. 
In 1859 the first really well-considered attempt was made in England 
to improve the service of Coast Artillery by starting a school of gunnery. 
A small number of Officers and N.C. Officers were assembled at Shoe- 
