COAST DEFENCE. 
187 
suffered severely. Higli sites compel ships to lire at long ranges if 
they want to doharm, and then inaccurate lire is likely to result; and 
remember that as the muzzle velocity of modern guns increases, and 
the trajectories of modern projectiles become flatter, so does the pro¬ 
tection afforded by a high site become greater. 
“The high-site battery is not so liable to be rushed by landing 
parties.” The fate of the inner defences of Yera Cruz, captured by 
seamen of the French Fleet in 1838, is an example of the danger to 
which a low site work is exposed in darkness and fog. It is obvious 
that height renders the success of such an exploit less feasible. On a 
smaller scale may be instanced the unsuccessful attack on the French 
forts in the island of St. Martin in 1808. The landing party obtained 
possession of the low-site fort and spiked the guns, but were unable to 
reach the high-site forts, and so the attempt failed. The corollary to 
this is that the high site fort may be of cheaper construction than that 
at the water’s edge. 
At the close of the French Naval Manoeuvres in the Mediterranean 
in 1893, the fleet carried out some interesting experiments in firing at 
a high site. 
The target was on the top of Cape Rosso, on the west of Corsica, 
probably one of the ruined Genoese towers so common on that coast. 
{Six battleships opened fire, while one was told off to observe its 
effects. 
The range was first 8750 yards, and speed 10 knots; the guns were 
6*3 inch and 5‘5 inch. The range was afterwards reduced to 3800 
yards, and guns of all calibres were used, and the speed maintained at 
eight knots. 
Three of the ships subsequently went back to the first range, steam¬ 
ing a course on the arc of a circle of which the target was the centre. 
The results are reported to have been not very satisfactory from the 
ship’s point of view. This experiment affords another instance of the 
value of a high site, and is supplementary to our own experiences 
at Inchkeith and Portland, that tell the same story, but with older 
ordnance. 
The principal lesson to be derived from the Inchkeith experiments 
is, that it took over 15,000 rounds of machine-gun fire to score 15 
hits on dummies representing a gun detachment in unnecessarily 
exposed positions. The conditions were most favourable for the ship in 
every respect except that the target was on a high site. 
“ The target is always larger from a high site.” This, I think, will 
not be disputed. As we ascend a ship looks larger to the eye, and a 
moment’s consideration will show you that from a height the target 
offered to the projectile as it approaches it, is still larger than it is to 
the eye. 
The remaining advantage claimed for a high-site battery by General 
Richardson is that the “ practice from it is better.” The fact in itself 
constitutes protection. Again, to quote Captain Mahan: “ In the 
struggle to multiply gun shields and other defensive contrivances 
. , . there is now a tendency to undervalue ... a leading principle 
