GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1897 . 
321 
II. THE REQUIREMENTS OF WARFARE. 
THE CONDITIONS OP ATTACK. 
The natures of attack to which coast defences are liable are broadly 
divisible into the following classes :— 
(a) Deliberate Attack. 
(b) Bombardment. 
(c) Forcing a Passage. 
(d) Raid. 
Blockade is not an attack in the tactical sense. A merely blockading 
enemy would not afford Coast Artillery the opportunity for firing a 
single round. 
(a) By Deliberate Attack is meant such attack as has for its ultimate 
object the capture of the fortress. This would only be attempted for 
the purpose of territorial occupation. In the great majority of cases 
the object could best be gained by the action of military forces landed 
outside the sphere of coast defences. The Deliberate Attack by purely 
naval forces holds out no hope of success to the assailant. History is 
full of instances of its failure, while such successes as can be claimed 
for it have been obtained under exceptional circumstances of a sort not 
likely to be present in conflicts in which our coast defences are engaged. 
Neither by sea nor land could it be attempted unless the attacking 
power held command of the sea. That it is unlikely that this will be 
allowed to occur may be inferred from a confidential memorandum 
with regard to Imperial defence quoted by the Duke of Devonshire in 
the House of Lords (11th February, 1897) 
“ The maintenance of sea supremacy has been adopted as the basis 
of the system of Imperial defence against attack from over the seas. 
This is the determining factor in shaping the whole defensive policy 
of the Empire, and is fully recognized by the Admiralty/ 5 
It has been said by an officer of large experience that:— 
* u Attacks on an enemy’s fortified ports across the sea are generally 
undertaken for naval objects, are practicable only on condition of full 
naval superiority, and to be effective must assume the form of military 
operations on shore, supported by a covering naval force to maintain 
communications.” 
With the land phase of Deliberate Attack we are not concerned. But 
if land attack is undertaken in conjunction with naval attack it exer¬ 
cises a limiting influence on the latter, since owing to difficulties of 
transport and supply the sphere of attack is much narrowed. As com¬ 
plete command of the sea is a necessity for the naval attack, whether 
in concert with land attack or apart from it, such an operation could 
not be undertaken until some considerable time after the commence¬ 
ment of hostilities. Taking into account all the disabilities under 
which ships labour when engaged with fortifications it is evident that, 
unless the latter are very weak and disorganized, a strong fleet, heavily 
armed, and perhaps including specially constructed vessels for bom¬ 
bardment, is a necessity to the assailant. The conflict would be one of 
* “ Coast Defence in relation to War,” by Major Sir G. S. Clarke, K.C.M.G., r.e. “Pro¬ 
ceedings of R.A. Institution,” Vol. xxi., No. 11. 
