366 
COMMENDED ESSAY, 1897. 
We may leave raids by torpedo boats, etc., to be dealt with entirely 
by Q.F. guns, which are now provided, or being provided, at all places 
liable to be so attacked. 
The unprotected cruisers would scarcely be foolish enough to ever 
venture within range of coast forts, and we are thus left only armoured 
cruisers and battleships to deal with. These will either engage the 
forts or attempt to run past them, and may be attacked by common shell 
fired at the unprotected parts and superstructure, by armour-piercing 
shot at the belt, or by high-angle fire at the decks. 
“ Deck attack” will only take place in exceptional cases, at long range, 
when the guns would be fought by P.F. case III. 
“ Belt attack ” would be used if we wished to hit the ship in a vital 
spot and were certain of repeated penetration ; the target to be hit 
would then only stand a few feet out of water, and the greatest accuracy 
would be required both in elevation and deflection, rapidity of fire 
being sacrificed. At practice, when representing this case, minute 
corrections will be necessary, and if the target is running past, firing 
must take place at fixed points in the channel as described in Section 
XVII., Part VI., G.A. Drill. 
In the great majority of instances we would however use “shell 
attack,” when our object would be to pour in an overwhelming fire, to 
silence the ship’s guns if she is engaging the forts, or if attempting to 
run past to so cripple her by destroying her conning tower, steering 
gear, communications and lighter armament, that, even if successful in 
her object of passing the forts, she may not be in a position to do much 
damage. 
The majority of foreign cruisers and battleships have a high freeboard 
and a good deal of top hamper ; the barbette guns, the conning tower, 
most of the Q.F. guns and the search lights are all well above water ; 
the fore barbette gun of the “ Charles Martel,” to take a single example, 
has a command of twenty-nine feet. The greater part above the belt is 
open to shell attack, so that we get a target from twenty to thirty feet in 
height to fire at. 
A 9" R.M.L. gun, at a height of 100 feet, firing at a ship broadside on, 
having superstructure to 20 feet above water, would probably hit 
with any shot not more than 50 yards short of or 80 yards over 
the line of keel, and if the target stood 30 feet, the margin would 
be 70 yards short and 120 yards over. With a 9*2" B.L. the 
figures would be —80 and + 140 in the first case, —120 and + 220 in 
the latter, approximately. A ship not full broadside on would allow 
of an even greater error in elevation. 
We see from these figures that there is a good margin for inaccuracy, 
and that we can devote our attention almost entirely to rapidity of fire ; 
deflection also is not of extreme importance, as it would take very bad 
laying for line, to miss a warship steaming past. 
At practice then, we should limit our corrections for elevation to 
twenty-five yards short and fifty yards over, except in very special cases ; 
“ fresh lay ” should rarely have to be given, and every shot should be 
made to strike the water a reasonable distance astern of the point aimed 
at. There would be no excuse in action, for a shot falling in front of 
the bows, and for this reason the use of a double Hong Kong target is 
excellent, as training is given in judging the amount of deflection 
necessary, and we get a nearer approach to service conditions. 
From the foregoing remarks, we see how important it is that a 
