110 
DEFENCE OF WATERS AGAINST TORPEDO-BOAT ATTACK. 
the belt would be at the intersection of the two beams in the centre of 
the passage. 
The lights themselves would be protected by being placed in cells, 
with communication by telephone to the various defences. By these 
means, the guard mounted at these cells with the belt of light under 
constant observation, would be able to give early alarm. Two addi¬ 
tional lights with movable beam would also be provided; these coming 
into use the moment the enemy was discovered, and following his 
movements. The guard having given notice of the first boat, would 
then quietly resume the watch on the fixed belt of light, as the attack 
would probably consist of three or four boats coming in at distances 
of from one to two miles apart—Nos. 2 and 3 trusting to get through 
unobserved in the confusion caused by the passage of No. 1, and hop¬ 
ing that the whole attention of the defence would be engrossed by it. 
Also the first two lights being fixed, there would be no danger of all 
the lights getting on to and following the first boat—such an event 
would simply mean that any boats behind the first would slip by unob¬ 
served. 
Defeat of Attack. 
Due notice of attack having been provided for, the next point to 
consider is how it is best defeated. 
Quick firers are commonly supposed to meet the case, but personally 
I must confess to disappointment as to results. I do not quite know 
what I had expected to see, but I had rather pictured to myself the 
water all round the boat alive with the splash of shot; this was by no 
means borne out by experience. The Maxim would, no doubt, hit the 
boat, but the rifle calibre gun would scarcely stop it. 
It would be interesting to know the comparative results of experi¬ 
ments with Q.F. guns and the heaviest guns firing case shot or time 
shrapnel at targets moving at high rates of speed. 
If heavy guns were relied on, a certain number would be loaded 
every evening with case, and others with time shrapnel, to cover distances 
from the extreme range of case (800 ya’rds in the case of the 12*5 inch 
M.L.), up to longer distances, the length of the fuze being fixed on 
locally and used in the same manner as shrapnel with fixed length of 
