DEFENCE OF WATERS AGAINST TORPEDO-BOAT ATTACK. 
Ill 
fuze is at cavalry in the Horse and Field Artillery—for in reality the 
torpedo-boat is the “ hostile cavalry 99 of the coast fort. 
The drill-book recommends the fuzing of shell after the boats are 
discovered. This might suit certain localities, but the loading of heavy 
guns takes some time, and it would certainly not suit the only locality 
of which. I have any experience. It must be remembered that the least 
speed at which the enemy would come in would be 750 yards a minute , 
and to meet such speeds with success everything would have to be cut 
and dried : gnns fully loaded, the approximate elevation and training 
given, and the deflection ready on the tangent scale. 
Iu some places it would be possible to provide booms; these would 
very materially increase the power of the defence. In estuaries leading 
to large commercial ports, an opening would be left for free exit and 
entrance of vessels—the opening, if possible, being within effective case 
range of the defence, and the guns being loaded and layed on it; the 
length of fuze of shrapnel having been determined by actual shooting. 
The material for booms should be a special article of store in each 
locality, and might consist of heavy baulks of timber with short and 
strong spikes protruding some three inches, arranged in a similar way 
as the spears in a chevaux-de-frise , so that any attempt to jump the 
boom would mean that the bottom of the boat would be ripped open. 
The R.A. and R.N. 
The last point for consideration is the relative part in defence to be 
played by the artillery and any naval force lying up the estuary. 
The navy are naturally responsible for, and would rightly insist on a, 
free hand in defending their own ships, and I understand the favourite 
defence is by a kind of “ out-posts of guard-boats and other torpedo- 
boats should any be available. The exact part to be played by each 
service should be dehnitely settled for each locality, and not left to be 
decided by the respective C.O.’s—which latter course would probably 
give rise to considerable friction. 
From our point of view it is easy to imagine the feelings of the un- 
i fortunate Fire Commander pacing his cell like a caged beast with what 
is known in aquatic sports as a “ duck hunt 5J on an elaborate scale 
being performed below by the hostile boat and the out-post boats of 
the R-.FT.—the guns of the defence being masked by their own side ! 
In addition to this draw back it is just possible that the constant 
passage of boats might at least lead to an enemy slipping in ; being 
mistaken for a friend—for the enemy would naturally use every effort 
to disguise themselves. And, lastly, any naval force would probably 
be coaling against time, in order to put to sea again at the earliest op¬ 
portunity, and every available man have his hands full without an 
I addition of manning guard boats. 
It would appear that great advantage would be mutually derived by 
the officers of the Coast Artillery and R.N. witnessing each others 
practice, and getting, thereby, some idea of what each can do. Our 
officers would gain the additional experience of the various types of 
men-of-war and their general arrangements as regards their batteries, 
&c., of which subjects, I fancy, their ideas are at present somewhat 
