COAST DEFENCE AGAINST TORPEDO-BOAT ATTACK. 31 
Disguises. 
Training of look 
out-men. 
another drops by chance a little behind. The vessel should be at once 
fired in front of and stopped. 
Wake of tor edo Torpedo-boats leave a remarkable and characteristic 
boats P " wake in anything like smooth water, said to be due to 
the waste lubricating oil pumped from their bilges. 
If in the early morning such streaks are seen it may be conjectured 
that boats have been in the neighbourhood during the night. 
Torpedo-boats may disguise themselves in ways which 
it is perhaps best not to suggest. A Garrison Artillery 
lookout-man must be astonished at nothing. Anything unusual or 
unaccountable must arouse his suspicion and be carefully watched for 
fresh developments ; indeed success in repelling the stealthy approach 
of torpedo-boats is very largely dependent on a trustworthy watch 
being kept. Experience, during long manoeuvres, 
has shown that training is as necessary in this as in 
all other branches of Coast Defence, but the fact is 
but little recognized by Garrison Artillery, while the opportunities 
given them for practice are rare. At Gibraltar, where the peace look¬ 
out is in the hands of the Royal Engineers, on each occasion of: 
manoeuvres, the lookout-men had had, for the most part, no training; 
men who had been present at former manoeuvres and who had acquired 
some idea of what to look for, and what to report, were scarce, and 
for the most part lookouts were raw and often alarmed the detach¬ 
ments unnecessarily. Thus, for instance, a light house on the 
opposite coast, showing a green light, was over and over again 
reported as a suspicious craft part, at anyrate, of the detachments 
being unnecessarily roused; while passing steamers, a long way out, 
and with manifestly no intention of coming within range, were con¬ 
tinually being reported. It was seen that a considerable general 
knowledge of navigation lights and the “ Rules of the 
road at sea” is indispensable for officers, N.C.O's, and 
lookout-men. It is a direct proof of good training 
where it is seen that detachments not only turn out 
and do good work within a minute of being called up, 
butit is perhaps a stronger proof where the men are very seldom turned 
out at all. Such troops will never be worn out by a blockading fleet and 
will assuredly be smart when the opportunity really comes and the best 
of work is needed. 
For guns intended for repelling torpedo-boat raids, it 
is found essential that the detachments should live in 
shelters quite close to the guns, while, considering 
the somewhat dreary, prolonged, and generally fruit¬ 
less watch that would have to be kept night after night, 
perhaps for months together in time of war, it is advisable that the men 
should be disturbed by false alarms as little as possible, being permitted 
to sleep or amuse themselves during the night as best they can, provid¬ 
ed they turn out and are in action with extreme smartness on the whistle 
Orders for post- soun diug. At the Gibraltar manoeuvres the orders 
ing lookout-men ^^ v ’ en ^ or lookout men were to the following 
effect 
Knowledge of 
“ m»ules of the 
road at sea ” 
necessary. 
Detachments 
must he shel¬ 
tered close to 
the guns. 
