SHOOTING- OF COAST ARTILLERY. 
165 
But what a change, since then, has come over the picture we should 
draw! Since 1891, the speed of men-of-war, the number of their 
guns, the rapidity and accuracy of their fire, and the weight of metal 
they can throw, have increased enormously, far, far beyond our hesi¬ 
tating advances in coast armament and the supply of the instruments, 
improvements and adjuncts required to make them, even as they are, 
fairly effective. 
This was only natural and what we should expect; for the first line, 
our Navy, must have first the advantage of modern improvements. 
Now therefore in 1898 we draw a very different picture of a possible 
Naval attack upon a coast work; instead of the leisurely promenade 
above described, we see a squadron suddenly appear on the far horizon, 
moving rapidly towards the work or works to be attacked, so rapidly, 
that from the time each ship comes within our effective range, to the 
moment that it is within 1,000 yards of our works, but some fifteen 
or twenty minutes elapse. 
In that short period of time we must effect what damage we can, 
for so overwhelming would be their fire at short range and so complete 
its accuracy, that to save useless loss of men, the garrison of the work 
must, as a rule, from that moment, be simply placed under cover. 
This picture, of course, may be looked upon as overdrawn but, in 
any case, conditions have changed so completely that it stands out in 
the most patent manner, that “ rapidity” of fire must be taken into 
very serious consideration and all possible means be taken by the 
Coast Artillery to increase it as much as possible. 
4. Great increase in power op coast defences gained 
BY INCREASE IN RAPIDITY OP FIRE. 
If from any given battery—say of four guns,—we can so increase 
the rapidity of fire as to double the number of “ hits per gun per 
minute,” obtained against a ship, in a given time, it is practically as 
though, with the slow rate now existing, we built a new four 
gun work to supplement the first work. This would be a very 
costly operation in itself (and would moreover necessitate a large in¬ 
crease of personnel for manning the additional guns), while if a 
double rapidity of “ hits per gun per minute ” can be obtained by 
improved organization and training and by the supply of a few more 
required adjuncts or the improvements of existing ones, with the 
armament as it is, the cost would be but a trifle. 
The very great importance therefore of doing all in our power to 
increase rapidity is most palpable, from every point of view, especially 
the financial point. 
As an example, we will take a four gun battery, having four 6" B.L. 
guns on H.P. mountings. 
The best results obtained we will say by a company, firing in each 
case for about ten minutes, at a record target, were :— 
a. Competitive practice, 1897-8, figure of merit, “hits per 
gun per minute,”.0*268. 
b. Competitive practice, new system, 1898-9, figure of merit, 
“hits per gun per minute,”.0*516. 
