JOO 
NAVAL ATTACK OK FORMICATIONS. 
fire at. A very notable case of success in that way was Porter’s action 
with Fort Fisher. He made very elaborate plans of what each ship 
was to fire at as well as the position of each ship, and the result 
was that the ships got off very easily. I may say a word or two after¬ 
wards on the attack on Fort Fisher; but as regards safe-guarding the 
ships by the amount of their fire, they managed that very well. 
Now, supposing that ships can run past in this way, of course the 
main question is if the channel leads to nowhere, where the ships can 
act as ships, as is the case here in the Kiver Thames, is it worth while 
running past and getting into a cul (le sac ? I do not think it is. This 
sort of thing would never be attempted unless, as I said before, we 
had some objective beyond. But I go a little further than this. 
Supposing that it is possible for boats to get past the obstructions, I 
think it may be found that boats may very possibly do all that the 
ships can in the way of destroying ships in the harbour. Should this 
be so, then that is the kind of attack that you are likely to have to 
meet. Take Portsmouth Harbour, for instance, the fleet lying at 
Spithead : it would be a great thing for the enemy if he could sink 
two or three of those ships, it would be of no use his sending his 
ships in to do that because they would get so knocked about that 
the loss would balance the gain; but supposing that it were possible 
for boats to get in, those boats would run in with torpedoes and do 
everything that the ships could do, and something more. So that 
the only kind of attack which is likely to be made is an attack for 
the purpose of clearing away obstructions sufficiently to let boats pass. 
That done, they will try and slip past with their torpedoes, and even 
if only half the boats can get through, it will be well with the loss of 
the other half, and I cannot see how you can meet this kind of attack 
by the big guns of which we have so many mounted now. I think we 
want more of the small guns, we want more passive obstructions, per¬ 
haps artificially narrowing the channel by some kind of improvised 
floating batteries or booms—booms are unreliable things, because in 
many places they would get washed away; but you might have some 
old craft fitted up as a floating battery which would support a long, 
boom and prevent the boats coming in : and although you may say 
that such craft would easily be sunk by a ram, as no doubt might be 
the case, yet it is not half as easy for a ram to get in as it is for 
boats to get in. 
I would conclude this lecture by saying that I think in guarding a 
channel the thing that you have to look out for most is to keep out the 
small craft, and if your arrangements are such as to keep out the small 
craft, the big ships will never come in and will never give you any 
trouble. 
(To be Continued). 
