NAVAL ATTACK OF FORTIFICATIONS. 
185 
push in as close to the shore as possible, so as to make sure in case of 
a retreat that the re-embarkation will be at any rate supported. But 
when we have done that we have probably done nearly all we can. 
There was the case of Sebastopol, of course, where the ships might 
have helped if the attack had taken the form which, I believe, it was 
originally meant to take. If the Army when it was landed had attacked 
the Star Fort on the north side of Sebastopol, that Star Fort was 
within range of the ships, and the ships in that case would have 
pushed in, I may say, almost regardless of sacrifices, because in that 
case it is not so much the ships which you have to care for, but the 
land force is the main thing ; and you must push on and help the- land 
force as best you can, even if you get seriously knocked about in doing 
so. But I do not think that that is likely to occur again. I do not think 
that in designing defences people are likely to put the works which a 
land force would attack so close to the shore that the ships can 
materially help. 
I am afraid I have kept you too long to-day, and I can only say in 
conclusion that I would wish to impress upon you as much as I can 
that heavy ships are unlikely to attack forts except for forcing a pas¬ 
sage ; but on the other hand, that raids on what the forts protect (for 
that is what the forts are for), namely, ships anchored in protected 
waters, by torpedo boats or other small craft will be frequent, and will 
be very annoying, and that is what the shore defences will have to 
guard against more than anything else. 
I will not suggest to-day exactly how you should guard against those 
raids, but I do not think that it is necessary to have a very strong 
defence to keep boats off. Old hulks, for example, if moored at the 
end of a boom, with quick-firing guns on board, would be quite 
sufficient to sink boats. Of course those hulks would be cleared away 
by an attack in force, but an attack in force is not the sort of thing 
that you would expect every day. Then again, subject to geographical 
conditions, an attack on the land side is most likely to succeed, and is 
the only method of entirely subduing an active defence. 
Finally, a competent defence should be prepared to deliver a counter¬ 
attack under all circumstances. A passive defence will sooner or later 
inevitably be broken down; and a counter attack requires small craft 
afloat which must be fast and must carry torpedoes. These are the two 
main characteristics. If they are fast they can ram, and can also use 
their torpedoes. As for guns in so-called coast defence ships, I think 
they are much better on shore. 
