403 
NOTES OF LECTUEES 
ON 
ARTILLERY IN COAST DEFENCE. 
BY 
MAJOR A. 0. HANSARD, R.A. 
(Instructor of Gunnery). 
PART II. 
Piee Tactics. 
The second division of onr subject is that of “ Fire Tactics.” 
Under Organisation we treated of the preliminary arrangements 
which have to be made, in order that fire may be opened as speedily as 
possible at the desired objective ; under this heading it is proposed to 
consider the answers to the questions ; at what object should fire be 
opened ? at what part of that object ? and with what projectile ? 
As regards the first question it is obvious that to open fire indis¬ 
criminately at an enemy’s vessels, each Fire Commander 1 selecting his 
own objective, would lead to confusion and loss of power. To obtain 
the greatest possible effect out of the guns, requires that their fire 
should be utilised with a definite aim in view, that aim being to defeat 
the object of the enemy, whatever that may be. 
It is a principle of defensive fire tactics of universal application, that 
the most intense fire should, at every phase of an engagement, be 
directed on that part of the attacking force whose action, if successful, 
would most imperil the defence. In order to know what vessels of an 
attacking squadron it would be most necessary to direct our fire upon, 
we must therefore have some idea of what that squadron is likely to 
attempt, and in what manner they will make use of their vessels in 
order to accomplish their object. 
Now a fleet may attack a coast fortress with a view to occupy the 
water area defended by it, temporarily, while a force is being landed 
or permanently, in order to use the harbour or anchorage as a naval 
base, or as a base of operations for an invading army. An army 
would, it is true, be probably landed at some undefended part of the 
coast, but unless a port in its neighbourhood were seized the operation 
1 Since the first part of these notes was printed., the designation of the Fort Commander has 
been altered to “ Fire Commanderand that of the Sub-Commander for discipline to “ Group 
Commander.” 
54 
8. YOl. XIX. 
