412 
ARTILLERY IN COAST DEFENCE. 
Of Russian ships there is one small class consisting of three vessels 
the “ Catherine II.,” “ Tchesme,” and “ Sinope,” which are built on 
a design peculiar to that navy. They have a belt varying from 16 
inches to 8 inches; above the belt is a citadel with 12-inch armour on 
the sides, 9-inch and 10-inch on the bulkheads; on this again is a 
pear-shaped redoubt, 12-inch armour, and on this are three barbettes, 
14-inch armour, two abreast forward and one aft; in each barbette are 
two 50-ton guns, in the first two the guns are on disappearing carriages, 
in the last the guns are on ordinary carriages; there is a 3-inch steel 
deck; the secondary armament of seven 6-inch guns is outside the 
citadel, four in front of it and three astern. The primary armament 
can only be attacked by high-angle or plunging fire or by guns 
capable of piercing 14 inches of armour; the secondary armament 
is partly protected from end-on fire by the citadel, but is wholly vulner¬ 
able to broadside fire. On the whole these vessels would probably 
sustain less damage to their armament in an action with coast defences 
than any yet described; but, as they are stationed in the Black Sea, 
would probably not be employed against any of our home fortresses. 
The two circular ironclads “ Novgorod ” and “ Admiral Popoff” con¬ 
stitute a type peculiar to Russia but stand the sea so badly that 
they could not leave the Black Sea and need not be described. For 
the rest the Russian vessels do not differ much from the French, 
except that in two belted barbette ships the “ Nicolai II.” and “ Alex¬ 
ander II.,” the secondary battery is protected against end-on fire by 
armoured bulkheads and a gun at each end of the broadside battery is 
protected by thin side armour. 
The peculiarity of the Italian ships is that they do not have complete 
water-line belts but rely for protection of the vitals on armoured decks. 
There are roughly two divisions viz,: central citadel ships and barbette 
ships. Of the central citadel division some carry their principal arma¬ 
ment in turrets some in barbettes. 
The “ Dandolo ” and “ Duilio ” are of the former class, they have a 
water-line belt of wrought-iron 21^ inches thick for about one-half of 
their length, on this a citadel and over that two turrets, 18-inch armour, 
placed diagonally, the principal armament being four 100-ton R.M.L.; 
the small secondary battery of three 12 cm. B.L. is outside the citadel. 
With these ships the thickness of the armour would render its attack 
by the guns usually mounted on shore hopeless, but the very large un¬ 
armoured target could be completely destroyed and the ship probably 
fatally crippled. The “ Sardegna” is an example of the barbette type, 
she has no side armour; her primary armament of four 67-ton B.L. 
guns is carried in two barbettes, 18-inch compound armour, to which 
there are armoured hoists ; there is an armoured deck; the secondary 
battery, unprotected in any way, consists of eight 15cm. and six 12 cm. 
guns. This ship seems very unfitted to engage coast guns; the small 
armoured target would not be worth firing at, as the ship could prob¬ 
ably be placed hors-de-combat by common shell. 
It is impossible in the limits of a lecture to give even the shortest 
account of all the various types to be found in foreign navies; those 
described have been selected as being fairly representative of theii 
class* 
