177 
GARRISON ARTILLERY 
WARFARE. 
BY 
MAJOR O. ROWH, R.A. 
Wuen deciding on the plan of defence of a Coast Fortress, it is 
essential in the first place to consider the nature of the attack to which 
it is hable to be exposed. ‘This in its turn will depend to a great ex- 
tent— 
(1.) On the armament and resources of the fortress. 
(2.) On the strength, composition and morale of the garrison. 
(3.) On the relative value of the fortress to the attackers and 
defenders. 
(4.) On the necessity for its destruction or capture for strategic 
reasons. 
(5.) On the necessity for the destruction or capture of any 
material or ships which it protects. 
In all these conditions, the question whether ‘“‘the game is worth the 
candle” will present itself to the assailants. A modern battle-ship, 
cruiser, torpedo-catcher, or torpedo-boat is valuable only so long as she 
is afloat and in a more or less undamaged condition. They take a long 
time to build and repair, and once badly damaged, are not likely to 
take any further effective part in the hostilities, since all authorities 
are agreed that the next war will be short, sharp and decisive. 
They represent not only a large capital sum of money, which no 
nation can afford to recklessly lose, but, what is more important, the 
command of the sea to that combatant who can last bring an effective 
fleet into action. 
The primary object of an armed ship is to fight ships and the naval 
strength of a nation should not be wasted in attacking a Coast Fortress 
without some very good object in view, which will justify the expendi- 
ture of a fleet, if necessary. These considerations will therefore 
doubtless influence the Admiral of a fleet and prevent him from rashly 
undertaking adventures to capture another Gibraltar, simply because 
he has nothing better to which to turn his hand. Roving attacks of a 
piratical character to harass, destroy or hold to ransom weakly defended 
or undefensible sea-ports may be expected, when once one of the 
Powers has asserted its local supremacy on the sea; but at the com. 
mencement of hostilities these excursions must give place to the more 
5. VOL. XXIII. 24 
