GARRISON ARTILLERY WARFARE, 187 
or capture while the attention of the defenders is diverted 
by an attack elsewhere. 
(6) Boats landing parties at night with the object of “ rushing” 
a place or work immediately on arrival or at dawn. 
(c) Boats sent in to capture a place or to destroy matériel under 
cover of the fire of the attacking fleet. 
The presence or absence of torpedo-boats as adjuncts to the defence 
will obviously influence this form of attack, as these considerations will 
affect it in a precisely similar manner. The features of the defence 
will be :— 
To prevent a landing. 
To prevent any further operations after the landing has been 
effected. 
In addition to the supporting fire of the fleet, which will be con- 
tinued as long as possible, the defenders will also have to undergo the 
field gun, Q.I’., Maxim and rifle fire of the attacking boats. 
_ But once a boat attack appears imminent, it must be treated as the 
main attack and every arrangement made to meet it. 
Care, however, must be taken to distinguish between a real attack 
and a “feint,” as the object of the attacker might be to cause the pre- 
mature disclosure of the means of defence against this phase of the 
attack, with the attention of crippling it with his main fire. 
Should a landing be effected, the operations are at once converted 
into land operations, and the defence must be continued by infantry 
fire, assisted by the movable armament acting as Field Artillery. 
As regards (2.) Booms may be destroyed by shell fire, or by boats 
under cover of the fire of the attacking fleet. 
Mine-fields may be similarly cleared by boats either by creeping or 
countermining. 
The defenders must therefore keep the ships at a distance, and 
failing this, engage the boats and destroy them before they can do any 
damage. 
In this second phase of the primary attack also the presence of 
torpedo-boats will prevent any night operations and it will further 
materially influence their scope and character by day. 
