328 SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1895. 
the Garrison of a Coast Fortress, no attempt has been made to deal 
with the other portions, and where the word “ Garrison ” occurs by it- 
self it must be understood to refer only to the Artillery defenders. 
Cuarrer J. Tae Generat Forms tuat Arracks on Coast 
FORTRESSES TAKE. 
The subject of the Prize Hssay in 1893 was ‘‘ The attack of a Coast 
Fortress.” In the July number of the “ Proceedings” of that year are 
published the three Hssays adjudged the best. Hach Hssay approaches 
the question from a somewhat different point of view, and treats mainly 
of some one particular form of attack. Written as they are with great 
ability, and combining as they do evidence past and present, and the 
contemporary opinion of the best writers who have studied the subjects 
bearing on this question with the well reasoned conclusions of their 
own authors, they present, taken together, a very valuable exposition 
of the whole subject, and one that may be considered in many ways 
authoritative. I propose therefore to extract from these essays much 
of the information required for this chapter and to put it forward with- 
out any attempt at argument, for which and for fuller information on 
the subject, the essays themselves should be consulted. 
A Coast Fortress is defined as consisting of “an area of land and 
sea provided at certain important points or along tactically selected 
lines with an Artillery armament partly fixed, partly movable. The 
area is usually defined by the extent of land or water within range of 
its guns.”* Whatever its area may be, the effective value of any Coast 
Fortress as such, is limited by the range of its guns over that area. 
Outside this limit, the Fortress is incapable of affording any protection 
whatever, unless indeed its Garrison is strong enough to, and provided 
with, the means of taking the field against an enemy, in which case the 
operations cease to be those within the réle of a Coast Fortress. 
use ot coast The réle of the Coast Fortress may be said to be to afford protection 
“ome* from molestation to everything within its defences, it can best effect this 
by denying the use of the selected area of land and water it protects, to 
those whom at the time it may be expedient or necessary to exclude. 
The specially selected localities protected by Coast Fortresses may be: 
(1.) Harbours and dockyards required for the use of the Navy. 
(2.) Harbours and ports which are required for the use of the 
~ Mercantile Marine, and which generally form the approach 
to important cities or towns. 
(3.) Harbours and ports abroad which can act as temporary 
refuges, or at least furnish supplies, particularly coal, to 
the Navy, and to the Mercantile Marine. 
(4.) Harbours abroad which are required as bases of operation 
for the Fleet, or for Expeditions. 
(5.) Positions guarding narrow water-ways, leading to more open 
waters which it is desired to deny to all comers. 
Coast 
Fortresses 
1 See *‘ Proceedings,” R.A.I., Vol. XX., pp. 345 to 391. 
2G.A.D., Vol I., p. 409. 
