COASTAL DEFENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13199, 4 February 1905, Page 4

COASTAL DEFENCE.

LECTURE BY MAJOR JOHNSTON. An interesting lecture on "Coast Defence" was delivered before a largo and representative gathering of Volunteer officers by Major Johijston, A.5.0., in tho Garrisoii Hall last evening. Colonel Smith presidod, and. briefly introduced Major Johnston. The address dealt 'largely with technical matters, such as range of respective guns, value of various agaiust .modern arniour, distinctions .of modern guns, and leesons afforded by tests carried out before Imporial Ordiiance Committees. During the cburso of his remarks the' lecturor dealt with the effect of firo on various targets, and said there was u. very exaggerated idea amongst layinon of tho power of ships agaiust forts, but various wars had gone to show that in actual.tontact the ships suffered more than-'the, forts. ( He. dealt at. length with the Chilian-Peruvian war, pointing out that ships would not expose themselves to fire from forts. A ship was built primarily to meet other ships, and a captain who ltuew all his eggs ive'le in oiic bask<St would hot risk runb'ilg within effective range of a fort' This wont to thov. ii. forts, or 'arjawi with good, long-range weapons, were m<ist cffcctive defences. Ho spoke of th« bombardment of Alexandria as but little more than target praotico for the ships, and showed that the damage done was trifling. Referring at length to tho Spanish-American .lie showed how little actual damage was occasioned at the battle of Manila, for- air tho. heavy bombardment. Major Johnston then spoke Of various tests of guns against torpedo' boats, automatic sights and range-finders, descriptions of modern guns, the - diflfererii armouring of vessels of war; from tho old wrought iron plates to tho; eementod-: and - uncemented Krupp steel armour, and tho various tests of high-explosive.': prtijMtil.es and common" shot againstmodern annourj and ,the various effects , of 'lydditc, quoting extensively:

from official records. A, moat interesting portion of the ledurc was that devoted to high explosive*/ In' which Major Johnston, described the use of picric acid, guncotton, cordite, txillisiito, 'etc.,. and ho also dealt: with the constitpuents of propollants. Ho pointed out that 12in guns had only a very short lifo, 120 rounds being about tho limit of acouraoy, and it was hardly likely .that a cruiser coming around tho New Zealand coast would caro to onter into anything, in tho nature of a heavy bombardment, becauso it could only carry a small quantity of this very valuable amlnunition, and would not caro to throw it away, and then run tho risk of mooting a British man-of-war. A 9.2 brcech-loading gun had a life of about 125. rounds, and the British 6in b.l. ono of 600 rounds. Tho main point was that provided a, coast was armed with guw'of a rango equal to that of a ship's armament, it was pretty well safo from attack from aiiy. individual ship. Of course, if tho hostile vessel know that tho coastal defence wa9 obsolete it could tako liberties; but, to his mind, this was olio". of the most easily defended harbours in New He did not think there was enough practice in tho form of combined manojuvres, infantry with artillery, and tho repelling of landing parties. ' At the conclusion of tho address a number of questions were answered by tho lecturer, arid a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded him, on the motion of Colouel Smith,