A TORPEDO FIGHT AT PORTSMOUTH.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1849, 26 January 1880, Page 3

A TORPEDO FIGHT AT PORTSMOUTH.

With a view of testing tho value of torpedoes and giving to tho public service some experience in their use, there has been a mimic fight off Portsmouth, which all the population of that district turned out to see. Fort Monckton, which is in the vicinity of Portsmouth, and an important feature in its defence, was occupied by three mounted field pieces from Hilsea and companies of infantry armed with tho Martini-Henry rifle. The night was dark, and people ashore could cee but little, while those afloat in the Medina, which had the foreign attaches and officers of different countries on board, were not much better off, except when occasional flashes of the electric light disclosed the advancing boats, which had a difficult task before them. Prior to getting to Monckton they had to encounter formidable, because unknown, dangers. The torpedo mine-field extended over a surface of 800 square yards, with a boom running due north and south, protected with network and divers impedimenta, which would bo likely to catch the screws of tho enemy’s launches. This dangerous field comprised thirty-two electric contact mines and forty-nine others to be fired from Fort Monckton. The fort had two electric lights, a Siemens, representing 14,000 candles, and a Gramme, representing 26,000. To avoid accident, the blowing charges consisted of only Boz. of powder. The object of the operations was to demonstrate tho possibility of forcing a position, carefully prepared beforehand, for submarine defence, a torpedo party having to attempt to destroy submarine defences off Fort Monckton, and a defending party being detailed to resist them from the fort. The operations of the attack were limited to destroying tho electric cables, breaking booms and obstructions, and running lines of counter mines ; tho operations of the defence being limited to capturing or putting out of action the attacking vessels. The enemy’s fleet, advancing from the south-west, attempted to force a passage through a channel running between the coasts, and extending from Gillkicker Fort to Haelar Military Hospital, with an imaginary shore line. The fort at Gillkicker and all the batteries that might have been on the imaginary shore were supposed to have been silenced by the fire ®f the enemy’s ironclads, the only heavy artillery remaining for the defence of the mines being the guns inside Fort Monckton. At the moment of the attack the enemy was supposed to have cleared through the advanced mines a passage of 120 yards wide, and to be intending to send boats forward to remove obstructions, and to make, by counter-mining or other means, a passage for tho fleet through part of the remaining portion of the inner channel. The attacking force consisted of the Bloodhound and Vesuvius, representing gunboots, the torpedo boat Lightning, six steam launches, and five guard baats ; while the defending force had orders to meet tho counter-mining resources of the attack. The channel was supposed to bo 120 yards wide, and to have been cleared by the countermines, so that it might be made use of by tho boats of the attack. At nine o’clock the experiments commenced. The boom was soon forced, after a boat or two were placed out of action, but tho navy hold her own. It had several reverses, for boat after boat was declared beaten; but the boom having been forced was as great an encouragement as could have been desired. A few of tho rockets had certainly gone off, showing that the army were winning ; but No. 20 boat of the Vernon began to steal about and cut mine after mine, and the others followed suit. A tremendous shook was felt as the boom was forced. A movement which was cleverly executed resulted in a great victory for the navy. As soon as this was effected the boats dodged about in all directions, and defied the effects even of the electric light, which followed most perseveringly every move that wao effected by the enemy. It was scarcely half-past nine when the boom had been fired, and the enemy began to fool tho odds against them. But they were undaunted. Their countermines wore admirably laid. Number twenty boat had done her work. She was, in the opinion of the umpires, blown up by the torpedoes, but but she had done, her work. Six out of thirty-two mines fell to her share, when nine boats were deputed for that service, and when she was placed hors de combat, she had the satisfaction of knowing that her work was well done. Before eleven o’clock all was over. The enemy had exploded the mines, tho defenders submitted to a landing being effected, and it only now remains for the umpires to decide that the navy were victorious.