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Appendix No. 4.
ADEN.
Ras Morbut.
96 feet above sea level.
Ras Morbut Battery.
4 10-4-in. B.L.R. guns. 5 9-in. M.L.R. guns. 2 64-pr. M.L.R. guns
2 machine guns.
Cost-
Work
Armament
Total..
Garrison-
Artillery Infantry
Total..
40,000
(a.) Defence of Aden Bay and Harbour and of the shore adjacent thereto, or the Steamer Point Defences.
(b.) The Isthmus Defences.
(c.) Defence of Front Bay, Holcut Bay cantonments, and town of Aden, or the Crater Defences.
(a.) STEAMER POINT DEFENCES.
These defences comprise those necessary to command the bay and anchorage, and to defend the approaches by sea, and are those necessary to secure the place against an exclusively naval attack.
The two points of Ras Morbut and Ras Tarshayne, the former from 120 to 130 feet above the sea, and the latter 120, naturally present themselves as the best positions for the main works of defence, and on these points batteries have already been built.
Ras Morbut.
The existing works here consist of a battery, the West Cliff battery (96 feet) mounting four 9-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns, and in rear of this a battery of two 9-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns and two 7-inch breech-loading rifled guns, in connection with a square tower, mounting on top four 8-inch smooth-bore guns en burbette.
But these works are not inclosed, and to adapt them for heavier guns and modern requirements it is recommended that they should be entirely remodelled.
The number of heavy guns proposed to be mounted here to fire over the harbour and approaches to it are from ten, by Sir W. Jervois, to five, in War Office Memorandum.
Unless placed behind iron shields, there would not be room for the larger number, but considering the importance of the position, I would recommend that the number should be as proposed by the Defence Committee, namely :~
Three to cominand outer anchorages and approaches.
One ditto, and to fire round to the upper end of the inner bay.
Three to command the inner anchorage, and fire along shore towards the Little Pass. The four first should be 10-4-inch breech-loading rifled guns, and the other three, which would not have to oppose heavily-armoured vessels, 9-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns.
20,000 Two guns, as proposed by the Committee, should also be mounted on the south of the battery to fire inland towards Telegraph Bay, flanking the work on Ras Tarshayne. 60,000 These should also be 9-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns.
Men. The Committee propose that the salient gun on the front face should be placed 110 under casemated cover, and behind an iron shield. This, though it would add greatly to 105 the strength of the work, would appear hardly necessary, and considerably increases the 215 expense. The guns on the right might be placed on a somewhat lower level than those on the left of the battery, and so be covered to some extent from enfilading fire from ships in the offing.
Two lighter guns, probably machine guns, would be sufficient to command the sandy beach of the bay under the Residency, where there is good landing.
The battery should be made secure against assault, and it is proposed to surround it by a flanked ditch, but, owing to the rock being easily scarped, it will probably not be found necessary to continue the ditch all round the work.
The tower should be retained, covered from the seaward by earth, with the ditch remodelled and flanked, so that it may act as a keep to the position.
The four guns now on the top should be removed and replaced by two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns in Moncrieff pits to fire inland over the slopes from Shum Shum, and the low ground towards Telegraph Bay, and to command Ras Tarshayne.
Casemated cover is provided for the garrison in time of action, but it is not proposed
to place any barracks in the work.
The battery is thus designed for :--
Four 10-4-inch breech-loading rifled guns. Five 9-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns.
Two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns. Two machine guns.
The garrison required would be:-
For the service of the guns, of whom 110 men would be artillery
In addition, infantry
Total
The cost of the work, as estimated by the Committee, is 46,0327.
This includes 7,5001. for an iron shield for the gun on front salient; if this be
deducted, the cost may be put down at
Armament (9-inch guns on spot)
Total
::
a
i
8
P
d
ន
C
I
V
a
1
t
t
7
d
I
t
а
I
Men.
t
165
50
€
215
I
C
40,000
2
20,000
C
60,000
t
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