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Appendix No. 4.
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ADEN.
Ras Morbut.
5 104-in. B.L.R. guns, 26 tons. 2 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Battery
Armament
•
Submarine mines
..
Ras Tarshayne.
£
34,760 23,600 4,000
4 104-in. B.L.R. guns, 26 tons.
3 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Battery
Armament
Gun-boats-
•
2 "Comet" class
Barrier Scarping
Works
..
Main Pass. 4 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Munsoorie Lines.
3 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Batteries
Armament
Isthmus Lines.
5 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Batteries
Armament
Jebel Huddeed.
1 64-pr. M.L.R. gun.
El Geriff.
1 64-pr. M.L.R. gun,
Batteries Armament
•
··
£
the entrance to the harbour, are the two projecting points, Ras Morbut and Ras Tarshayne, about 120 feet above the water; between these points the ground is flat and little above the sea level.
Upon Ras Morbut it is proposed to place five 104-inch breech-loading rifled guns of 26 tons, to fire upon the bay, and the approach and entrance to the harbour, and upon the harbour. The height above the water renders it unnecessary to provide shields, and these guns may be mounted en barbette; two medium rifled guns should also be provided to command the shore near Steamer Point, and towards Flint Island, and to defend the line of submarine mines. This work is the main defence of the position, and should be inclosed with a good scarp and ditch.
Upon Ras Tarshayne it is proposed to place four guns of the same calibre similarly mounted, en barbette; but the work here, as at Ras Morbut, should be inclosed and self- defensible; it should have also three 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns to play upon 25,410 the shore between it and Morbut on the one side, and on the shore of Telegraph Bay on the 19,650 other. This battery should be so designed that it may occupy a lower level than that at
Morbut, in order that the guns of the latter may command it.
Flint Island has been selected by most authorities as a site for a battery for heavy guns, and Sir W. Jervois, also in his Report of December 1871, recommends this rock as a position for a mixed battery of three heavy and three medium guns; but heavy guns here do not seem to be an absolute necessity, and though the medium shore from Little to Main Pass, this may be done quite as effectually by guns in position at
would guns
sweep the or near Little Pass, and by the two gun-boats which it is intended to provide for the defence 26,000 of the inner harbour.
500
It is proposed also to form the barrier and drawbridge across the road in continuation 500 of the rocky spur opposite Flint Island, as recommended by General Tremenhere's Com- mittee, and to scarp the spur eastward of Tarshayne. When all this is done it is conceived 1,000 that this, the main portion of the defences will be very complete.
£
8,690 3,850
£
Any attack from an enemy landing in Front Bay can be effectually opposed by a small number of men in the Main Pass, from an inclosure on the heights near which a command is obtained over the isthmus, Front Bay, and the roads from its shores to the Main Pass, and the road between the Main and Little Passes.
The works at the Main Pass should be put in good order, the gateways in both direc- tions renewed, and four medium guns should be mounted, two looking in one direction and two in the other.
Munsoorie Lines, upon the north side of the Main Pass, should also be remodelled to receive three medium guns, at Bell's Battery, Durrub el Hosh, and El Burgh respec- tively.
The isthmus lines are sufficient to meet any attack that is probable, though it is a question whether the light musketry walls between the flanks should not be replaced by 4,400 earthen parapets; but medium guns should be placed in the salients, and a few of the 2,750 present smooth-bore guns selected for arming the flanks. One medium gun should be placed in each of the salients, Jebel Huddeed and El Geriff, to give a long distance fire on the isthmus.
At Ras El Erigh should be placed two medium guns to plunge into Front and Hollcut Bays, and at High Munsoorie Battery emplacements should be formed for two position 1,870 guns to fire upon the shore.
£
1,100
Ras-el-Erigh.
2 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
Battery
Armament
**
£ 1,870 1,100
Upper Seera.
3 10-in. M.L.R. guns, 18 tons.
Battery Armament
Lower Seera.
4 64-pr. M.L.R. guns.
£
It remains only to deny Front and Hollcut Bays to an enemy; this may be done by a battery of three 10-inch guns, en barbette, on Seera Island at about the level of 200 feet, where there is a plateau very favourable for the purpose, while the shore on either hand may be 13,500 flanked by a battery of four medium guns on a low level near the southern part of the
island; in this position it can be masked from seaward and need not be caseinated.
14,180
Seera Tower might be thickened as suggested in Sir W. Jervois' Report to form a keep to the two batteries, and the defence of Seera Island would then be complete.
£
Battery
Armament Tower
•
7,755 2,200 400
Fisherman's Bay,
Works
300
Garrison.
Fisherman's Bay may be rendered impracticable to an enemy by scarping the rocky ascent from the beach; not much scarping is necessary, but if the attacking force succeeded in effecting a landing, it would still have to make good its advance up the heights of the southern range under conditions of the greatest difficulty. No apprehension need be enter- tained, therefore, with respect to Fisherman's Bay.
One hundred and twenty men will be required to man the guns at Morbut, 114 at Tarshayne; and, as both these works are inclosed, 50 men should be added to each for
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