By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer published on 27th April 1901 carried an account of a drill designed to test the defences of Portsmouth Naval base. As the report says, it must have been alarming for those who were unaware of the plans.
A NIGHT ATTACK.
On Friday night and Saturday morning last, we have no doubt a number of people in Ryde wondered what all the firing was about, and why their bed rooms were so repeatedly lit up by searchlights. The next day they learned that there had been another night attack on Portsmouth, which was carried out on a much larger scale than any hitherto attempted, and that the artillerymen had been all night warding off the attacks of the swift torpedo boats, which were trying to steal into Portsmouth Harbour. The objects desired were to test the efficiency of the searchlights along the Hampshire and Isle of Wight shores, and also to afford officers another opportunity of testing their skill in smartly detecting the torpedo craft trying to steal into Portsmouth Harbour, as these swift little craft have more than once got uncomfortably close to the harbour. The whole of the Portsmouth instructional flotilla of destroyers, comprising eight vessels, with Commander Napier in the Starfish, as commodore, was told, with instructions to get into the harbour unobserved. All the batteries on the Portsmouth and Gosport sides of the entrance to the harbour, as well as those on the Isle of Wight shores, Southsea castle, and the Spithead forts, were manned with artillerymen, and stationed at the various look-out points, were officers whose duty it was on discovering the approach of a destroyer to signal all around so as to concentrate the fire upon her.
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Hostilities were to commence as soon as it was dark, but it was after nine o’clock when the first approach of an enemy was signalled. Instantly a brisk fire was opened, and then the spectators could see a destroyer creeping along under the Haslar Wall. Others followed, some hugging the Isle of Wight shore in hopes of making a cross across and to somehow dodge the beams of light, but it was of no use, for one after the other was promptly discovered, although one or two got some distance to the harbour side of the Horse Sand Fort before their whereabouts were discovered.
When they were seen, the entire fleet of the batteries and forts was poured into the daring little craft, and if thee gunners preserved anything like a good aim, not one of them could possibly have lived if the fight had been real. A combined rush by several boats met with no better success. It was getting daylight before it was all over.