Esquimalt Submarine Mining Establishment was not established until about 1893. The first submarine mines had been introduced by the Royal Engineers in 1863 but they were only used in Esquimalt between 1893 and 1906. The approved minefield was:
Listing Type : Submarine Warfare
Location : Canada
Thirty two 100-lbs electro-contact mines
Four 50-lbs electro-contact mines
Twenty two 500-lbs observation mines
The plan of the minefield shown in the images comes from the CFB Esquimalt Naval Military Museum who have a web site at: https://navalandmilitarymuseum.org/museum/.
Usually, the Royal Engineers trained two officers and thirty one mariners of the Royal Marine Artillery at Chatham. This detachment, with some Royal Engineer supervision would be responsible to operating and maintaining the minefield. The Royal Engineers (48th Company of Submarine Miners) replaced the Royal Marine Artillery in 1899. A half company of the 44th Fortress Royal Engineers also arrived at this time.
Two batteries of 12-pdr Q.F. guns were established, one at Black Rock and the other at Belmont Battery. These were to supplement the existing 6-pdr Quick Fire Battery at Duntze Head.
To support the minefield one Defence Electric Light was built at Fort Rodd Hill and two Defence Electric Lights at Duntze Head Battery. An underground engine room was also built adjacent to Duntze Head Battery. In 1902 a test room was also built adjacent to this engine room, and a tunnel led off to the mine observation station.
In 1903 two mine layers were commissioned based on the Emerald Class of ‘laying-out’ vessels. With a crew of seven these steamships were propeller driven and some fifty six feet long.
By 1906 all the mine laying had been withdrawn from Esquimalt.
An article entitled “Submarine Mining of Esquimalt Harbour, 1893- 1905”. The author of this paper is not known but it was obtained through the CFB Esquimalt, Naval & Military Museum, Naden 20 CFB Esquimalt, Esquimalt, BC V9A 7N2, Canada. This informative article can be seen on the link.