114 TARGET PRACTICE IX FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



special remarks on tlie effect or result of any particular firing, 

 or explanations regarding any departures from prescribed 

 rules. If exercises take place in the open country, only the 

 expenditure of ammunition, approximate cost of the same, 

 and occurrences calling for special mention are reported. 

 These reports, with the remarks thereon of brigade and divi- 

 sion commanders, are sent to corps headquarters, from which 

 they are forwarded by the 1st of November of each year to 

 the "inspection of field artillery," and are sent from there 

 to the war minister on or before November 15. 



To enable the inspector of field artillery to judge of the 

 arrangement of the practices and the firing capacity of the 

 troops, he is furnished with copies of the regimental programs 

 and the firing lists of any one or all the regiments in the 

 corps. 



COMPETITIONS, PRIZES, AND BADGES. 



Two competitions are held annually among the gunners of 

 each battery, in which prizes are awarded to the successful 

 ones. One-year volunteers are allowed to compete, but may 

 not receive money prizes. The first competition is held in 

 April of each year, all gunners appointed within the year 

 being eligible. 



The exercises consist of pointing at targets at supposed 

 ranges, with different kinds of fire and projectiles. Rec- 

 tangular targets about 67 inches (] 70 centimeters) high and 

 20 inches (50 centimeters) wide, upper half black and lower 

 half white, are placed at distances from 500 to 1,000 meters, 

 to determine the correctness of direction of the piece. Only 

 competitors who attain a fixed standard receive prizes. Of 

 these the first gets 6 marks, the second 5 marks, and the 

 third 4 marks. 



The second competition is also held in the batteries on their 

 return from the field exercises among the six best gunners 

 who have not already received prizes. In addition to the 

 pointing exercises at targets, guns are aimed at a supposed 

 hostile battery, represented by guns located at such a distance 

 as to be barely visible. The competitor on seeing the flash 

 and smoke of the shot from the hostile gun trains his piece 

 thereon with tlie elevation corresponding to his estimate of 

 the distance. As soon as the pieces are pointed, and at a 

 given signal, a man with a flag places himself at the muzzle 

 of the piece just fired and an officer verifies the correctness of 



