A SHOUT SUMMARY OF THE COVER QUESTION. 
41 
“Unless you mount ttie battery commander on an observatory, I can- 
“not see how be is to observe his fire without being shot, or at any 
“rate considerably disturbed, by the flank batteries. I notice that no 
“one has yet advocated the adoption of the portable observatories 
“ which have been experimented with on the Continent. Like many 
“other excellent things, I am afraid they would be killed by ridicule in 
“this country.” 
1. —The fact that batteries make such mistakes'as those instanced, 
shows inexperience in taking up positions under cover. These would 
not occur were the occupation of concealed positions made a subject of 
more importance. 
2. —With smokeless powder there is no reason why the C.O. should 
not observe standing on a wagon or limber in rear of his guns. 
Page 391, line 40. “ Major Keir commences by saying (1) ‘that 
“concentration of fire will be practically impossible in future even when 
“firing direct. 5 ” 
I am unable to find this statement. That it will be more difficult 
than formerly I certainly said and still think. 
(2.) “ ‘That changes of target are only a practice camp condition. 555 
Frequent changes of target such as our batteries are put through at 
practice camps can hardly be expected in war, before any appreciable 
effect had been produced upon the objective. 
Rapid changes of target are of great importance and I can find 
nothing I have written to contradict this opinion. 
(3.) “And that on the battle-field ‘where your action is to a great 
extent dependent on the adversary, 5 difficulties of changing target will 
be much less felt. 55 
What I did say is “this (viz., objection 2, i.e., that you cannot 
change your target without making elaborate arrangements) is no 
doubt a serious disadvantage on the practice ground where changes of 
target are of necessity frequent and no enemy has to be considered. 
But on the battle-field where your action is to a great extent dependent 
upon the adversary with whom you are engaged, it {i.e., objection 2) 
would, even if the case, be much less felt. 55 Meaning, of course, that 
on the battle-field changes of target would be much less frequent than 
on the practice ground on account of the difficulty of breaking off 
an engagement with the enemy. 
Criticism is fair, but misrepresentation is not fair. I do not think 
for a moment that Captain Headlam has wilfully misrepresented me, 
but I cannot refrain from referring him to his remarks on page 395 
with regard to the anonymous German officer. 
“ The criticism of the anonymous German officer^cannot be seriously 
answered, because it is evident that he either did not take the trouble 
to read my remarks before criticising them, or that die read them in a 
very bad translation. 55 
Page 392. With regard to the remarks about my proposed method 
of firing from behind cover, I can only reply that questions of this sort 
can only be decided by impartial practical trials, not by mere writing. 
6 
