THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
383 
In addition to the above, there are other circumstances affecting the 
selection of the object to be fired at, partly dependent on the various ways 
in which artillery is made use of, and partly on the progress of and condition 
of affairs in the engagement. 
In general the following points bear on the selection of the object to be 
fired at:— 
(1) Each detachment of guns, whether it consists of two or three guns, or of 
one or more batteries intended to co-operate, should generally speaking select but 
one object to fire at, and that should be such as the intention of the engagement 
marks out for destruction or injury. Cannonading several objects simultaneously 
delays a result and enfeebles the total effect; under such circumstances, the moral 
effect produced by a concentrated fire of artillery on one point due to the great 
increase of such a fire in mechanical effect, is lost. This rule is more especially 
applicable to mountain artillery, for the number of guns engaged is always small, 
and dispersion of fire all the more to be avoided. 
(2) When the intention of the engagement is not obvious and there is conse¬ 
quently no determined object to be fired at, and yet the guns have to come into 
action, they should fire at such of the enemy’s troops as appear by their distance, 
formation, and the nature of the ground to give the greatest probability of a hit; 
or at such of them as are likely the soonest to have an influence on the course of 
the engagement. 
(3) In the case of artillery supporting infantry in attack on defences at the 
commencement of an engagement, fire should be opened on the enemy’s guns, in 
order as far as possible to silence their fire and to protect our troops from great 
loss. When this object is as far as possible attained, the artillery fire should be 
directed on the troops to be attacked or on those from which an attack is antici¬ 
pated. 
(4) When detachments of the enemy’s artillery are on the march, or, in general 
terms, when they are in such motion or position as to expose a long and nearly 
unbroken body favourable for artillery fire, the fire should be directed to the enemy’s 
artillery; provided that the intention of the engagement at that particular period is 
not such as to demand an exclusive and powerful cannonade on some other object. 
As to the employment of the various natures of fire of the 3-pr. mountain 
gun, the following rules should be observed. 
Low-angle fire of common shell should be employed :— 
(1) Against troops and guns at ranges up to 2500 yards; yet a range of 
850 yards is the limit of a large percentage of hits ; consequently at greater ranges, 
especially at 1600 yards, fire should only be directed on large bodies of troops and 
the practice carefully watched. 
(2) To destroy wooden buildings and other objects encountered in mountain 
warfare;. if these objects are very strong their destruction can only be effected by a 
large expenditure of time and ammunition : under such circumstances it is well to 
endeavour to get at the inside of the object by firing at the natural appertures, 
such as windows and doors, and thus to drive the enemy out of them. To effect 
such a result in a short time the range should not exceed 650 yards. 
