190 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
At the outer gun (where the roller is used), the man obtaining the 
index number gives it in a low voice to the roller gunner, when he 
clearly perceives that the roller gunner is ready for it. 
Meanwhile the detachments of ISTos. 4 and 6 guns have done the same. 
A subaltern officer glances over 3 and 4 guns to see the points they have 
taken; he will then probably know the ranges of two points in the 
hedge. 
Remarks on the above process. 
Numbers should be shouted aloud in the right half battery, except the 
index number found at No. 3 gun; there is no necessity for shouting 
at No. 1 gun, as the man with the roller is near. 
Each man who finds an index or tape number, must see that the 
roller gunner gets the correct number; the officer should insist upon this 
point. 
One man at each gun reads the angle-finder, but another should check 
him in the tens; that is to say, should see that the tens are rightly given. 
Eor example, the index number is 47 a man should see that the 
forty is right, the 7 J is sure to be right, and should not be checked, as 
otherwise attention is directed from the tens. 
The checkers grow careless as there are few mistakes, but the officers 
should always see that they attend to this point. No mistakes are ever 
made in the units. 
If the bar has been screwed much to one side in the operation, this 
ought to be rectified before replacing the instruments. If the tape 
breaks no harm is done, knotting it will not sensibly affect the range. 
The chief amount of skill is demanded of the sergeant of No 3 gun, 
the work of the other gunners being mechanical and uniform. In select¬ 
ing his point, he must choose one that can easily be distinguished, loth 
with the naked eye and in the telescope, from contiguous objects ; if he 
can find no such point with his eye, then he must search for one with the 
telescope. 
In running to the outer gun he should keep in view his selected point. 
If this is hidden from him at No. 1 gun, he has two courses open to 
him. 
1st—To shift No. 1 gun further or nearer, until he can distinguish his 
point from it. 
2nd—To choose a new point, then to lay No. 1 gun on this, and after¬ 
wards to alter the laying of No. 3 gun to this point. 
In laying, the sergeant of the gun should not allow his wires to be 
more than three inches on one side of the selected point, or more than 
three feet above or below it: that is, his lateral error should not be 
greater than three inches, his vertical than three feet. 
To know which is the 'pivot gun. 
If the battery is in line, and if two sets of instruments are used, 3 and 
4 will be the pivot guns. 
If one set only, then the pivot gun, for range-finding, will be that 
nearest the pivot flank for ordinary drill of the battery. 
In column of half-batteries the drill pivot is also the pivot for range¬ 
finding. 
