ACTION COMMAND 01 A SIEGE DIVISION. 
35 
hours, beginning from a stated hour to each half company ; this would 
necessitate the same men being always on night or day duty, which, 
though it has the advantage of insuring the same duties being carried 
out by the same men under nearly always the same circumstances, does 
not seem desirable, as it obliges one half company to be always on duty 
at night and thus deprives some of the men of their regular rest. A 
better plan would possibly be to divide each company into three reliefs 
thus :—• 
Taking the strength of a company, allowing for sick and casuals, at 
100 for gun detachments only and exclusive of officers, N.-C.O/s for 
observing, etc. 
1st relief, 40—from 6 a.m. to G p.m. 
2nd relief, 20—from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. 
3rd relief, 40—from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
Only two reliefs would be employed on any one day, the 1st for day 
work consisting of four detachments who would be relieved at 6 p.m., 
by the 2nd relief of 20 men only for night work; this relief can well 
be reduced by half, for the fire by night is certain to slack off very 
considerably and a sufficient fire for all ordinary purposes could 
probably be kept up by half the number of guns employed during the 
day. The 3rd relief not being required for the batteries would be 
employed in making up what ammunition was required in replenishing 
the battery magazines and the depot and so on and would come 
on for day duty the next day. Bach night relief, as it came off 
duty, would be absorbed into the previous day relief and not put on 
trench duty again for 24 hours. By such an arrangement no man 
would be on night duty in the trenches oftener than once in every five 
days. 
The hour at which reliefs should be carried out is also a matter for 
arrangement by the Lieut.-Colonel (if not determined by higher 
authority) and should be fixed with reference to the circumstances 
and time of year. Daybreak is generally considered the time when 
sorties or attacks are most likely to be delivered and, therefore, a good 
time for the reliefs to take place, as it insures the maximum of men 
being under arms in the trenches at that time. 
3. Control of Fire .-—This may be considered to be a tactical 
question and, therefore, one that affords scope for discussion and 
admits of some expression of opinion. The term itself, fr Control of 
Fire,” must be taken as a comprehensive one and must not be con-" 
fused with the “ direction of fire.” By the latter it is intended to 
express the action of directing the fire of a certain number of guns on 
to a selected object in other words, of ranging and fighting a battery ; 
it marks distinctly the province of the O.C. the battery, on to this the 
Lieut.-Colonel will not trespass without good cause, but, having once 
allotted the task, will leave the completion of it to the man best placed 
to carry it out, viz., the B.C. 
In the expression, " Control of Fire,” I include then the following 
Proposed 
division of 
reliefs. 
Hour of 
relief. 
Control of 
fire. 
Duties in¬ 
volved in 
turn 
