36 
ACTION COMMAND OF A SIEGE DIVISION. 
which, though distinct, cannot well be separated nor placed in regular 
sequence. They are— 
(i.) Apportionment of the target among B.C.'s. 
(ii.) Indication of the target to B.C.'s, including any change 
of target. 
(iii.) Regulation of fire, including (a), the rate of fire to be 
maintained; ( b ), the nature of projectile to be used; 
(c), the actual number of rounds to be fired in any 
given time. 
^ment^of* (i-) In allotting to each B.C. his particular portion of the work 
target, to be done, the Lieut.-Colonel would, of course, be guided by the 
relative position of each of his batteries and the portion of the 
enemy's works to be attacked, selecting the target for each battery so 
as to obtain, as far as possible, a direct, or enfilade fire for each. The 
hope of the besiegers must lie in bringing a superior volume of fire to 
bear on the enemy's guns so as to silence them and where this 
superiority in number of pieces has been obtained it will, doubtless, be 
good policy to concentrate the fire of two or more batteries on one of 
the enemy's, but if this superiority of fire on the part of the besiegers 
is not strongly marked it seems doubtful whether it would be sound 
to attempt thus to destroy each of the enemy’s batteries in detail, 
leaving perhaps one or more of them for a time unmolested to annoy 
Concentra- or injure you. Such a concentration means a considerable waste of 
non of fiie ammun ition, as it would take, at least, 10 rounds to range each battery. 
Thus, to take an extreme case, supposing that the four batteries of the 
Division were engaging four of the enemy's and the fire of all four 
was concentrated on each in succession, it would take 160 rounds to 
range, most of which would probably be wasted, whereas if each battery 
attacked one of the enemy's, only 40 rounds would be so wasted, and 
supposing that it took 100 rounds, exclusive of the ranging rounds, to 
destroy each of the enemy's batteries and that these rounds were fired 
at the average rate of 20 per hour, it would take in the first case 140 
rounds from each battery and seven hours to complete the task; in the 
second, 110 rounds per battery and five and a half hours, a consider¬ 
able saving both in time and ammunition, with the additional advantage 
that probably the 110 rounds fired continuously from each battery at 
the same target would do its work much more effectually than the 35 
rounds each fired by the four batteries at four different targets, 
other con- This is a point that will have to be taken into consideration by the 
&id*ration% Lieut.-Colonel in apportioning target and it will be necessary for 
him to determine how best the maximum effect can probably be ob¬ 
tained with the least expenditure of ammunition; but he should also be 
guided by the nature and calibre of the ordnance with which his 
batteries are armed. 
Heavy howitzers like the 8" may be expected to do at least double 
the work for the same expenditure of ammunition that can be looked 
for from the 6" or 6*6" howitzers. 
Again, howitzers on mountings, admitting of any elevation up to 
