ACTION COMMAND OF A StEGE DIVISION. 
41 
A word or two before leaving 1 tliis subject regarding the selection Selection of 
and nature of observing stations and the Lieut.-ColoneTs fighting-post. °stationsf 
All such stations must be placed in commanding positions whence a 
good view of the country in front can be obtained up to a distance of 
about 4000 yards and through an angle of 60° at least; they should 
not be placed on the sky line and should be concealed as naturally as 
possible, not by making revetted cells covered over with boarding or 
corrugated iron or anything of that sort, but by utilising the natural 
configuration of the ground, hedges, bushes and banks; if cover is 
required for the observers it should be placed close to and at the side 
or in rear of the stations and so as not to be in sight of the enemy. 
Field observations only serve to draw fire, they may thus render Field ob- 
some service by causing the enemy to waste ammunition which might servatories. 
otherwise be used against the batteries and, even if they do not (as is 
probable) suffer much from such fire, they will be of little use as 
observing stations, for observation under fire is not likely to be reliable 
and therefore will be useless if not dangerous. 
Trees, on the contrary, if not isolated (and so conspicuous marks), Trees, 
and if fitted with platforms secured to the branches on which in¬ 
struments might be placed, might often be usefully employed. 
Captive balloons are quite useless for any purposes of observation ^aptive 
of fire, though for general purposes and observation of general fire 
effect they might often, no doubt, be usefully employed. 
(iii.) Regulation of fire is a very important part of what might Regulation 
be termed fire economics, the object of it being to prevent waste of of fire# 
ammunition and to get the maximum effect from the rounds actually 
fired. The labour and transport involved in taking up to the front 
sufficient ammunition to keep up the supply of 100 rounds per gun per 
diem for a Division is so great that economy of ammunition becomes a 
very important question. By economy of fire is meant not the saving 
of ammunition, but the prevention of waste and this can only be 
effected by a proper regulation of fire. If B.G/s think they can easily 
obtain as much ammunition as they like to demand, they will naturally 
not be particularly careful of their expenditure, but if they know that 
the supply is limited and a vigorous account of expenditure will be 
demanded, they will, as naturally, try and make the most of what they 
have got and seek to obtain as many effective shell as posssible and 
thus a true economy will be established. 
In regulating, therefore, the fire of his Division, the Lieut.-Colonel 
will have to consider— 
(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, 
say 24 hours. 
(a.) The rate of fire for Siege Artillery is slow fire, the actual Rate of fire 
interval to be maintained between rounds must depend upon circum¬ 
stances ; when a general bombardment is intended to cover the infantry 
assault the fire cannot be too rapid; (2) when ranging on a new target 
