80 
ARTILLERY POSITIONS AND SCREENING GUNS. 
ff Or on ground sloping up to tlie target at 2° slope in the opposite 
direction.” See Fig. D. 
FIG. D. 
“ The angle of descent would be 8° and the angle of ricochet after 
graze would be 10° 40'.” 
Thus showing the comparative immunity from effects of ricochet of 
troops on forward slope. 
Page 60, Yol. II., Field Artillery Drill, 1889, it says :— 
“ As the range increases, so does the cone of dispersion of the balls; 
because the velocity of the shell through the air decreases, more 
rapidly than the velocity of rotation due to the rifling.” 
Page 81 Field Artillery Drill, 1896, says:—“ That up to 2,000 
yards the angle of cone is from 8° to 12° with base bursters and 12° 
to 18° with head bursters.” 
Troops on Page 63, Yol. II. of 1889, lays down that:— u The angle of descent 
^lope^Iver 0 of time shrapnel, especially at the longer ranges, suffices to sweep the 
shellburT- reverse slope of most hills on which a gun can stand; even percussion 
ing jnst over shrapnel, which would then have a comparatively low angle of ascent 
the crest. ^ Gr g raze ^ WO uld be very effective.” 
Is not this a great reason against putting our guns on the reverse 
slope when firing in the first artillery position or duel ? ( Vide Fig. 6 
and 7, where the cover obtainable behind a crest for a man mounted 
and on foot is shown in colour.) 
Also vide Figs. 2 and 3, where the angle of descent and the angle of 
opening of the “ gun of the future ” is given. 
Necessity for Screens—Exposure of Gunners in the open when in 
Action. 
Necessity It is well nigh impossible to assimilate the conditions of manoeuvre 
f S °cree“for l *0 tllOSe of War. 
action ^n For i ns t anc( b does an y sane person for one instant imagine that a 
the crest handful of gunners are always going to stand up in the open at each 
and siope! ard gun for hours within long-range rifle (1500 yards) range of infantry 
sharp-shooters laying flat on their stomachs and picking them off ? 
The answer generally given to the above is that it is never wise to 
teach men to “ take cover.” They will soon do that of their own 
accord when real bullets are being exchanged between the opposing 
forces. Best train them always to stand up to their guns. Quite so ! 
but do you practice what you preach ? Are not gunners showing 
the muzzles of their pieces just over the brow in the position of the 
Irishman expecting to hit something with his gun pointing round the 
corner ? Your men are virtually behind cover of the worst kind. 
Again, do you never dig gun-pits or epaulments ? And do you con¬ 
sider that it is a wise thing to bury a field-gun in a hole and fire it 
