236 
DIRECT AND INDIRECT FIRE. 
with drag-ropes. The slopes were very gentle and laying with 
clinometer and aiming posts was constantly resorted to. The country 
was an open heath and not in general favourable for artillery.. I 
saw a division and the army corps attack a masked enemy and 
on each occasion the guns were massed on the flank from which 
the infantry commenced the turning movement. They never changed 
position, the range being about 2500 yards. When the attack was 
imminent a heavy fire was poured on the reserves.” 
They also make use of a disappearing target for the purpose of 
training their layers to lay quickly on the flash of guns, whose exact 
position is only visible when firing. 
Two translations have recently appeared in the “ Proceedings.” One, 
“ New Russian regulations regarding the tactical and fire discipline of 
the brigade division,” by Lieutenant H. W. Taylor, R.H.A .; the other, 
“Ammunition supply in the field” (“Russian Artillery Journal”*) by 
Major E. A. Lambart, R.A. In the former of these the following 
passages occur :— 
(17.) It is now-a-days most important, not only to make the recon¬ 
naissance of the first position under cover, but to advance under cover 
and eventually place the batteries on covered positions. The assailant 
must neglect nothing which may further increase the advantages 
inherent to the defenders, a delay in opening fire resulting from caution 
cannot be weighed in the balance with the evils resulting from coming 
precipitously into action. 
Particular attention must be paid to the following points :— 
(1.) Advancing the batteries, each one in formation and to the 
point most likely to keep it under cover, not hesitating 
for this purpose to make necessary detours. 
(24.) As far as the ground will allow, guns are run back by hand 
before limbering up, so as to conceal this operation as far as possible 
from the enemy. 
Turning to the second one we read :— 
“ The power of firing from behind crests of hills—a result of improved 
materiel —will oblige both sides to take advantage of cover and the 
zone of ground it will be necessary to search with fire may be very 
deep, so that to produce the same effect a much larger number of 
rounds will be required than might be inferred from practice made, 
against visible targets on the practice ground. 
This heavy expenditure of ammunition will take place at the very 
beginning of a battle and in a very short time. It is true that four or 
five well ranged rounds may disable an enemy’s battery, but to arrive 
at these ranged rounds it may be necessary to fire 20 or 30 rounds if 
the enemy has taken proper advantage of cover. 
* * * . * -x- -X- -X- * -X- * 
The large increase in the number of entrenching tools carried has 
given also increased facility to the infantry in taking cover and the 
power of shrapnel against even slight entrenchments has not increased 
