238 
DIRECT AND INDIRECT FIRE. 
await favourable opportunities and seize them with suddenness and 
rapidity is to place too much reliance on the indifferent handling of 
our opponent’s forces. 
Should, however; these views not be accepted; it is proposed to 
demonstrate that the moving target as practised by direct fire on the 
practice ground can be also performed from under cover. 
The chief difficulties in our path are (1) the angle of sight (in this 
case a constant as we are treating an advance over a level plain) (2) 
the management of rapid variations of fuze. 
This can be found in three ways:— 
(1.) By the range-finder (i.e. difference between clinometer 
elevation and elevation due to range in degrees and 
minutes). 
(2.) By means of an Abney’s level or other instrument. 
(3.) Judged approximately by constant practice. As we are at 
present dealing with a level plain (the sands at Shoebury- 
ness for instance) the angle of sight need not be con¬ 
sidered. 
Taking the 12-pr. gun with Mark II. carriage the following rule for 
finding the length of fuze required for a certain elevation will be found 
near enough. 
1° = 3 
2 ° = 6 
3° = 9 
4° = 12 
5° = 15 
4 1 
+ 1 
+ 1 
+ I 
+ 1 
4 lengths of fuze 
7 
• )) v )) 
1 0 ;; ;; ;; 
„ ,, „ 
Id .. j. 
^1 or generally 
| 1° = 3 lengths of fuze 
}> 20' = 1 length of fuze 
I 10' = * „ „ „ 
j 5' = i „ ,; ;; 
By means of this rule the length of fuze for any elevation can be found 
at once. Example: 2° 28'; 2° = 7 and 20 = 14 7 + 14 = 84 . The 
scale shows 9. So deducting J we have 8J. 
Take another example: 3° 40' = 12. Scale shows 12J, which is 
near enough for a moving target. 
Again; between 1100 and 2300 yards 12' elevation means 100 yards 
.*. 24' = 200 and 30' = 250 yards. 
Instead of dropping 200 yards for an infantry target we shall drop 
250 yards or 30'. Commencing with the target at 3° 40' range drop 
30'. The ranging section fires at 3° 10' and the others 3°, 2° 55', 
2° 50', fuzes 10; Of, 94 and so on; the next drop being ranging 
section 2° 40'; shrapnel sections 2.30; 2.25, 2.20; fuzes 84, 84, 8. 
That practice at moving targets; such as are supplied at our practice 
camps, could not be carried out when a battery is entirely under cover 
is admitted; but it is urged that a 6-foot target does not at all represent 
the real targets we should have to attack. A target extending over a 
front of 200 or 300 yards could however quite well be dealt with. 
Any great difference of level between the battery and the target 
would bring in the difficulty of the angle of sight which could not, 
without the use of a compensating scale; be allowed for when using the 
regulation method and this, though possible, would be much too com¬ 
plicated. 
