341 
COAST ARTILLERY PRACTICE; 
HOW BEST TO CONDUCT IT WITH A VIEW TO THE 
REQUIREMENTS OF ACTUAL WARFARE. 
BY 
CAPTAIN N. W. H. DU BOULAY, R.A. 
“ALL THINGS ARE READY IF OUR MINDS BE SO.” 
COMMENDED ESSAY, 1 897. 
It is scarcely possible to discuss thoroughly the conduct of Coast 
Artillery practice without introducing the question of Coast Artillery 
organization, but this again depends so much on the general organization 
not only of the Regular Artillery, but of the Militia and Volunteer 
Artillery as well, that it becomes necessary, in order to keep within the 
limits of an essay, to assume that the present organization in its main 
points holds good. 
Prince Kraft’s three Field Artillery rules as to “ hitting ” apply The inadequacy 
equally to Coast Artillery, and there is no doubt that in the past nine ° e f a “ n Y n e g y to hit 
years there has been considerable improvement in the Coast Artillery targets, 
in this respect. This has been caused primarily by the introduction of 
the position-finder, which not only made a direct increase in the 
accuracy of shooting by providing an accurate range-finding instrument, 
but added very much to the interest taken in practice generally and 
led to the development of our present system of fire discipline. Com¬ 
petitive practice has in some cases carried the improvement still further 
by rousing energies which were formerly dormant. 
Unfortunately we only learn to hit targets, and our targets in some 
respects bear less resemblance to hostile ships and torpedo boats than 
Infantry targets bear to hostile troops. Infantry can follow up a re¬ 
treating enemy and keep him under fire, but Coast Artillery can only 
fire whilst the enemy chooses to remain within range, and can only 
gain a decisive victory by effectively hitting the enemy within a limited 
time and space. And yet the field firing, field days, and manoeuvres 
which are considered necessary for Infantry training in addition to the 
ordinary target practice, are practically unknown as applied to the 
7. vol. xxiv. 45 
