COMMENDED ESSAY, 1897 . 
349 
there is a constant and severe strain on many people, and the chain of 
communication, from the finding of a range to the firing of a gun, is 
very liable to fail at one or more of its links. Any change therefore 
that will simplify the various operations without marring the results 
will be of great benefit. 
Already a beginning has been made by allowing gun layers to fire 
the guns themselves, and one source of uncertainty and error has thus 
been eliminated. But the principal change now advocated is that the 
range indicator should show the elevation to be given to a gun or group, 
instead of showing a succession of varying ranges as found by the 
range-finder. This elevation would be ordered by the battery com¬ 
mander from his post near the range-finder, and when the range of the 
target approached that for which the guns were laid he would order 
“ commence firing.” The effect of this change would be to give the 
battery commander the control over his fire which he so much lacks in 
our present system. The difficulty now experienced by a group com¬ 
mander in realising the speed with which changes of range are occurring 
would disappear, and the “ fresh lays ” caused by his under-estimating 
this speed as well as the delays caused by his over-estimating it would 
thus be eliminated. Group commanders would no longer be required 
in small works ; and in large works, relieved from the strain of ordering 
elevations, they would be able to turn their whole attention to the real 
superintendence of their commands, a matter of the greatest importance 
in actual warfare when casualties might be occurring out of sight of the 
battery commander. They would still however be responsible that gun 
captains were making proper allowances for displacement. Lastly, the 
work of the range-indicator numbers would be very much simplified. 
It is true that the battery commander would have more to do than he 
has at present, but it would not be more than he could easily manage ; 
and he would be amply repaid for any extra work by the far more 
satisfactory control he would obtain over the firing of his guns. Certain 
details would have to be considered for each work, and experiments 
made to arrive at the best drill; for example the order to commence 
firing might be given in various ways—by signal, by sound, by word of 
mouth, or by some device on the range-indicator. But it is confidently 
held that with good drill this system would work with the same rapidity 
and greater ease than the present one, even though the battery com¬ 
mander should have a number of groups under his control. Even with 
the present system, however, he would rarely have to command more 
than two groups at the same time, for the simple reason that three 
groups in a fort never command quite the same water area, or if they 
do, the grouping is wrong. 
Any change which would do away with the shouting of the dial 
readers when working with the position finder would be a great 
improvement. Shouting tends to confusion ; and ranges and trainings 
passed in this way are very liable to be wrongly read or wrongly heard 
even in ordinary peace practice, whilst in actual warfare there would be 
still greater chance of mistakes. With the dials now in use, however, 
it is difficult to suggest a remedy. If case II. only were used it would 
be very much better to place the dials at the battery commanders 
station instead of at each gun or group. The drill would then go on 
exactly as though a depression range finder were being used ; the 
shouting would be reduced to a minimum, and two drills for case II. 
would not be necessary. 
46 
