COMMENDED ESSAY, 1897 . 
359 
or layer ; sergeants should always understand G.G.C’s. work, and the 
range-finding detachments be able to work independently. 
The training requisite to carry out all or any of these various changes, 
can only be gained by actual practice with guns firing at a target, and 
for this reason, whenever practice is carried out, a certain number of 
“ casualties ” should occur. Of course this can be, and is often done at 
drill, but drill conditions are generally so different to service conditions, 
that we do not realise the necessity for rapidity in at once taking up 
duties, or changing from one system of ranging to another. 
The effectual handling and ranging of coast guns is greatly dependent Communica- 
upon communications, and in action a certain number of breakdowns tlons ' 
are bound to occur. 
Even in peace practice, telephones, etc., are constantly getting out of 
order and the working of the guns delayed from this cause. How much 
more then would this be the case, with the enemy’s quick fire guns 
pouring in their projectiles, splinters of which are pretty sure to cut 
some of the many wires upon which effective communications depend. 
It is most necessary to be prepared for such an occurrence, and to have 
a pre-arranged code of signalling for passing orders, etc., and constant 
practice in its use. It would be an excellent thing if it were insisted 
upon that all telephone operators should be qualified signallers, not 
necessarily able to send or read the morse code at fancy rates, but to 
know the semaphore sufficiently well to send and read about twelve 
words a minute. The semaphore is at last recognised as the authorized 
system for use by Coast Artillery, and it is so easily learnt that there 
should be no difficulty in making all men connected with communica¬ 
tions acquainted with it, so that in the case of a breakdown the 
operators could carry on by signal. Positions for them should be 
decided on, and at drill and practice they should be exercised in passing 
messages in this manner. 
A certain number of men should also be able to read the more common 
flag signals in use by the Navy, as this might prove invaluable in war 
time, and is found a very effective way of communicating with the tug 
at target practice. 
CRITICISM OF PRESENT SYSTEM OF PRACTICE. 
Let us now examine our present system of carrying on practice, and 
see where it fails in representing the conditions of war time, suggesting 
some possible remedies. With the exception of the difficulty of getting 
a clear range, which will be referred to later on, the chief cause of our 
inability to represent what would occur in war time, is the want of a 
really good target. 
Since the introduction of the record target, the shooting of Coast Targets. 
Artillery has undoubtedly greatly improved, but yet it is by no means 
all that could be desired, nor can this form of target be said to meet 
with general approval. 
For competitive practice the record target is useful, as it accurately 
records any hits, and does not leave the classing of a company to the 
observation of an individual. But even for this purpose it is not so 
satisfactory as it might be, and it is to be hoped we shall in time get one 
which will travel quicker and not collapse when struck by a salvo. 
As a target for ordinary practice it fails entirely ; it can rarely be 
towed faster than 4 to 5 knots, except in special cases when fast tugs 
are provided, whereas in war our targets may be moving 15 to 25 knots; 
