66 
OKEHAMPTON EXPERIENCES, 1893. 
attention of the Commander to the new target. In Russia, I believe, 
the orders are worked by means of different coloured flags, hoisted near 
each target; a Staff Officer with the batteries has a corresponding set 
of flags, and hoists them according to the scheme; the batteries being 
allowed to fire on those targets which exhibit the same flags as field 
up by the Staff Officer. 
Distribution. 
One heard a good deal about a distribution ” and “ concentration ” 
at Okehampton this year. The subject has been so well thrashed out 
by Colonel Maurice and Major White, and finally summed up by 
Captain Granet, that there should be no more danger of considering 
dispersion and distribution to be one and the same; nor should there 
be any further chance of anyone thinking, that the advocates for u dis¬ 
tribution ” desire to discard “ concentration ” against a tactical point, 
the value of which is recognised by all. 
These misunderstandings having been removed, the argument has 
centred round the artillery duel, when the position and forces are equal. 
On this question the Brigade Division and Battery Commanders, who 
were at Okehampton this year, were almost solid in favour of “ distri¬ 
bution,” battery to battery; the general opinion being:—That on 
opening fire each battery should start on the one opposite, reporting 
range and fuze when found to the Officer Commanding the Brigade 
Division; the fire should be left “ distributed,” but on occasions may 
be “ concentrated ” should the Officer Commanding Brigade Division 
consider it necessary. 
On the minor question of “ battery distribution,” there was much 
greater diversity of opinion, about half being for gun to gun and the 
remainder for concentrating on the centre section, these latter holding 
that, owing to the natural errors of laying, this method would result in 
a fairly concentrated fire being obtained on the centre four guns, and 
that, if these were knocked out of time, the flank guns should not do 
much damage. 
This method of brigade distribution and battery concentration cer¬ 
tainly appears to have some claim to consideration, as by it the same 
concentration on individual guns is obtained as by concentrating three 
batteries on one, and yet no battery (fire unit) is left unmolested. 
In Series II. and III. of the Competitive the distribution was fre¬ 
quently at fault, and at Okehampton was the reason of small scores as 
often as errors of range. On several occasions there were sections of 
5 and 6 neighbouring dummies on the flanks untouched. If the target 
(omitting the centre dummy) is divided into 4 sections of 11 each, the 
proportion of dummies disabled in the centre sections to those disabled 
in the outer was as 4 is to 3. 
Fire from Behind Cover. 
In the Service Practice there was one series fired from under . 
cover. The ground sloped gently to the rear, and was such that either 
one or two pickets could be used. On the whole, the system of the 
gun-layers planting two pickets and then bringing the guns into action 
