149 
THE NECESSITY FOR A FIRING TEST TO PROVE 
PRELIMINARY TRAINING COMPLETE. 
BY 
MAJOR 0. S. SMYTH, D.S.O., 
| 
1. Every Artillery officer should look forward to the 
, corps can prove that they are masters of their weapons, and this will 
he when Practice Reports of all batteries note good results throughout. 
2. The great improvements of late years have been due to In¬ 
structions/'’ which, after analysis of all Practice Reports, are issued 
yearly, and point out common errors; but this is not enough, if it is 
not clearly shown how an error is to be eliminated, it is likely to re¬ 
main. 
3. Para. 4 of “ Instructions 1893 ” 1 has appeared in its present 
form in all “ Instructions ” yet issued, and points out the first error:— 
Batteries do not complete their Preliminary Training so that a small 
amount of Elementary Practice will put a finishing touch to it. 
4. To eliminate the error it seems necessary to know :— 
i. Can some standard of efficiency of complete Preliminary 
Training be laid down ? 
ii. Can this standard be satisfactorily tested ? 
iii. Having laid down a standard, and tested it satisfactorily, 
how will Elementary Practice put a finishing touch, and 
what is it ? 
5. A statement of the object of practice, and of how it is attained, 
will best give the knowledge required. 
The object of all practice is to obtain good results. These are ob¬ 
tained when the fire of the six guns of a battery is so directed that all 
projectiles will fuze or burst—according to the nature of fuze used— 
at a selected point, or so near it as to be effective. To attain this 
object, three essentials must be ensured. 
Let it be emphasized that, in the order of their importance, in the 
order in which they are exercised, and in the order in which they must 
be ensured f»o obtain good results, they are :— 
1st. Accuracy of graze and burst of a battery, 
2nd. Correct observation. 
3rd. Proper correction of errors. 
1 In India. 
4. VOL. XXI. 
20 
