2 
would generally be employed witli a time fuze bursting 50 to 120 metres short of 
the target. With short ranges of under 1500 metres the bursting point might even 
be as much as 200 metres short of the target. When used with a percussion fuze 
the effects of this shrapnel are like those of the old common shell; depending 
much upon the nature of the ground, and diminishing rapidly with the increase of 
the range. Against targets placed immediately behind a covering mass the “ obus- 
torpille ” must be used. This shell also has a double-action fuze, and a cone of 
dispersion of about 110°. At a range of 1500 metres the bullets in the lower 
part of this cone would strike the ground at an angle of about 64°, instead of 20°, 
as in the case of the shrapnel. The “ obus-torpille ” with a percussion fuze is 
used to destroy houses and other obstacles which may be met with in the field, 
but is very rarely employed against troops, excepting at ranges of over 3500 
metres, where the use of the time fuze is impossible for shrapnel. ... 
After these remarks on the effects of projectiles, the manual devotes the whole 
of an entirely new chapter to the reconnaissance of the target by the Battery Com¬ 
mander. The importance of such reconnaissance had already been shown during 
peace manoeuvres, and regulations had been made with regard to it. “ Every 
artillery position should be reconnoitred with reference to the target aimed at and 
to the troops placed in front. 5 ’ 
To avoid attracting the enemy’s attention this reconnaissance should, if neces¬ 
sary, be made on foot, the escort, which should be-as small as possible, being left 
in rear. To be complete the reconnaissance should deal with the following 
points : the position of the target, its nature and extent, and an estimate of the 
range made from the map and from results obtained by firing, at other targets. 
This estimate should be made with great care when the battery has to fire over 
the heads of other troops. The nature and position of any covering mass should 
also be ascertained, and the zones of ground which ought to be cannonaded deter¬ 
mined upon. Some attempt should also be made to estimate the nature of the 
soil in the neighbourhood of the target. Lastly, the Battery Commander must 
select the part of the target on which to lay the guns to determine the range 
and elevation, and must take every precaution to prevent confusion among the 
“ pointeurs.” 
The targets met with in the field are divided into two classes (1) fixed; (2) 
moveable ; and these again may be sub-divided into several others. We will very 
briefly review the methods employed in these different cases in order to determine 
the range. 
The simplest case is that of fire with a percussion fuze against a fixed, visible 
target at a range of over 1500 metres. In this case the method of finding the 
range is not altered, combining three distinct operations (1) Determination 
within the wide limit of 200 metres (2) within the narrower limit of 50 metres; 
(3) with exactness, that is to say, with a proportion of two to four short shots out 
of every six. 
When firing with the “ obus-torpille ” at long ranges the range cannot, accord¬ 
ing to the new SchiessvorscJirift , be determined with exactness, but can only be 
approximated to. 
The method of finding the range when firing against a fixed target has not been 
materially altered. The wide limit of 100 metres is first determined with percus¬ 
sion fuzes, but not the narrow one of 50 metres. Time fuzes are then used with 
the lower elevation corresponding to this limit, and six shots are always fired in 
each round. The range is considered sufficiently determined when not more than 
two shots out of six are long, whether firing with percussion or time fuzes. 
If the range is under 1500 metres the methods of finding it are naturally 
simplified, with the view of producing an immediate effect upon the object aimed 
1 A German metre =■ 39 inches very nearly.— 
