4 i 8 
COMMENDED ESSAY, 1899. 
should be “ Electricity for use of Garrison Artillery.” 
In the few stations where steam or hydraulic power is in use for 
working guns, all officers should be thoroughly taught the elements 
of the subject by the local Instructor in Gunnery, and the mechanism 
should be fully explained by him or by the Inspector of Ordnance 
Machinery. 
5. Coast Defence Course at Golden Hill. 
The more senior officers, captains, majors and lieut.-colonels, who for 
any reason have got out of date, might with great advantage be sent 
to the Western Forts for a fortnight during the stay of one of the 
Divisions there, watching the drill and practice, and being instructed 
in the latest orders as regards Battery Commander’s and Fire Com¬ 
mander’s duties, system of ranging, working of instruments, electric 
lights, etc. 
6. Course of Quick Firing practice at Shoeburyness. 
This should be instituted for the purpose of carrying out this prac¬ 
tice by night and day. A selected subaltern and a proportion of men 
should be sent annually from all companies who have charge of this 
class of armament, but who, owing to traffic, etc., are unable to do 
night firing at their own station. All drill having been taught locally 
a stay of two or three days at Shoeburyness would be sufficient. 
Siege Artillery Officers. 
There is comparatively little to be said about the technical training 
of officers in Siege Artillery, and most of the foregoing remarks are 
applicable to them. Their preliminary instruction should follow the 
same lines as that of coast artillerymen ; in fact, we think that on first 
appointment they should be attached to coast artillery companies and 
go through the course suggested; this would qualify them to draw 
armament pay and would give them a fair knowledge of coast defence 
from the first. On joining a siege train company, they should be put 
through a further course of instruction in their particular work, being 
taught every detail of drill, mounting and dismounting, etc., of siege 
guns and the subjects mentioned in Chapter II. 
Siege train officers are in a far better position to learn their work 
efficiently than coast artillerymen ; they attend at the same camp every 
year, are there put through a thoroughly practical course, are lectured 
to on siege operations and on any experiments and improvements 
carried out during the past year, and practice under service conditions ; 
the tactics to be studied are limited in scope and do not vary much, 
the drill with each nature of gun is practically identical, and a know¬ 
ledge of the work is very quickly obtained., No special training is 
required beyond what they receive with their companies in the ordin¬ 
ary course, when attending at Lydd, by practical experience, and by 
personal study. 
Siege train companies should however, frequently be practised in 
the defence of land fronts of fortresses and must not altogether neglect 
coast defence; for this reason they should devote one month in the 
year to drill with heavy guns and coast duties generally, omitting those 
