452 THE TRAINING OF A HOWITZER FIELD BATTERY. 
In the method of placing aiming posts described later (see p. 459) this 
correction is not necessary. The usual method of placing aiming posts 
is employed while the battery is limbered up in a covered position and 
when the ground on which it is to come into action is smooth and firm. 
If however the position selected for the battery to come into action on 
is covered with boulders, bushes, or holes, it is advisable to use the al¬ 
ternative method described in the hand-book, using two men. But in 
this case the section officers after pointing out the target or auxiliary 
mark to their layers, must choose the exact platforms for their guns, in¬ 
dicating the platform of one gun by leaving their swords or head¬ 
dresses on it and marking the other themselves. As soon as the layers 
have planted their posts the section officers can go and check them 
after which the layers must be careful to stand on the exact places 
chosen for their guns. This method of planting posts ( i.e ., with two 
men) is also used when the guns are already in action and a change 
of target is ordered. The change can be effected in about 30 seconds 
after the new target has been pointed out to the section officers and 
layers. 
If the ground is open, the best method of coming into action on the 
layers has been found to be by “ Action front ” ; if ‘‘ Action right ” or 
“ Left ” is used it is very difficult for the No. 1 to judge his word of com¬ 
mand so as to halt his gun exactly on his layer, especially when moving 
fast or on a slope. If “Action front” is used, it matters little if the gun 
is halted a yard or two short of or beyond the layer, it will in any case 
be on the line of fire. If the gun be driven to the left of the layer, who 
should be exactly covering his two posts, and if the off gun wheel (which 
becomes the left wheel in action) be steadied while the trail is carried 
round and the other wheel is well manned, it will be found that the 
gun falls exactly on to the line of fire. The position selected for the 
battery should be sufficiently far from the crest to give ample cover 
from view to the lead drivers when coming into action in this way. 
5. Deflection .—Accurate fire from behind cover is dependent on a 
careful use of deflection. It must be remembered that in addition to 
ranging the battery, the Battery Commander has, from his own obser¬ 
vation or through the medium of an observing party, himself to correct 
each gun separately for errors in line. While the layers are planting 
their posts, the Battery Commander roughly measures the angular dis¬ 
tance of the auxiliary mark (if any), right or left of the target, by means 
of a scale of degrees marked on a card or on his binoculars and held at 
arm’s length. To this is added or subtracted the deflection for drift 
and wind, and the result is given out as an initial order to the layers 
with the elevation for the first round. As soon as the battery comes 
into action the Section Commanders measure by means of the small 
clinometers the correction for level of wheels for each gun and this, as 
well as the Battery Commander’s ordered deflection, is chalked on the 
top plate of the trail (see Fig. II). As each gun fires, the Battery Com¬ 
mander, after ordering the elevation for the next gun, gives the order 
for correcting the last gun for line, thus, “ last gun one degree more 
right.” This is at once marked on the trail of the gun referred to. 
If after “ Battery fire ” has begun the Battery Commander judges 
