454 THE TRAINING of a howitzer field battery. 
cross bars of the sights, they are taught to apply the deflection to the 
deflection leaf first, so far as it is available, i.e ., 3 degrees left and 1 
degree right; then to make use of the cross bar of the hind sight (3 de¬ 
grees), and if still more deflection is required, to apply it to the cross¬ 
bar of the foresight (another 3 degrees). Care must be taken to move 
the foresight to the left for right deflection and to the right for left 
deflection. 
6. Observation .—The effective range of any gun is limited by the 
power of judging the position of the burst of the shell with reference 
to the target This is manifestly far easier in the case of High Explosive 
Common shell bursting on impact than in that of Shrapnel bursting in 
the air; from which it follows that howitzer batteries can and probably 
will be employed at longer ranges than 15-pr. batteries. Practice in 
observation is therefore important, more especially as in most cases 
the process of ranging by the Battery Commander is accompanied by 
the correction of each gun for line. When firing at a small target, such 
as a redoubt or fortified post, correction for line is of great importance, 
and it must be remembered that the opportunity for correcting each 
gun will, with good ranging, probably be limited to one round, for as 
has been noted before, correction of individual guns after “Battery 
fire ” has begun, though possiblt, will not be the rule. In the case of 
those rounds which are fired before the long bracket is determined, 
observation for line is most difficult and requires careful judgment, 
especially if the Battery Commander is some distance to a flank. 
Unfortunately there is little opportunity for practising this except 
during actual firing on the ranges. 
The best method of estimating the amount of correction to be given, 
is to measure the width of the target, or a definite part of it, with the 
degree scale already alluded to. The part thus measured can then be 
used as a unit in judging the error in line and the necessary correction 
can be ordered at once in degrees without reference to any table. To 
a certain extent this can be practised on the drill ground by placing 
men at unknown distances from a target represented by a flag. The 
men stand with their backs to the supposed battery and wear havresacks 
pulled well round to the front. When a flag is raised at the battery to 
represent the firing of a shot, the officer in charge of the target party 
orders one of the men to turn about and show his havresack. This man 
then represents the fall of that shell. When the officers at the battery 
have all judged and noted the distance short or over, right or left, the 
flag is lowered and the man turns about again. The process is repeat¬ 
ed until the placed men are all finished ; the officer with the target 
party has all the distances roughly measured and results are compared 
on return to barracks. This practice (which is called Observing 
Practice, No. 2) is carried out on different natures and slopes of 
ground; each days work being plotted on square ruled paper, the 
progress made by each officer in judging distances can thus be tested. 
This practice is however usually carried out on the supposition that 
the officers are with the observing party and not with the battery 
itself. The line of fire is indicated to them by Signalling the mag- 
