456 THE TRAINING OF A HOWITZER FIELD BATTERY. 
Although observation by the Battery Commander is undoubtedly 
the surest method of ranging a battery, it becomes impossible when 
firing at a target which is concealed by natural features of the ground. 
All that can be done by the Battery Commander himself in that case, 
is to range on the crest of the hill covering the target and distribute 
for depth as laid down in the drill-book; but he would have to trust 
to good fortune alone for his line of fire being correct and his distri¬ 
bution adequate. Under certain favorable circumstances however it 
may be possible to place an observing party (O.P.) on some point 
from which the target can be seen and from which the results of its 
fire can be signalled to the battery (see Fig. III.). 
The following system of communication between the O.P. and the 
battery has been found to work rapidly and effectively. After find¬ 
ing the range in a manner somewhat similar to that laid down in the 
Mekometer hand-book, the O.P. signal to the battery the distances 
of the target and the battery from the O.P. as well as the range of the 
target from the battery. If the Battery Commander does not by any 
means know the exact direction of his target, he can then proceed to 
plot on the ground, with a. measuring tape and to any convenient scale, 
the triangle whose sides have been reported to him by the O.P. If 
care is taken that the side representing the distance from the battery 
to' the O.P. is exactly in line with the O.P., the line of fire will be in 
prolongation of the side representing the range of the target from the 
battery. With well trained range takers, the error in the line of fire 
thus found should not exceed one degree. The drill for this is called 
Observing Practice, No. 3 • 
Firing is then commenced and for each shot the O.P. first signal, 
by code, “ over ” or “ under,"on receipt of which the Battery Comman¬ 
der orders the new elevation for the next gun. As soon as this signal 
is acknowledged, the O.P. signal the error “ Right ” or “ Left," and 
the Battery Commander orders the correction to be made for the last 
gun fired. To enable him to do this rapidly, a special range table 
has been adopted by the Brigade Division. When “Battery Fire” 
is ordered, a signal to this effect.is made at the battery, after which 
the O.P. signal the general result of not less than four rounds. At 
drill the firing of a shot is represented by the fall of a flag. In the 
code of signals, for “ over ” and “ under " one flag is held upright over 
the head, while another is at the same time held horizontally, towards 
the target for “ over " and away from it for “ under." In signalling 
the line, flags held out to the right (or left) of the observer as he faces 
the battery, indicate that the shot has fallen to the right or left of the 
line drawn from the battery to the target; one flag only, means a. dis¬ 
tance of 50 yards or under, two flags mean a distance of over 50 
yards. “ Range ” is signalled by both flags held over head, “ Line ” 
by both flags held out horizontally; “Doubtful ” is indicated by hold¬ 
ing the flags obliquely downwards. The signal for “Battery Fire ” is 
the same as for “ Range.” 
* At practice this year only the range of the target fr6m the battery was signalled; the method 
of marking the line of fire, here described, was not then thought of. It has only been carried 
out since, at drill. 
