THE TRAINING OF A HOWITZER FIELD BATTERY. 
45 /‘ 
As it is of great importance that all officers should be able to 
“ range ” a battery rapidly, the drill for the code of signals just des¬ 
cribed is made use of for the purpose. The elevation for each shot is 
signalled from the battery to the officer with the O.P. who selects a 
final range as the correct one. He signals his “ overs ” and “ unders ” 
accordingly, occasionally sending a false signal (e.g. “ over ” instead of 
“under”) to represent a badly layed shot. To induce rapidity of 
decision, the time is taken, from the fall of the flag (the firing of the 
shot) to the order given by the Battery Commander for correction for 
line ( i.e . five signals—including acknowledgements—and two orders) ; 
this has been done in 10 seconds, in which time of flight is of course 
not included. Every elevation ordered and signal made is carefully 
recorded and the “ ranging ” is criticised afterwards. This is called 
Observing Practice, No. 1. At practice, when the guns are fired, the 
elevation for each shot is of course not signalled, as the guns tell their 
own tale. 
7. Rapidity of drill , etc .— 
Owing to the weight of the ammunition and the excessive recoil of 
the gun, especially on a reverse slope, rapid firing is only possible with 
full detachments and if the men have been taught to drill against time. 
The main cause of delay is in “ running up ” and much time can be 
saved by a detachment which has had a good deal of practice in this 
particular point. The following has been found to be a good plan to 
develope this particular muscle. 
At the conclusion of ordinary “ Battery Gun Drill,” six wooden pegs 
are placed in the ground in front of each gun, five yards apart and 
about one yard outside the right wheel. “Section Fire” is then or¬ 
dered and the guns are run up after each round, to the next peg. A 
race then ensues between the sections to see which will fire its six 
rounds in the shortest time ; a drill shell is brought up from the wagon 
for every round and is left on the ground where the gun is fired; the 
layers only go through the motions of laying, the clinometers being 
replaced in their leather cases, as it is considered undesirable to teach 
the layers to hurry over their laying. With reduced detachments or 
on a very steep or rough reverse slope, time may be saved by running 
up the two guns of each section alternately with double detachments. 
It is found that more than two men cannot apply their weight effec¬ 
tively to one wheel; the best method of double-manning is therefore 
to use drag ropes, the right detachment manning the right ropes, while 
the left detachment mans the left ropes. No. 1, 2, and 4 do not run 
up at “ double manning ” unless absolutely necessary. 
The work at the guns, however, is in every case so heavy that it is 
most desirable to employ a maximum rather* than a minimum number 
of men from the first. The labour is thus more evenly distributed, 
the men will stand the strain much longer and, if the tactical con¬ 
ditions demand it, a greater rapidity of fire can be maintained than 
is possible with a smaller detachment Superiority in an Artillery 
duel will be more speedily and therefore more easily and cheaply 
attained by throwing the whole weight into the first blows, than by 
