486 
THE SERVICE OF Q.F. GUNS IN COAST DEFENCE. 
pedo-boat while passing through these areas will naturally depend upon 
the accuracy of the laying and the rapidity of the 
a succession of hre, and the duration of the danger period depends 
dangerous areas, upon her own speed. Once beyond the dangerous 
area the boat is safe until another is established in 
front of her, that is until the elevation has been reduced and fire opened 
at the new range. 
Of course it is the object of the Q.F. guns to diminish, and finally to 
eliminate these periods of immunity which the boats enjoy while the 
sights are being altered. 
They are completely eliminated by the use of Auto- 
The auto-sighting sights, since the necessary correction is made at 
system is the ideal, every round in the act of laying the gun, and the 
shooting depends only upon the personal qualities of 
the la} er and the fundamental accuracy of the gun and ammunition. 
For those Q.F. guns however which have not been, or for any reason 
cannot be, fitted with Automatic sights there remains only the plan of 
ranging by observation, and reducing elevation at intervals depending 
on the rate at which the range is lessening. This may be called the 
‘ step-by-step * system. 
There is much scope for exercise of judgment on the 
oftiTe * antaeres P ar t of the Gun Group Commander ; for if he makes 
“ Normal process " the steps’ too long, shots will be wasted in the inter¬ 
val befre the boat reaches the dangerous area, or 
after she has passed out of it; if he makes them too short a great propor¬ 
tion of the time available for shooting will be consumed in adjusting 
sights, fire being stopped to enable orders to be heard. If the latter 
fault be carried to extreme, especially with slow layers and setters, the 
boat may have passed inside the dangerous area before a shot has been 
fired into it, when of course a further delay is caused by a fresh lay 
being necessary. 
In the above paragraphs the case of an advancing boat has been 
taken for the sake of convenience, but the same principle applies to one 
retiring , the dangerous area being established ahead of her in all cases. 
The Setter was introduced into the gun detachment 
that the Layer’s attention might not be distracted 
from the target by having to re-set the sight and to 
be on the look out for orders relating to it. 
In the exercise of his functions the Setter somewhat impedes the 
service of the gun and makes one more number exposed to fire. Accor¬ 
ding to the method now taught, when a new range 
is given out, in order to set the sight correctly the 
Setter has to put his head where it interferes with the Layers’ view, 
and his shoulders obstruct the loading. This refers to the 6-pr. and 3- 
pr. Q.F. It is a fact, though it is at present unnoticed in the drill-book, 
that with L.S. 12-pr. Q.F. guns a Setter cannot pos¬ 
sibly be employed, as there is no room for him in¬ 
side the shield where he could see or reach to set the sight, 
school of Gunnery In the “Report of the School of Gunnery, 1898,” p. 
Report 18 98 . 18, it is stated that the system of setting the 6 -pr. 
The Setter and 
his functions. 
His difficulties. 
And limitations. 
