490 
A PLEA FOR “ JUMPING.” 
Setting sights and completing the laying—20 secs. 
Time of firing, 2 secs.-—Total about 40 secs. 
With all diffidence I put forward the following suggestion, that in¬ 
stead of as at present in the drill-book, the Battery Commander’s orders 
might read : — 
“ Right section, 2000 yards, and 2200 yards,” and, after observation, 
“Centre section, 2100 yards and 2150 yards,” followed, after obser¬ 
vation by “ Left section, 2175.” 
Section Commanders would order correspondingly : — 
Right section, “No. 1, 2000 yards, No. 2, 2200 yards ” ; Centre sec¬ 
tion, “No. 3, 2100 yards, No. 4, 2150 yards” ; Left section, “Nos. 5 
and 6, 2175 yards.” 
At the signal for “ shot,” 2 guns of a section would be fired together, 
or in rapid succession. 
Times of firing the guns would then read : — 
a 
n 
11 
Mins. 
o 
I 
I 
Secs. Range. 
35 ( 2000 
f 2100 
f 2150 
55 f 2175 
l 2175 
yards 
» 
» 
or a saving in time of 2 minutes on completion of the ranging—extra 
pairs could be fired either for bracketing or verifying, at a saving in 
time of 40 secs, for each pair. 
To judge distances within 200 yards from short to medium ranges 
and to expect the range-finders to be correct within 300 yards •. at 
medium to long ranges would not perhaps be asking too much of 
Battery Commanders. 
The incorrect laying of any individual round would be more easily 
detected, being checked by the other round of the pair. 
The above need not affect the examples in the drill-book, “ where 
speed is a great object,” or “ at ranges up to 1000 yards.” 
Fearing that the ideas put forward may savour too much of what 
camp commandants call “ Jumping,” I dare not further suggest, that, 
after careful observation of the first pair of fuzes which burst in the air , 
the Battery Commander might be allowed to say “-Section, 
Fuze-; —-Section, Fuze-” fire them by pairs in rapid 
succession, select from these the length of fuze he likes best, or, if not 
satisfied try some more—and commence “ Battery fire ”—saving 40 
secs, on his first six trial fuzes. 
Now that the question of Q.F. field guns is so all important—the 
above suggestions might enable batteries to get to batterv fire quicker 
than heretofore, without in the opinion of the writer decreasing their 
“ effect ”—and doubtless the improvement to the equipment will do the 
part that is needful after “ Battery fire ” has commenced. 
