192 
FIGURE OF MERIT. 
These records would, in course of time, give the shooting of a large 
number of companies at different stations and from the various works 
at those stations. 
Then, in the course of three years or so, when the records shew the 
shooting of not less than twenty companies from each work, the aver¬ 
age figures for the works would be taken and the work shewing the 
highest average would be used as the standard and the factors of effect 
of all the others with respect to it would be worked out. 
This, perhaps, would not give a very accurate comparison but would 
be good enough as the first approximation and, at any rate, would be 
better than no comparison at all. 
As time goes on, fresh averages would be taken and new factors of 
effect worked out; thus, in the course of ten or twelve years, a very 
accurate means should be obtained of comparing the shooting of garri¬ 
son companies all over the world. 
6. The factors are obtained as follows:— 
Suppose twenty series to have been fired from work A with an aver¬ 
age Figure of Merit 0*4 and that other twenty series have been fired 
from work Z with average figure 0’3. 
Then, on the above assumption, the seperate figures of merit from 
Z must be multiplied by -J in order that they may be compared with 
those from A. 
That is, the factor of effect of Z with respect to A is f. 
7. The following example of service practice from one of the works 
at Malta shews the method of obtaining the Figure of Merit on the 
lines indicated above. 
The guns in action were one 9*2" and two 6" B.L. on H.P. mount- 
ings. 
It is, at present, here laid down that a 6" B.L. on these mountings 
should fire at the rate of one round per minute and that a 9‘2" B.L. 
should fire a round every two minutes. 
The time allowed for firing was twelve minutes. 
The range when commence firing sounded was 3025 yards and dur¬ 
ing the twelve minutes allowed, it decreased to 2500 and then in¬ 
creased again to 2550 at which range the cease fire was ordered. 
(1). To obtain the denominator:— 
Assuming that each gun is ready to fire half-a-minute after the 
order to commence and that they all fire independently as rapidly 
as possible, it is found that the 6" guns should each fire at the 
following ranges, viz. 3000, 2950, 2900, 2850, 2800, 2750, 2700, 
2650, 2600, 2550, 2500, 2550; and that the 9-2" should fire at 
3000, 2900, 2800, 2700, 2600, 2500. 
These ranges give a total striking energy for the three guns of 
69216*59 foot-tons. This is the denominator. 
