216 
SHRAPNEL EIRE. 
It would certainly be of immense advantage if on such a practice 
ground the question not only of artillery fire, but of the effect of other 
fire against artillery were worked out. If a few companies of Infantry 
were available to practice at dummies representing the guns and men 
placed in the various positions which the Artillery take up, not only 
would the Infantry obtain a target far more practical than any that 
they are at present allowed, but the Artillery would learn many a 
lesson of the greatest possible value. Such a course, too, would have 
the inestimable advantage of bringing different arms of the service 
together at really practical work. 
Officers of any one branch of the service are only too much inclined 
to undervalue the power of the others, and consequently to overrate 
that of their own; and this from the simple fact that their technical 
education is almost entirely confined to the manoeuvres and work of 
their own arm. Undoubtedly an intimate knowledge of this is an 
absolute necessity ; to make a thoroughly efficient officer, however, a 
general knowledge at least of the others is almost equally so. 
All practice, other than that having for its object either the in¬ 
struction of recruits or prize firing, should be to a certain extent 
experimental. It should have some object which either presents a 
difficulty, or about which there may be some doubt ; and with a view of 
obtaining the most reliable results, the Officer commanding should be 
left at liberty to record them, either by individual shells or in large or 
small groups, as the occasion may demand. 
It would be cf great advantage if the Officers in command of districts 
were allowed a certain number of rounds per battery which they could 
use, without trenching upon the rather inadequate amount already at 
the disposal of Majors of batteries, for the purposes of inspection and 
for carrying out experimental practice either with single batteries or 
with a few brigaded. 
Of those who may have had the patience to follow the writer up to 
this point, many, he is afraid, will come to the conclusion that his bias 
in favour of time shrapnel is unduly strong. He cannot but admit the 
strength of his belief; but since it is the result of the actual observation 
of many thousands of rounds, and of the study of many carefully 
recorded Reports of practice, he cannot think that it is altogether 
unfounded. His object will have been entirely gained if the present 
paper should induce any officers, who may have the opportunity, to put 
any of the conclusions which he has arrived at, but from which they 
might be inclined to dissent, to the test of actual practice and to 
record the results for general information. Theories untried are valu¬ 
able only as an introduction to experiment. No theory can be 
established as correct until it has been tested and its truth confirmed 
by exhaustive practical trial. 
Shoeburynes^ 
Dec. 1876. 
