544 
ORGANISATION AND EMPLOYMENT OP SIEGE ARTILLERY. 
strictly prohibited exposing themselves to watch the fire, or on any 
other account. 
tendenee One officer per battery is usually enough, whilst a field officer can 
ofbatteries. superintend a group of batteries whose communications are such as to 
allow of it. 
Duties of The superintending officers must clearly explain to those com- 
tending" manding batteries the general object to be attained, name the ordnance 
officers. magg fi re on certain works, show what breaches are to be made, 
state the nature of fire to be used, the proper charges, and the points 
at which to direct the guns—in fact, see that each officer clearly 
understands the work to be performed by the guns under his imme¬ 
diate orders. 
If breaching by indirect fire has to be undertaken, the necessary 
instructions should have been given beforehand by superior officers to 
enable the requisite angles of descent to be calculated* from the 
profiles of the works, and the proper charges made up. The correct 
elevations and times of flight, as thus deduced, should be recorded and 
given to the commanders of batteries, to guide them in opening fire. 
thos?L° f The a ^ ove having been done some time prior to the relief marching 
command off, commanders of the respective batteries should then make all 
ofbattenes. neceggar y preparations in regard to fire, by ascertaining they have 
the proper description and amount of projectiles, powder charges of 
the correct weight, and ammunition complete in every respect. By 
this means no unnecessary delay in opening fire will ensue on the 
relief entering the batteries for the first time. 
Practical Battery commanders must keep a register of the nature and amount of 
t?ons U for ammunition expended during their relief, and forward it to the proper 
manding 11 " authority, that the deficiency may be supplied by a succeeding relief, 
in each They should also note the elevation and charge found correct for dif- 
a eiy ‘ ferent objects, and report on the progress made towards completing 
any breach. These memoranda should be given to the relieving 
officer, for his information. 
Special circumstances observed in regard to the enemy's conduct-such, as 
his hour of relief, if at any particular times his fire is unusually heavy, 
whether night firing takes place at stated or irregular intervals, and 
such like information—should be remarked on, and communicated to 
one another by relieving officers. 
The commander of the battery should himself watch the effect of his 
fire if he can do so without interference with his other duties ; if not, a 
man trained to observe and judge carefully the effect of shot should be 
posted as a “ look-out man/ ; and correspondence maintained with him. 
It is difficult to observe correctly from any station much on one 
side of the line of fire. For instance : t( if the station be on the right 
hand, rounds grazing short may appear to fall to the left of the object, 
and vice versa." f Pointing rods, planted near the gun, are a great 
assistance to the eye in judging of lateral deviations. 
* Vide Chapter VI., “ Principles of Gunnery; Rifled Ordnance,” by Major Sladen, R.A. 
f “ Drill Regulations for the Prussian Artillery,” by which work some of these practical direc¬ 
tions have been suggested. 
