RANGING A BATTERY. 
BY 
LIEUT.-COLONEL A. D. ANDERSON 
Captain Hornets paper in the November (1890) “Proceedings” of the 
R.A. (Institution, did good service, as it cannot fail to have interested 
in this subject of “ Ranging a Battery ” a large number of Artillery 
Officers. Readers of it will remember that he put before his brother 
Officers the framework of a system by which he proposed to attain 
that very desirable end, a reduction of the painfully long time it now 
takes us before we can bring our full shrapnel fire to bear on our 
foe, and he made distinct proposals of his own. At the same time he 
invited criticism on them, and thus set many others to work, to think 
over and consider this same, very important question. 
To his paper there were two replies. 
In the following notes, I purpose considering 
1st, Captain Horne’s proposal. 
2nd, The criticisms that have been elicited. 
And 3rd, I will endeavour to lay before my brother Officers for 
criticism or remark further suggestions for attaining more rapid 
results in Ranging. 
I will commence by saying that in the bulk of the principles enunci¬ 
ated by Captain Horne, I agree, as must, I think, the majority of us. 
In so far that— 
{a.) It is desirable to introduce a development of the bracket 
system, by which the Commanding Officer will not have to wait for a 
gun to re-lay at the range he requires after he makes his observation. 
This should, and can be done, ahead of him, as will, I trust, be seen 
without running risk of mistakes. 
(£.) That the No. 1 and layer should not be combined. This is 
now accepted in the 12-pr. drill and works well. 
(c.) That the duties of the sections should be conveyed to all, by 
the position of the Commanding Officer on the windward flank. 
(d) That all guns for ranging with common shell should load the 
moment they come into action. 
1. VOL. XIX. 
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