136 
FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 
servedly to the orders of the Battery Commander. It is impossible at 
service practice for the laying of each gnn to be verified at every 
round by an officer on account of the delay that would ensue, and some 
of the range reports of not so very long ago show that gun-layers are 
in the habit, unless very carefully trained, of altering the sights or 
laying in accordance with their own judgment. The following is a 
case in point which occurred as lately as 1890. The battery was being 
ranged'from one gun (which is wrong in itself). 
Round. Elevation. Result. 
As judged by C.O. As judged by Range Party. 
1 . 2500 . — Target. 
2 . 2700 ... . - Target. 
3 . 2800 .. + Target. 
4 . 2750 . + Target. 
5 . 2725 . - Target. 
Here the Battery Commander, following his own observation, which 
was bad, proceeded perfectly correctly with the ranging process, but it 
is perfectly obvious, also, that the gun-layer did not put up the eleva¬ 
tion ordered, otherwise he could not have succeeded in hitting the 
target five times running with elevations differing as much as by 300 
yards. It is most probable that what happened was, that the gun¬ 
layer, who was perhaps brought up under the old regime , saw the 
effect of his first shot, and receiving orders to alter his elevation did 
not obey them, or, if he did, he must have layed off the target, which 
is an offence equally heinous. 
It is quite clear then, from this example, that it must be particularly 
impressed upon gun-layers that they have nothing further to do with 
any projectiles which have left their guns, and must implicitly obey all 
orders they may receive and lay in the manner in which they have 
been taught. In a later chapter, on the examination of range reports, 
it will be demonstrated that a perfect check may be kept on the gun¬ 
layers without delaying the practice of the battery by verifying the 
laying of each gun before firing. 
In the new competitive practice (1891) the moving of the gun-layers 
a few paces to a flank to observe the effect of their rounds has been a 
fruitful source of loss of marks for fire-discipline. Not that, in itself, 
there is any objection to these men knowing the result, but the practice 
is sure, sooner or later, to lead to their altering the elevation or laying 
to suit their own observation and thus practically taking the direction 
of fire out of the hands of the Battery Commander. 
In the selection of gun-layers great care should be taken that they 
all lay not only accurately but uniformly, and all in the regulation 
manner, that is to say with a full sight, in order that the Battery 
Commander may not have to complicate the mental process which he 
has to go through, by having to make allowances for the varying per¬ 
formances of the pieces arising from the personal peculiarities of the 
several layers. 
In the selection of layers something more than good eye-sight must 
be sought for, namely intelligence sufficient to at once pick out a 
