field artillery fire. 
137 
target verbally indicated on occasions when a detailed pointing out is 
impossible, and also ability to set sights correctly. It is by no means 
uncommon to find sights wrongly set, and it is manifest that, however 
good the laying may be, it is useless if the proper elevation has not 
been given. Indeed, in using telescopic sights, where the personal 
error is eliminated, intelligence rather than good eye-sight is required. 
The instructions for selection of layers, as laid down in the pamphlet on 
the competition for skill-at-arms, give plenty of scope for the elimina¬ 
tion of unintelligent layers by allowing no marks for rounds in which 
the sight has been wrongly set or the gun laid on the wrong objective. 
Abroad, where the chefde piece or gun captain is other than the pointeur 
or gun-layer, the verification of the setting rests with him, and it is 
again, in many cases, inspected by the Sectional Commander, a process 
which must involve unnecessary delay if intelligent gun-layers are 
selected in the first instance. 
CHAPTER II. 
Bringing Batteries into Action. 
The battery being in an efficient state as to its drill, and the gun¬ 
layers carefully trained to carry out correctly orders given to them, 
the first step towards a good fire effect will be to bring the battery 
into such a position that it may be able to administer its fire advan¬ 
tageously, and to point out to the gun-layers what is required of them. 
Let us assume that the battery with which we have to deal is one of 
a brigade division of three batteries, forming part of an independent 
division, which is on the line of march. The proper place for the 
Lieut.-Colonel commanding the brigade division is with the Divisional 
General, who will generally ride at the head of the main body of the divi¬ 
sion. On news being received from the front that the advanced-guard 
has been checked, or has come across the enemy in position, the General, 
with his Artillery Commander, will ride forward to reconnoitre the 
enemy and determine what steps are to be taken to oust him from his 
position. During this stage of the proceedings all the instructions 
that the Lieut.-Colonel is likely to receive are given to him in the 
shape of a tactical sketch, the details of which, as regards his special 
arm, are left to him to fill in, in accordance with the general plan of 
operations. To enable him to do this correctly he must be a careful 
and constant student of the tactics of the arms to whom he is auxiliary, 
for by this only can be avoided the perpetual sending of orders, 
which tend to fetter the genius of subordinate commanders and render 
the combat slow and wearisome. 
Having been made acquainted with the wishes of the General, the 
Lieut.-Colonel will select a position for bis batteries from which they 
can best forward the object that the principal arm, the infantry, has in 
view. To do this without attracting the attention of the enemy he 
should dismount before actually approaching the firing position, and 
all orderlies, etc., should be left out of sight in rear. He will also 
select a preparatory position, as close as possible to the firing position 
