142 
FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 
283. Special stress is to be laid on the screened occupation of a 
position, and in opening fire in such a manner as will as 
much as possible surprise the enemy. When no cover 
is available this must be accomplished by quickness of 
movement. 
284. Quietness and order should be kept, in order to facilitate a 
simultaneous opening of fire on the occupation of the 
first position in action; and next in importance after 
this is the occupation of a preparatory position under 
cover. The closer the latter position lies in rear of the 
firing position the better. 
No hard and fast rules can be laid down for the for¬ 
mation to be adopted by batteries in this preparatory 
position. 
In this preparatory position all preparations, such as 
the loading of guns, unless this has already been done 
as an exceptional case, setting of tangent scales, clino¬ 
meters, etc., will be made; the section officers, gun- 
leaders and gun-layers will also be instructed as to the 
next task the battery will have to perform, IF THIS 
CAN BE DONE WITHOUT BEING NOTICED BY 
THE ENEMY. 
286. . . . Battery commanders should not be sent for before 
the preparatory position is taken up. ... In the 
firing position they must personally verify on foot, or by 
means of one of their dismounted attendants, whether 
the object to be fired at can be seen over the sights. 
The commanders of brigade divisions who have already 
ridden ahead remain in the position selected and keep the 
enemy in view, while, as a rule, the battery commanders 
personally lead their batteries into action. 
Whether the position selected should be marked, and 
how it is to be marked must be decided according to the 
circumstances of the moment. 
287. In cases where the condition of the ground renders a more 
careful selection of the spots, where individual guns have 
to be unlimbered, necessary, the gun-leaders may be 
taken to the front for this purpose, should such a pro¬ 
ceeding be possible of accomplishment unseen by the 
enemy. The gun-leaders seek out on foot the most 
suitable places for their guns. Equality in the intervals 
between guns is not insisted on. The section officers 
remain with the battery, the gun-leaders await on foot 
the arrival of the battery and give the necessary com¬ 
mands to their guns to halt and unlimber. 
It may be pointed out, with reference to the last part of para. 287, 
ip the British service the guns would receive the order in the prepara- 
