206 
FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 
lower elevation of the short bracket without waiting to verify. The 
space covered by the bullets amply compensating for any small error 
in the elevation. 
Under ordinary circumstances it is not of much use to make a cor¬ 
rection of less than 25 yards, as this distance represents, approximately, 
the average 50 per cent, rectangle of most field guns at fair service 
ranges. To continue the example— 
Verifying series 
2825 yards 
short 
over, 
short. 
over. 
We may therefore say that with an elevation of 2825 yards the mean 
trajectory of the battery will pass through the centre of the target. 
Now at ranges over 2000 yards and up to the limit at which the small 
time and percussion fuze can be used the shrapnel shell travels about 
25 yards further than the common for the same elevation 1 the Battery 
Commander, before communicating the verified range to the battery 
would deduct 25 yards; the word of command would then be KEEP 
TO 2800 YARDS. 
Suppose that the above proportion of overs and unders has not been 
obtained and that three were short and one was over; the Battery 
Commander will be perfectly right to assume that his range is very 
nearly found but that it is the least thing short, a correction of 25 yards 
will give it to him and he will therefore think 2825 yards plus 25 yards 
is the correct range for common shell and he must knock off 25 yards 
before passing to shrapnel therefore the word of command will be 
KEEP TO 2825 YARDS. If three were over and one was short then 
2825 is a little too long and 2825 minus 25 yards would be the correct 
elevation for common shell and if the correction be made for shrapnel 
the word of command will be KEEP TO 2775 YARDS. 
Important points to be observed in Ranginy. 
In order to avoid a very fruitful source of error, any round about the 
observation of which there is any doubt is ON NO ACCOUNT TO 
BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS A BASIS FOR COR¬ 
RECTIONS. Another round should be fired at the same elevation. 
Otherwise one round wrongly observed will probably necessitate the 
repetition of the whole operation. 
When the whole of a series depends upon the correct observation or 
laying of one round, that round should be carefully repeated and 
verified. 
There are two common instances of this, 
A round, say the first, is observed to strike the target, it would not 
do to accept the elevation of that round as quite correct because the 
gun might have been badly laid but the verifying series should be 
commenced at once at the elevation at which that round was fired. 
(See Also Chapter on Observation of Fire). The other case is where 
1 When the middle time and percussion is used the shrapnel travels 150 to 200 yards less than 
the common shell for the same elevation. 
