260 
FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 
Tho Sectional Officers give “1800 metres; half a turn right.” All 
the guns.get the half turn right at once,, and all, except the one 
about to fire, immediately have their sights reclamped for the new 
elevation and the laying verified by the sight; if there is any pause in 
the process the gun next about to fire also has its sight corrected. 
If this next round was over, the C.O. would give “ 1700 metres” 
and the Sectional Officers “ 1700 metres; quarter turn left,” and 
so on. 
All loaded guns make the correction ordered. Any round, the 
observation of which is doubtful, can therefore be repeated any desired 
number of times. 
Two corrections of this nature are not made consecutively if the 
elevation has to be altered a second time as, the method being merely 
approximate, this would entail too great an error. After the first 
correction the gun must be relaid with the sight and then the second 
correction may be made. Modifications of the sight are made on the 
metre scale. 
- French System .—In France the method of ranging by elevating 
screw is exclusively employed during the whole of the ranging, what¬ 
ever the range or target. 
To open fire the C.O. orders an elevation less than that necessary 
for the estimated distance to the target to ensure the first round being 
short, as these are usually the only ones to be observed, by this means 
also he will get all the turns of his elevating screw in one direction 
only. The diminution of elevation depends upon circumstances, but 
will usually be about 200 metres. 
The elevation given, in millimetres of sight, is clamped and is not 
altered during the whole of the ranging, with one exception given 
below. 
If accordingly the first round is short, the C.O. orders the second 
gun, then the third, etc., to fire, augmenting the elevation each time 
by the same amount, until he gets a round over. 
Note. —The correction ordered is only taken by the gun about to fire, the others remain at the 
original elevation. This is done to avoid having two consecutive alterations by elevating screw 
without verification by sight. 
This increase of elevation is obtained by a certain number of turns 
of the elevating* screw, the number depending on the distance that the 
round is estimated short, and also will increase as the difference in 
range given by one turn decreases. Corrections are generally made 
of one turn when the range is under 2000 metres, two turns when the 
range is between 2000 and 4000 metres, and four turns when it 
exceeds 4000. 
If during the operation the C.O. is obliged to make a correction of 
four turns, he orders it for all the guns laid, and for those not laid 
a corresponding correction on the sights. 
As soon as the target is “ long bracketted ” the C.O. contracts the 
limit of the bracket by diminishing progressively the amount of turn¬ 
ing of the screw until he has obtained two rounds, one short, the other 
over, the difference of whose elevation is one-eighth of a turn, this is 
