FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 263 
short. The elevation so given was only taken by the windward gun, 
the others took elevations each increased by 50 metres. Thus esti¬ 
mated range 2150 metres. 
No. 1 gun elevation 2000 metres. 
No. 2 „ „ 2050 „ 
No. 3 „ „ 2100 „ 
No. 4 „ „ 2150 „ 
No. 5 „ „ 2200 „ 
No. 6 „ „ 2250 „ 
If the first round were short the G.O. was able to run rapidly up 
the scale or ladder, without any pause for alterations of elevation, 
until he got a round over. The scheme was abandoned, or rather 
improved away on the following grounds. 
1. It required au interpretation of orders on the part of the 
Sectional Officers. 
2. No two guns being laid at the same elevation it was impossible 
to repeat a round, the observation of which was doubtful, 
without having to wait until the next gun had made its correc¬ 
tion, which also involved a correction, or coming down a step 
of the ladder, by all the other guns. The German experience 
of service conditions appears to be that a very large proportion 
of rounds are not observed, and, therefore, this difficulty of 
not being able to repeat them readily is insuperable. 
In the echelon system, which has been carefully investigated in 
Belgium as well as incidentally by other powers, only the centre section 
took the elevation ordered, viz., that for the estimated range, the 
right section took a certain amount more and the left section a certain 
amount less; thus, the centre section opening fire, whether the rounds 
were over or under, the O.O. was always prepared either with the right 
or left section to go on with the fire without any pause while sights or 
laying were being corrected. 
Example—Estimated range 2400 yards. 
O.O. gives “ Centre Section 2400 yards; bracket 200.” 
The centre section takes 2400 yards elevation. 
The right section takes 2200 yards elevation. 
The left section takes 2600 yards elevation. 
If the first rounds from the centre section were short, the C.O. calls 
out “ Left Section,” this is also a signal for the right section to shift 
their elevation three times the amount of the bracket, or to 2800 
yards. 
This was merely one of the many methods of employing the echelon 
system, there were several others, but all have been condemned on the 
same grounds as the ladder system, viz. :— 
1. Interpretation instead of repetition of orders. 
2. Difficulty of repeating doubtful rounds. 
Most of the details of the foreign systems have been taken from 
LottiiTs Etude sur le Tir d } une Batterie de Campagne. 
Having thus considered the main features of the various systems it 
