3 75 
EXPERIENCES AT OKEHAMPTON. 
REMARKS ON CAPTAIN WHITE’S LECTURE. 
BY 
MAJOR C. R. W. HERVEY, R.A. 
In Captain Whitens lecture, on “Experiences at Okehampton,” lie 
states at the close that, “in the opinion of most officers, the marks for 
Fire Discipline should lie increased;” “ the marks at the disposal of the 
umpire not being sufficient to adequately discriminate between the 
various shades of excellence to which the batteries have been worked 
up.” Also, that “ there is an advantage in limiting the time, and not 
the ammunition,” because of some difficulty in awarding credits for 
time. 
I propose to traverse both these opinions, chiefly from a Garrison 
Artillery point of view, though I believe the same principles will be 
found to hold good in both branches of the artillery. 
I will take “Fire Discipline ” credits first, and begin by stating my 
opinion that the excellence of the Fire Discipline of a battery is best 
shown by the accuracy and rapidity of its fire; and that these are best 
tested by the aid of targets and the stop-watch, and not by the discrimi¬ 
nation of an umpire. In illustration of this opinion, I will give my 
experiences of a competition between three batteries of Garrison 
Artillery, in which I took part, and in which I submit that credits 
for Fire Discipline played too conspicuous a part. I will call the 
batteries X. Y. and Z. The competition took place from six 9-inch 
R.M.L. guns, over a sea range, at a moving target representing a 
battleship. The credits awarded by the umpire were as follows:— 
Accuracy. 
150. ^ 
Rapidity. 
50. 
Fire Discipline. 
100. 
Total. 
300. 
X. 
78 
- 20 
94 
152 
Y. 
H5| 
25 
91 
23H 
Z. 
122 
30 
77 
229 
It will be seen from the above score that the prize was not given to 
the battery which combined the greatest accuracy with the greatest 
rapidity of fire. Can this be considered satisfactory ? More especially 
when it is remembered that credits for accuracy and rapidity are founded 
on fact, while those for Fire Discipline are founded on opinion. Again, 
in X. J s score we see almost perfection in Fire Discipline, accompanied 
by inaccurate and slow fire. Surely this is not calculated to increase 
8, VOL. XIX. 
