599 
FIRE DISCIPLINE; ITS NECESSITY IN A BATTERY OF 
HORSE OR FIELD ARTILLERY, AND THE BEST MEANS OF 
SECURING IT. 
BY 
MAJOR W. L. DAVIDSON, R.H.A. 
“ BIS DAT QUI CITO DAT.” 
COMMENDED ESSAY. 1892. 
Definition of Fire Discipline. 
The manual of Field Artillery exercises tells us what Fire Discipline 
implies, but lays down no limits to its meaning. Officers are taught 
at Shoeburyness that it is “ now generally understood to be a com¬ 
bination of those qualities which enable the Commanding Officer to 
turn fire of any description, nature, and rate on any portion of the 
field at will.” The definition given by Major Eden Baker, in the 
R.A.I. “ Proceedings ” of March last, 1 is evidently tentative. There 
is some truth, however, in his remark —“ when this term is used, it is 
never safe to conjecture, that the writer or speaker includes in it 
exactly the same functions that someone else does.” 
Major Baker separates the Fire Management” by the section 
officers, and the “ Fire Control ” of the commander, under the head of 
“ Fire Tactics.” 
Both are included in Fire Discipline as applied to a battery of Horse 
or Field Artillery. Tactics is the science of manoeuvring and com¬ 
bining on the battle-field the different military units. But now the 
Brigade Division is the tactical unit; and the Battery Commander has 
been relieved from tactical considerations, on purpose to enable him to 
concentrate his whole attention on the observation and control of the 
fire of his battery. 
It is most necessary that the term should be authoritatively defined. 
As used, at present, it includes the process of training, and also the 
result of that training at any given moment. For the instructions for 
practice lay down that before going to practice batteries can, and 
must be, exercised in the whole system of ranging and Fire Discipline 
as a drill.” And credits are given, in the competitive practice, for 
Fire Discipline, i.e. } the results of training. Results alone tell on the 
actual field of battle, and depend on the state of Fire Discipline at 
i March, 1891. 
12. VOL. XIX. 
80 
