FIELD ARTILLERY EIRE. 
395 
paid at first to minor lapses of drill, the proper methods will grow 
imperceptibly upon the men, indeed, they seem to teach themselves, 
and it destroys the semblance of real action if too frequent pauses are 
made to correct small mistakes in positions, etc. Ten minutes rigid 
standing gun-drill per parade should be ample. 
Changing rounds .—Some such process is required in order that every 
man may be fully instructed in all the duties at the gun, and in order 
to prevent the continuous performance of the same duty by the same 
man becoming tedious, but the mechanical changing rounds is not a 
service condition and the same result may be obtained in a more 
practical manner by other means. In action no one would think of 
changing rounds, but numbers are replaced as casualties occur. The 
system then of making casualties at drill should be pursued, this will 
keep the spare numbers constantly on the alert. The gun-layers 
should most frequently be declared disabled, in order that this most im¬ 
portant function may be well practised by all and to see that the other 
numbers have, as occasion offers, made themselves acquainted with the 
target, so that the fire may be continued regularly without intermission 
and in spite of losses. As No. 2 is most likely to know the target, as 
he, by traversing, helps the gun-layer to lay, he should be, and is, 
first called upon to take the place of a layer disabled, for this reason 
he should be the second best layer in the sub-division. By giving 
casualties instead of changing rounds pauses in drill are, or should be, 
avoided, and men are taught in peace what they must expect in war. 
On the word of command “ Prepare for .”—One great source 
of delay in turning fire from one target to another is that it is not 
thoroughly understood, when this word of command is given with 
reference to common shell, case shot, or percussion shrapnel, that the 
loading should actually take place without any further word of com¬ 
mand. 
For instance, a battery is firing time shrapnel at a target and another 
target at a greater range is pointed out to it. It would be of no use 
turning the time shrapnel on to the new target, unless circumstances 
were pressing, as they would all burst far too short, but the Battery 
Commander gives the word, “Prepare for Shell.” This means that as 
the guns loaded with shrapnel are fired in due rotation they shall be 
reloaded with common shell; while the fire is going round the battery 
the new target may be pointed out, and when the turn comes to the 
first gun loaded with common shell the word “ Slow Fire ” is given. 
If it is desired to turn the fire rapidly on the new target the rate of fire 
for the remaining rounds of shrapnel may be increased, thus : “ Rapid 
fire from the Right (or Left) of Sections, and Prepare for Shell.” 
In the event of the new target being nearer than the old the fire 
may be turned off at once for, the time fuzes being long for the new 
range, the shrapnel will act on graze; in this case it would be advis¬ 
able to continue the ranging with percussion shrapnel, or rather with 
time shrapnel with the time safety pin not withdrawn. The only word 
of command that is necessary to turn on to the new target is, after 
one blast of the whistle, “ Target so-and-so. Slow fire.” 
Whenever case shot is ordered the fire is ALWAYS turned on to 
53 
