478 
ARTILLERY IN COAST DEFENCE. 
With the first, there is the serious disadvantage that a proportion 
of our guns are occupied in firing at a spot on the water, to tell us 
when the enemy arrives at that spot; a large proportion of the pro¬ 
jectiles from these ranging guns can, therefore, have no chance of 
inflicting damage, and the volume of effective fire is by so much 
reduced. Also since we can only tell by this method when the object 
reaches a range some 50 yards distant from the predicted range, a 
possible error is introduced. The system has one characteristic which 
may be set to its credit, namely, that no calculation is necessary, that 
by its means fire can be maintained at a moving object without the aid 
of any range-finding instrument, and that no trained specialists are 
required. It has a further disadvantage from the fire discipline point 
of view, that when the Group Officer is conducting the fire of a single 
group, he must of necessity give all his attention to observing his fire, 
and cannot properly superintend the fire discipline of his group. 
In the second system, the necessity for corrections involves possible 
sources of error which, when observation of fire is difficult, may escape 
detection. Also, the Fire Commander is likely to have his attention 
so much taken up by them, that he cannot properly devote himself to 
the observation of effect of his fire on the object, and to the considera¬ 
tion of the proper moment to change his projectiles. 
In the first system the officer controlling the fire must be in or near 
the battery, and cannot well be in direct communication with his next 
superior; this is, of course, a disadvantage. 
In the depression range-finder system the Fire Commander can be at 
some little distance from the guns, out of their smoke, and out of reach 
of shells directed at the battery ; the possible positions, however, are 
limited in most cases ; and a shift of wind may necessitate a change to 
a fresh fighting station. With the position-finder, as this instrument 
does not involve group difference correction, the best possible position 
can be found for it, irrespective of distance, the only condition neces¬ 
sary being that it should be at a certain height, and be able to cover 
the whole area covered by the guns it works; and the cells for several 
position-finders can be placed so as to be well under the control of 
the Fire Commander. Also several Fire Commander’s stations can 
be placed within easy reach of the Section Commander’s position, thus 
making the tactical control much easier. 
Moreover, for guns mounted in casemates, where the accumulation 
of smoke would soon render laying over sights an impossibility ; or 
for high-angle guns or howitzers mounted in concealed batteries, from 
which no direct view of the enemy is possible, this system is a neces¬ 
sity. The presence of smoke in front of a casemated work becomes, 
with this system, a positive advantage, as tending to prevent accurate 
laying on the part of the enemy, whilst not interfering with our own. 
The general introduction of smokeless powder will, however, greatly 
modify these advantages. With the depression range-finding system 
one instrument can give ranges for several groups, but can only fight 
one object at a time; with the position-finding system there must be 
one instrument to each group, thus necessitating a large increase of 
specially-trained men, and involving the throwing of a group out of 
