496 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1892 . 
Necessity 
for course 
being con¬ 
tinuously 
carried on 
without in¬ 
terruption. 
fuze numbers, and reliefs for these numbers to provide for casualties. 
He then drilled and re-drilled his men till they were able to perform their 
duties with mechanical precision. The direction and organisation of 
the work was in the hands of the Section Officers, while the actual 
drill and verbal instruction was left as far as possible to the sergeants. 
The officers chiefly occupied themselves in watching, making notes, 
and in examining young non-commissioned officers and gunners in 
drill, and in setting fuzes and the telescopic sight. 
2nd Week.—Section drill. 
During this week the instruction was entirely under the subaltern 
officers—each taking personal command of his two guns, and repeating 
with his section what the sergeants had previously done with their sub¬ 
divisions. The instruction was not confined to the gun park, but each 
subaltern officer took his section into the field for the purpose of practis¬ 
ing elementary tactical movements. At the end of this week the Battery 
Commander examined each section working under its own officer. 
3rd Week.—Instruction in the gun park under the Battery Com¬ 
mander. 
During this week the battery was drilled as a whole in the gun park 
under the personal command of the Major. The nature of the work 
done was as follows : repeated ranging, sudden changes of target, 
moving target drill, reduced numbers., casualties, examinations in fuze 
setting and telescopic sights. 
4th Week.-—Instruction of the battery in the field under the Battery 
Commander. 
During this week the battery was taken out daily for practice in 
precise drill for half-an-hour each day and subsequently in manoeuvre 
tactics. 1 The points to which attention were chiefly given were com¬ 
ing into action rapidly from preparatory positions, placing limbers and 
wagons, the supply of ammunition under varying circumstances, 
changes of target in action, moving target drill, advances to fresh 
positions, and other tactical work. The actual ammunition was always 
brought up and fuzes set precisely as would be done on service. The 
instruction was repeated again and again till the same regularity was 
obtained in the field as in the gun park, and until the necessity for 
direction during the progress of any particular exercise was no longer 
apparent. At the conclusion of the 4th week there was an exami¬ 
nation of the battery by the Lieut.-Colonel Commanding the Brigade 
Division. 
The course described above was the solid foundation on which the 
annual training of the battery was based. The value, however, of this 
and similar courses depends on their being progressively carried through 
1 The necessity for maintaining strict Fire Discipline during manoeuvres, and for the simul¬ 
taneous training of the battery in tactical as 'well as technical knowledge, is now strongly insisted 
on by all senior officers of the Regiment. In a recent address to artillery officers at the Practice 
Camp at Delhi this year Lord Roberts drew particular attention to this point. “ At every drill 
parade of the battery one or more positions should be taken up for coming into action under 
service conditions with regard not only to the selection of the positions and the manoeuvring of 
the batteries up to them, but to the carrying out of all details. Shells and cartridges should be 
brought up to the guns, fuzes bored and set, the guns accurately laid, puffs of powder burnt to 
test the observation of fire, and spare numbers told off for the service of ammunition.”—Extract 
from speech of Lord Roberts. 
