SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1892 . 
535 
Continental experience tells us that the ranging of the enemy is little 
likely ever to be completed in a satisfactory manner at all. 
When these things are considered it will be seen why such stress is 
laid upon a preliminary reconnaissance of the target by the gun-layers, 
who are thus enabled to go straight to work directly their loaded guns 
come up on to the position, instead of having to wait while the target 
is indicated to them and necessary orders about fire are given. It 
means a saving of time of from two to four minutes, at least, between 
the time of coming into view and the opening of fire, and hence the 
commencement of effective fire, which may be sufficient time in which 
to get the start of the enemy in the ranging process and thus hinder 
him from ever ranging himself properly. 
(c .)— Banging. 
The determination of the elevation to he given to the guns in order that 
the mean trajectory of the battery may pass through the target and the deter - 
mination of the correct length of fuze. 
In no period of the fight is speed combined with accuracy of such 
vital importance. “ The victory will be to the battery that first finds 
the range ,” says a foreign writer of eminence, and, for reasons given 
before, the truth of this adage is sufficiently obvious. 
In speaking of ranging generally, there are two main points that 
arrest our attention, viz :— 
The system of ranging. 
The observation of fire. 
The System of Ranging. —When, some five years ago, the active atten¬ 
tion of our artillery, as a Kegiment, was first turned earnestly to the 
consideration of our backwardness in modern methods of fire, we were 
fortunate in being able at once to adopt, more or less completely, a 
system of ranging that had been the outcome of 15 or 16 years of 
patient labour and investigation by other Powers, notably the Ger¬ 
mans. The long trials which the “ Bracket ;; system has undergone 
and its gradual evolution from other less successful methods mark it 
as the best we could have adopted. Other systems, or perhaps rather 
modifications of the same system, such as the “ echelon de distances 
have had, and still have, a few advocates, but the simple system, as 
adopted by us from the German, still holds its ground and appears likely 
to do so, both on account of its simplicity and its easy adaptability 
to varying circumstances. The details of our system are too well 
known to need discussion in this place ; the method of training to 
ensure their correct execution will be touched upon later on. 
Observation of Fire. —Within the limits of space imposed for this 
essay it is impossible to deal adequately with this important factor of 
Fire Discipline, of which the difficulties and the means of overcoming 
them would alone fill many pages. Upon accuracy of observation 
depends successful ranging, hence the effect of the fire of the battery 
and its capability for useful employment. Observation is always diffi¬ 
cult under service conditions, but much may be done to perfect the 
power by practice and the cultivation by the Battery Commander of a 
