SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1892 . 
589 
the fire of his command to the best advantage unless he is fully aware 
of all the technical difficulties of observation, &c., with which Battery 
Commanders have to contend, for it is by his action, as enumerated in 
paragraphs 1 and 2 above, that some of these most grave difficulties 
can be mitigated, and, if he has not suffered from them himself, he is 
little likely to give sufficient attention to them. The best training, 
therefore, that he can have is that of Battery Commander and it is 
essential that he should have had it, otherwise he will not be in touch 
with his subordinates in respect of their difficulties. 
This training must be supplemented by occasional field days where 
time can be given to the discussion of the application and administra¬ 
tion of fire. The Brigade Division should be deployed with a definite 
tactical idea against a definite target, every operation should be gone 
through and discussed to the minutest detail. Ordinary field days, 
when other troops are employed do not, as a rule, lend themselves to 
this class of exercise, which can be best performed when the Brigade 
Division is out alone and operating against a marked enemy. 
The Battery Commander .— 
1. To point out the position of the target allotted to the battery 
and to select a ranging point. 
2. To range the battery, involving careful observation. 
3. To distribute his fire to the best effect. 
4. To arrange for the continuance of fire in accordance with 
instructions received and with a view to the most advan¬ 
tageous and at the same time most economical expenditure 
of ammunition. 
5. To be prepared at all times to change his target, as may be 
ordered. 
In this epitome of an artillerist’s duties there are two salient features. 
To be successful a Battery Commander MUST be able to command 
and SHOULD be able to observe. The second point may be evaded 
by the use of a trained observer, but from the first there is no escape. 
Hot only must he be able to command but he must be intimate with 
every detail of the process of ranging, with every principle of the 
application of fire, with the exact value under different circumstances 
of each nature of projectile at his disposal, so that, once committed 
to action, the fire may flow rapidly and smoothly, without pauses for 
calculation, without stoppages for thought and consultation. Not 
only must he be thus highty educated, but also, by constant drill and 
instruction, in close contact mentally with his men. He must feel 
assured, when his eye is glued to his telescope watching the effect of 
his fire, that the battery behind him is working as quietly and effec¬ 
tively as if his eye were upon it, otherwise his attention will be 
distracted. When committed to action, or to service practice, it is too 
late to think of training the battery, and a Battery Commander must 
stand or fall by the previous training that he has given to it; indeed, 
if he endeavour to correct minor faults of internal working he will 
lose his grasp of the battery as a whole; for this reason he should 
