OKEHAMPTON, 1895, 87 
apiece, 900 in all, and the effect was one man hit with one bullet. Thev fired for 
eight minutes. The method of firing was left to the infantry commander, and he 
always adopted section volleys. They then fired at the same 4-gun battery in 
enfilade; the dummies were shifted round, but placed facing the men who were 
firing to give them every chance, and the result was two men hit with two bullets. 
On the second day the target represented a battery coming into action; the 
horses were exposed for one minute and then switched off; the infantry went on 
firing at the battery in action for about three minutes and then the horses were 
turned on for another minute to represent the battery limbering up and going 
away. About 180 men fired and they began at 1000 yards and went back to 
1200 and then 1500 yards. 24 horses were represented, that is to say there 
were screens 8 feet long by 6 feet high, each representing 2 horses; if there 
were two or more hits on one of these screens two horses were supposed to be 
hit, if there was only one hit one horse was supposed to be hit. At 1000 yards, 
out of 24 horses 18 were hit on coming into action and 8 were hit on the ex- 
posure in limbering up. That was acknowledged at the time to be too heavy a 
loss to be suffered. They then went back to 1200 yards, and on coming into 
action 12 horses were hit, and on going out of action 14 horses were hit. At 
1500 yards 8 horses were hit in coming into action and 2 on limbering up. 
During the fire on the battery in the intervals 8 men were hit out of 18 dummies. 
On the third day a battery was fired at representing a column of route; 180 
men fired 1250 rounds in 6 minutes. The range was 1300 yards. There were 
20 dummies out of which 8 were hit, and 24 horses out of which 20 were hit. 
The battery was stationary ; it was supposed to be checked by some obstacle. 
Some of the chief deductions drawn from these data were that it would be 
dangerous to come into action against infantry under 1200 yards, and dangerous 
to move in column of route exposed to fire under 1500 yards. There was no 
range over 1800 yards fired at artillery, but they fired at 2300 yards at infantry 
targets with very little effect. 
Caprain F, R, MaunseLi—lI should like to say something about the import- 
ance of practising laying on indistinct targets ; which will be a practical difficulty 
on service owing to the use of smokeless powder and indirect laying. 
It is a point to which a great deal of attention is being given in the German 
Field Artillery, which I had several opportunities of seeing last summer at Metz, 
both at standing gun-drill and at battery drill. 
That targets on service, especially that presented by the enemys artillery, will 
be more indistinct than formerly, seems to have been fully recognised. Battery 
officers and all the sergeants had field-glasses which were constantly used in pick- 
ing up the various natural targets selected by the Battery Commander. 
Most of the standing gun-drill parade was devoted to practising the layers in 
rapidly picking up various objects in the Moselle valley visible from a corner of 
the barrack square. 
A short description of the fresh object by the battery C.O. prefaced the change 
of target, which in many cases was only visible to the gun-layers after the Section 
Commanders and Gun Captains had searched for it with their glasses and had 
pointed it out. 
“Stand fast ’’ was occasionally given by the C.O. who then made sure that the 
particular target ordered had been laid on. Laying by clinometer and lining 
pickets was carried out frequently at battery drill. One picket was used by each 
gun, and was of wood, about 5 ft. 6 in. high, painted in alternate bands of black 
and white, and carried strapped to the trail when not in use. ; 
When laying back on the picket a sword-bayonet stuck in the grass was used 
to mark the position of the right gun-wheel at each successive round, 
12 
