278 ARTILLERY FROM AN INFANTRY OFFICER’S POINT OF VIEW. 
make a great difference in the accuracy and effect of their fire. 
To make good use of ground and to get good results from indirect fire is 
difficult; to come on to a crest (in peace) and to fire directly is easy. Practice the 
more difficult the easier part will come of itself. 
With reference to tiers of fire [ have been asked whether it was at manceuvres 
that I saw them employed. Yes, it was at manceuvres and I saw them placed in the 
same way as they would be placed in battle. I do not see why artillery should be 
afraid to fire over their own heads, when it is regarded as a matter of course that 
they will fire over the heads of infantry. I asked a question the other 
day respecting tiers of fire, and the officer whom I mentioned just now 
kindly sent me the following notes, he says, “In artillery positions the first 
thing is effect; cover is of secondary importance. ‘The configuration of the 
ground must determine these points. We use tiers of fire, when the ground 
allows it, in order to decrease the effect of the hostile artillery fire. We wish to 
oblige the enemy to range on every single battery. The control of fire must 
however remain in the hands of one man, and on account of the effect of fire, in- 
tervals and distances should not be diminished. It is seldom that ground fulfils 
all the conditions necessary to enable us to use tiers of fire.” 
I was much interested just now when Major Sclater said something about Glen- 
beigh. Captain Crampton very kindly showed mea valuable report he is drawing 
up upon this subject; but in it he did not seem to give credit to infantry for 
firmg quickly enough. He calculated the amount of weight of metal which infantry 
would fire within a certain time, the infantry occupying a certain frontage. He 
calculated that a man would fire about one and a haifroundsa minute. Infantry 
can very comfortably, without hurrying themselves the least bit, fire 33 to 4 
rounds a minute. 
Masor Sciater.—There is no doubt that you cannot make a mechanical com- 
parison there. It is a broad line that is drawn, and that is all you can do. 
Caprain PincHER.—With regard to what Lieut.-Colonel Rainsford-Hannay 
has said about the experiments at Lydd the 200 infantry could have fired the 
2200 rounds comfortably in 24 to 8 minutes instead of taking an hour over it, 
and this would make a difference in his mathematical conclusion, 
As to what has been said about concentrating fire, first on one battery and then 
on another, this is a subject I have spoken about often in Germany, and the 
argument they use is that human nature must be taken into consideration, and 
that the instinct of men is to fire back at those who are firing at them. It is of 
course easy in peace to say you are not going to do this, but in war it is very 
different. Human nature is a thing you cannot legislate for, to attempt the im- 
possible is to court defeat, besides which, to follow the course above indicated 
unless you are very superior in numbers or are much favoured by the shape of 
the ground, would be to allow part of the enemy’s force to fire at you under peace 
conditions. 
I think, Gentlemen, I have now replied to all the questions that have been put. 
Tur CuarrMan.—lI think gentlemen you will all agree with me that we have 
listened to a most interesting lecture and discussion ; and although the discussion 
has travelled over a wide ground and has embraced many topics, I do not intend 
to refer to all of them. But there are two or three which seem to me to be 
interesting, some of which have not been noticed. And first and foremost I should 
like to refer to the point the Lecturer began with, which I believe is really almost 
of the greatest importance, and that is the question of the knowledge of ground. 
Tt is one of the greatest drawbacks to military training that we have in England, 
probably, because of the great difficulty with which our manceuvres are carried on, 
and of the very great difficulty we have in getting any sort of available ground on 
