16 OKEHAMPTON EXPERIENCES, 1894. 
Alps, near Modane, and witnessed a 12-pr. mountain battery of the French 
artillery working in action at a field-day. They used the clinometer much more 
than we do, but were very slow entering into action—two minutes—partly owing 
to the clumsiness of their equipment and packing. ‘They carry all shrapnel 
with the exception of a few melinite for incendiary purposes. 
The advance into action, both by French and Italian batteries, over difficult 
ground was at a very smart pace, owing to the fine stamp of their pack mules, 
for which the Governments pay a high price. 
Masor J. McDonnetu—I should like to ask the lecturer whether he thinks 
that anything would be gained by having the ranging rounds laid by an officer, 
or by a selected layer. At present the Battery Commanders sometimes are 
entirely thrown out, and start ranging in a wrong direction, through a wrong 
elevation being put out, or a round being wrongly laid. If the ranging rounds 
were laid by selected officers, that risk would be somewhat reduced perhaps. I 
have been asked to ask that question by an officer who is unable to be present. 
Caprain E. W. Buunt—l should like to say a word for the poor range-takers. 
I received a rather unexpected impression of the necessity for their employment 
at the cavalry manceuvres this year. The ground was very undulating on the 
Berkshire Downs, and it frequently happened that the Cavalry Commander, intend- 
ing the collision to take place on a certain point, planted the battery, and for some 
time there was nothing to shoot at ; we could see for a minute, perhaps, a mass of 
cavalry, then they disappeared, and there we were waiting with nothing to do. 
Then the battery range-takers were set to work to take the range of prominent 
features on their expected line of advance, and when the cavalry appeared again, 
that gave us some guide as to what range to adopt. The only feasible way of 
opening an effective fire at all, appeared to be, to do what the lecturer has rather 
condemned, namely, to guess the range and fuze. The target stays such a very 
short time in any one spot, that guess-work is the only way of competing with it, 
and judgment, assisted by a range-finder, is very much better than unaided guess- 
work. 
Masor EH. 8. May--I should like to ask Major Hughes a question on one small 
point. On page 8 of the lecture, he speaks almost always of short ranges and so 
on. He says: “ At so short a range there is little difficulty in working both 
together.” What range does he refer to as ‘‘so short a range ?” 
Masor A. J. Hucues—About 1200 or 1000 yards. 
Masor H. 8. May—Then on page 10 I do not think we are given the range 
at which these experiments were carried out against the dummies in position, 
where the results were so good. 
Masor A. J. Hueuns—lI may answer at once that the range of the first line 
was from 800 to 900 yards. 
Masor EH. 8S. May—Then, again, 1 think it would be interesting if Colonel 
Ollivant were to tell us something more about the mounted orderlies, where they 
came from and how they were trained ? I think it is a matter that interests us all 
very much. We all see the desirability of efficient mounted orderlies, or agents 
de liaison, as the French term them, but the difficulty is where we are to get 
them, and how we are to train them. 
CotoneL EH. A. Outivant—I am afraid the mounted orderlies were not 
trained before the Brigade-division came to Okehampton, and one had simply to 
take any sparemen. ‘The peace establishment of a field battery does not allow one 
to have permanent mounted orderlies. The only thing that can be done with field 
batteries is to take any odd men who may be available. The orderlies stand dis- 
mounted a few yards in rear of the Commanding Officer, one of them mounts 
