154. COAST ARTILLERY IN ACTION. 
a 9-2" B.L. gun is placed between two 6” B.L., thus making 3 groups, 
with a single gun in each, the drawbacks of which I need not point out ; 
it will probably be impossible to assign an officer to each gun, and the 
Gun Captains of the two 6” will have to take charge of them : also, it 
is more than likely, that the centre gun alone will be provided with a 
position-finder, which at most, can give an uncorrected range to the 
lighter guns. The ranging of these guns will have to be carried out 
by the Gun Captains, I see no other way out of it. 
Then, as we know,a Gun Group Commander when in an isolated 
position, must naturally take up the duties of Battery Commander ; this 
would be the case at G, fig. 1, when the officer in charge of the two 9” 
R.M.L. would have to be in direct communication with the Fire Com- 
mander. 
Now if we consider the whole armament shewn in fig. 1, we see that 
it must be divided into two fire commands; the guns at A, G, C and 
D, all bear more or less on the same water-way and can be handled for 
tactical purposes by a Fire Commander at LZ. Were it not for the 
rising ground close to this station, he could also include in his com- 
mand the three guns at H and F, which we may consider as some three 
or four hundred yards distant. But the configuration of the ground 
removes them completely from his control, as far as action is con- 
cerned. These three guns would form a battery command, and the 
Battery Commander would have, in addition to his duties as such, 
to exercise fire control as well. He would probably station himself at H, 
where his most important gun is: it, no doubt, would have a position- 
finder, but the two 7” R.M.l. would probably be fought by depression 
range-finder, and their Gun Group Commander would have to range 
them. At C and D are two normal battery, and four normal group 
commands. It is evident that each rank must at times be prepared 
to assume higher duties. 
Locat MoprricaTIONS OF THE ABOVE. 
At the same time it will sometimes be possible, and, in my opinion 
desirable, for an officer to carry out a certain surveillance over portions 
of his natural command, which, by force of circumstances, have to act 
separately when fire opens. Thus, though the Fire Commander at D 
cannot see the guns at H and F, nor how they are firing, he can very 
well carry out all the other duties of his rank, with regard to them ; 
as they are close at hand, he can inspect them, see that communications 
and range-finding installations are in working order, for I think he 
should do this by personal inspection, he can concert with the Battery 
Commander how he is to act, under certain eventualities, and carry out 
all his ordinary duties connected with ammunition supply, reliefs, &e. 
Then, again, the Battery Commander at H, though perhaps he can- 
not actually range the guns at Ff, is quite near enough to overlook 
how they are beg worked. The Gun Group Commander at F, is 
thus in a different position from the one at G, who is isolated, and 
must in all respects fulfil the duties of a Battery Commander. 
At A also, if there are one or two officers available as Gun Group 
Commanders for the three guns, it is quite possible to carry on a certain 
surveillance over the Gun Captain or Captains, who are acting inde- 
