162: COAST ARTILLERY IN ACTION. 
takes his section; he should train his gunners, through their Gun 
Captains, in their own special work, pointing out the great num- 
ber of mistakes that can be made, the adjustments that must be looked 
to, the use of the clinometer in testing elevating gear, racers, &c., 
the effect on the shooting of bad drill or loss of time; he should 
practice the various methods of laying and the easy transition from one 
“Case” to another ; he should cultivate the intelligence of the men, by 
explaining “ what it is all about,” and interest them by showing them 
diagrams of the effect, on various supposed objectives, of the rounds 
actually fired by them. He should especially train his Gun Captains, 
and consequently himself, at the same time, in the observation and 
correction of fire, taking advantage of the practice of other batteries 
for this purpose. He should never forget that he himself, or his Gun 
Captains, may be called upon to do this. 
The Battery Commander should have opportunities, in an instruc- 
tional battery, of seeing his detachments at work together, learning 
smart and soldier-like drill, which will bear fruit when they are perhaps 
scattered, by the necessities of a permanent work. It is very difficult 
to inculcate real smartness in work, when men habitually drill in isolated 
pits. He should teach his men to look on their gun-floor as a place of 
parade, to be treated with all ceremony and decorum: in his own 
particular command, he should practice complete manning, and if this 
is impossible for want of men, he should weaken his detachments, so 
that, while every gun may be supposed to be in action, range instal- 
lations and communications should be fully manned. At drill, change 
of system should be often practised, for it must never be forgotten that 
smoke may, at any time, throw us back on Case III. He should see 
that his subordinates understand the work of a higher grade, and occa- 
sionally make them take the place of Battery Commander under his 
observation, Seeing that rounds of service ammunition are so precious, 
he should take care to get as much information and instruction, 
from every shot, as possible: he should, especially, study the 
results of his firing, and discuss with his officers the various faults that 
are sure tocropup. There is not nearly as much discussion of practice 
as there might be. Above all, he should himself lead in the study of 
the water-way: officers and non-commissioned officers should know all 
the channels under their guns, where the five fathom line runs, and the 
ranges to any points, rocks, buoys, lights, &c. that are visible. Viva 
Voce examination on the ground itself, as to this matter, would be very 
useful. 
It is especially necessary that Fire Commanders should often take 
tactical charge of their commands; all command posts, communications, 
range-finding stations, dials, &c. being put on a war footing, even if 
the detachments can only be represented by Gun Captains; then the 
smooth working of the whole can be tested. The coast defences of 
the empire are now being told off into Fire Commands, and when this 
ig accomplished, these tactical exercises should be constantly practised, 
always with some definite object in view. 
With regard to what I have said on training, I in no way wish to 
pose as putting forward anything new: the points I have drawn atten- 
