164 COAST ARTILLERY IN ACTION. 
before us become more apparent. I cannot conceive anything that would bring 
us back into a fossilised position more than not to be able to move these com- 
munications from time to time. You will not get two generals in the field to fight 
a battle precisely in the same way. Similarly, in fighting the guns of a garrison, 
every man will have his own idea, and no two men will probably pursue precisely 
the same tactics. Therefore, as I have said, all these communications ought to 
be laid in such a way that they can be moved from time to time. 
Now, as an instance of the flexibility which it is necessary for the officers to ob- 
serve in carrying out their different duties, I may take that vexed question about 
where the duty of the battery commander and where the gun-group officer’s 
duty begins and ends. Circumstances must dictate that; it is impossible to lay 
down a hard and fast line. Take, for instance, the case that Colonel Jocelyn 
alluded to—a circular fort with two gun-floors, one above the other—those guns 
are grouped vertically, not horizontally, and, therefore, the group officer practically 
disappears. Hach gun on each tier—the one gun on one tier and the other on 
the tier below it—are both actuated by the same position-finder; in point of fact 
the guns are worked on each gun-floor independently of each other. The fort has 
to be sub-divided verticaliy rather than horizontally. I mention that as a good 
reason why we should not allow ourselves to be tied hand and foot to the mere 
letter of an order. 
With regard to what Colonel Jocelyn said about esprit de corps and smartening 
up the officers, I am sure that we can have no difference of opinion at all. To 
anybody who has seen Garrison Artillery in the last few years it must, I think, 
be the greatest happiness and joy to see what a wonderful advance has been made. 
I can only say, from my own experience, that | am no longer inundated with a 
number of applications for immediate transfer from the Garrison Artillery. I do 
not mean to say that some do not want to leave it to go to the field, but I mean 
that they are less numerous than a few years ago; and I feel sure that as years 
go on—every year bringing with it some fresh interest and something new— 
the esprit de corps in the Garrison Artillery will go on increasing. 
We shall be very glad to hear any gentleman who would like to take part in the 
discussion. 
Lrzeut.-Cotonen R. W. Rartnsrorp-Hannay— Colonel Jocelyn—in illus- 
trating how, in the chain of command, each different commander might have to 
exercise the functions of a higher grade, that is the gun-captain act as group 
officer, the group officer as battery commander, and so on—made, I think, so far 
as I could catch it, a slip of the tongue. In the first illustration that he gave I 
think he said (at all events I so inferred it) that the gun-captain went up to 
battery commander. I think that must have been a mistake. 
Lrevt.-CoLtonet J. R. J. JocetyN—I meant that he might have to fulfil cer- 
tain functions of a battery commander if there were no group officer. Take the 
ease I mentioned where a single gun is left in sole charge of a gun-captain. 
All he gets is his uncorrected range; he would be obliged to observe and correct 
his fire and would thus exercise some of the most important functions of a 
battery commander. 
Lrevt.-CotoneL R, W. Rainsrorp-Hannay—You mean there that one gun 
is a group. 
Lrzut.-Cotonex J. R. J. Jocunyn—Yes. 
Linvt.-Cotonet R. W. Ratnsrorp-Hannay—lI understand the point now, 
but it seems a big jump from gun captain to battery commander, 
Then with regard to firing at two targets, I quite think that with one depression 
range-finder one target is all that you can manage; at the same time I do not see 
why the smoke should interfere with your firing at two targets. I think that you 
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