SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1895. 345 
Officer should be universally adopted, similarly the Group command for 
all guns should be either “ commence firing” or fire No. —— gun. 
The method of fighting guns up to this point concerns chiefly the 
N.C.O.’s and gunners, and comprises the essential part of their general 
training, the remaining portions, viz. the ranging and communication 
of orders, as far as the rank and file are concerned constitute merely an 
amplification of fire discipline, but their methods should be equally 
simple and capable of comprehension by all. 
(4.) Ranging and observation of fire. All ranging rests on the 
bracket system, and every method of observation of fire is merely an 
extension of the method of visual observation aided by field glasses or 
telescopes. These are the fundamental and necessary methods. 
(5.) The chain of command, &c. This must always be the same, 
viz. from the commanding officer through his subordinate officers to 
the gun captains, and detachments, and the simplest means of communi- 
cation is by word of command, or signal between each link in the chain, 
all being in positions where this can easily be applied. 
These are the principles on which the general training of all ranks, 
officers and men, should be conducted, and the simplest practical appli- 
cation of them is to the working of 4 or 6 light guns on travelling 
carriages, divided into groups of 2 guns each, and placed in open battery 
and close enough together to be all under the eye of the commanding 
officer, and within reach of his voice, so that the means of communication 
may also be simple ; the method of ranging can be made equally simple 
by employing standing targets at medium ranges where visual obser- 
vation of fire is possible, and easy. These are in fact the conditions of 
Field Artillery fire-action in their simplest form, and they are equally 
applicable, and necessary to the general training of the Garrison gunner. 
Instead however of using field guns, the guns composing the movable 
armaments of fortresses should be employed for this purpose. This 
would have the great additional advantage of basing the general training, 
of the Garrison Artillery on the service, and method of working that 
class of gun which they will most frequently be called upon to man in 
time of war. These guns are already supplied in sufficient numbers as 
“ movable armaments ”’ to be available for purposes of general training 
but where they are not conveniently parked for the use of companies, 
there seems no reason why other guns should not be issued for this pur- 
pose, especially as there must be numbers of them in store, and as it is 
nota matter of importance that they should be all of the same calibre or 
type. On the contrary seeing the different types of guns we have in the 
service, and the necessity for training the men in the use of them all, the 
ideal instructional battery for general training should consist of six guns 
made up, say of two 40-pr. R.M.L., two 40-pr. R.B.L., and two 4-in. 
B.L. guns; the actual calibre supplied is not of importance, provided 
that, the guns used belong to that class which are now issued as the 
movable armaments of Coast Fortresses. The general training carried 
out on these lines having being completed each Company will pass on 
to its special training, but should annually as a preliminary to the drill 
season, be regularly put through the course of general training. 
Practical 
Training, 
