THE AMMUNITION SERVICE OF A FORT, 521 
of supply, and the speed of supply in the first instance had been 
sufficient, this would have been wrong, but in any case the formation 
of a depdt was necessary and the lift from the emptied store was not 
of a safe description. ‘The change simplified the service and made a 
large reduction in the personnel, and also facilitated an arrangement 
of stores otherwise desirable. 
As there are different natures of projectiles for each gun it is not 
possible to reduce the orders for the ammunition officer quite to the 
same simplicity as it should be in the case of cartridges. You cannot 
say, “begin to supply from group I. and go on.” But the groups of 
each nature are kept together and therefore the order can be, to begin 
with the lowest numbered group of each nature. 
The same rule applies to the distribution of marks of shell as to 
groups of cartridges. or instance if a battery of 9-inch R.M.L. guns 
with more tban one shell store has its complement of shell, composed of 
some steel common and some iron common, each lot must be divided 
among the stores in proportion to the number of guns supplied from 
each of them. 
It is necessary that every cartridge cylinder and every shell should 
have its group designation marked on it. It is not sufficient to 
mark one or two of a group as they may be issued early in an action. 
There is not much to say about the grouping of tubes and fuzes; but I 
think i would be better instead of putting them in the shell stores, serving 
rooms, or recesses for action to have a depét for each D.R.F. or group of 
P.#?s, v.e., for each collection of guns whose fire is directed by one 
officer, and to have a R.A. gunner or a N.C.O. for each depét to distri- 
bute to Gun Captains. Vhis.is my fourth proposition. It would 
simplify the service and lessen the chances of mistakes. 
In the last paragraph I find I have passed from the subject of 
storage to that of the organization of the supply to the guns, which is 
the second step in the direction of establishing a systematic ammunition 
service, 
Guns must not be kept waiting for ammunition, but at the same time 
the personnel employed in its service must be kept as lowas possible in 
its numbers, both to avoid confusion and on account of want of men or 
barrack accomodation. I know of a fort, of which the full ammunition 
details would amount to nearly, if not quite, 300 officers and men, and 
in the case of Plate I., with 14 pieces of ordnance a complete service 
would absorb 117 or just over 8 per gun or 38 per cent. of the garrison 
(Table I). With allthese men it would be good work to put 10 rounds 
per gun on the gun floor in half an hour. ‘This is not quick enough, if 
the rate could be maintained and there was no danger of confusion, both 
of which points are doubtful. The service of cartridges need cause no 
anxiety, but directly it becomes a question of moving heavy projectiles 
from one level to another sufficient speed cannot be obtained without a 
very large personnel or cxtraordinary mechanical appliances. 
The drill-book recognizes this by directing the formation of depdts 
before action, but it only gives want of specd in the case of lifts as a 
reason, and my experience is that the great importance of the direction 
is not fully appreciated, as nearly all manning tables make provision 
for a shell service. My fifth proposition is, that shell depéts shall al- 
