Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Armour Plates" to "Arundel, Earls of"

Artillery Training_, 1906, is given below. Battery commander gives target, &c., and orders: "Right section ranging section; remainder corrector 150 increase 10, 4400-4700," for the long bracket. No. 1 gun fires, elevation 4400 yds., P.S., round observed - No. 2 " " " 4700 " " " " + B.C. orders "4500-4600." No. 1 gun fires, elevation 4500 yds., P.S., round observed - No. 2 " " " 4600 " " " " + The 100 yds. bracket appears to be 4500-4600. B.C. orders: "Remainder 4500 time shrapnel," and gives the ranging section 4500-4600 to "verify." Guns 3, 4, 5, 6 set fuzes for 4500 with correctors 150, 160, 170, 180. No. 1 gun fires, elevation 4500 yds., P.S., round observed - No. 2 " " " 4600 " " " " + B.C. orders: "Remainder 4500, one round gun fire, 3 seconds." No. 3 elevation 4500 yds. T.S. corrector 150 air No. 4 " " " " " 160 air No. 5 " " " " " 160 graze No. 6 " " " " " 180 " B.C. selects corrector 160 and goes to "section fire." The battery now begins to fire "for effect." No. 1 elevation 4500 yds. T.S. corrector 160 air No. 3 " " " " " " followed by Nos. 5, 2, 4 and 6. There is another method of ranging, viz. with time shrapnel only. In this the principle is that several shells, fired with the same corrector setting, but at different elevations, will burst in air at different points along one line. Bursts high in the air cannot be judged, and it is therefore necessary to bring down the line of bursts to the target, so that the bursts in air appear directly in front or directly in rear of it. Rounds are therefore fired (in pairs owing to possible imperfections in the fuzes) to ascertain the corrector which gives the best line of observation. This found, the target is bracketed by bursts low in the air observed + and -, as in the ordinary method with percussion shrapnel. The operations of finding the "line of fire" and the proper elevation may be combined, as the shells in ranging can be made to "bracket" for direction as well as for elevation. The line can be changed towards a new target in any kind of direct and indirect laying, in the latter case by observing the angle made with it by the original line of fire and giving deflection to the guns accordingly. Further, the fire of several dispersed batteries may be concentrated, distributed, or "switched" from one target to another on a wide front, at the will of the commander.