4. Find the objective at —
5. ...... yards from the firing line.
Case (D).
SIGHT LEAF, FINGER, OR UNIT SYSTEM.
(When targets are indistinct or invisible, and to define sectors.)
| SYSTEM | EXAMPLE A. | EXAMPLE B. | EXAMPLE C. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Announce direction of reference point using horizontal clock system if necessary | Reference point at 12 o’clock | Reference point at 1 o’clock | Reference point at 1 o’clock. |
| 2. Announce reference point | House, with fence around it, on hill | Distant hill | Distant hill. |
| 3. Announce position of target with respect to the reference point | Target, 8 o’clock 2 units | Target, 8 o’clock 4 units | Target, 5.30 o’clock. |
| 4. Announce the objective | Line of intrenchments, 3 units | Skirmish line, 2 units | Skirmish line, 2 units. |
| 5. Announce the range | Range 900 | Range 800 | Range 1,000. |
Note.—“Units” mean 50 mils = finger = sight leaf. It is usual to indicate in this system the point of the target nearest the reference point.
When he is fairly familiar with the use of the horizontal and the vertical clock system for indicating directions, and with the use of fingers and sight leaf for measuring lateral distances from a reference point, work him up from simple to difficult examples of target designation.
With case (d) as an illustration, call the direction of the reference point. See that all look in the right direction. Name the reference point. Require it to be indicated on paper, at the center of a clock dial. Call, “Target 8 o’clock.” Have a line drawn from the center of the dial in the proper direction. Announce, “Four units.” Have these estimated by fingers and with the sight leaf in the proper direction and endeavor to then locate some object that should serve as a check on the work. Continue similarly with the actual announcement of the character of the target: “Skirmish line, etc.”
It may sometimes be advantageous to indicate the range and have the sights set before describing the target, as men frequently lose the target while their eyes are off it in sight-setting.