(ii) Immediately the grenade has left the hand, the thrower should lie down or get behind cover to reduce the chances of being hit by a splinter, as, of course, the explosion sends these in all directions. Dummy grenades are supplied for practice in throwing.
9. Use of Grenades.—In addition to the hand grenade, grenades may be improvised by filling tins with explosive for throwing by hand. Grenades are also constructed so that they can be fired from rifles. Grenades can be used with effect against sap-heads in siege warfare and in trench fighting at close range.
Section 69.—Competitions.
1. Object of Competitions.—The principles governing competitions are laid down in para. 102, Musketry Regulations. The object of competitions is to encourage proficiency in service shooting under practical conditions. This object must not be confined to a few champion shots, but must include every man in each fire-unit. A good average standard of marksmanship, especially in shooting at service targets at unknown ranges, is the ideal to be aimed at. Team competitions in which fire-unit commanders are exercised in their duties, and in which they work together with their units, are the most practical and valuable form of competition. The various instructional practices, together with individual and collective field practices in Chapters VIII and X of this book, are suitable for competitions.
2. General Rules.—(i) The conditions of each competition must be suited to the rank and skill of competitors, and practise them in the duties they will perform in the firing-line.
(ii) Programmes.—Programmes should as far as possible embrace all elements of musketry training. Rules for the conduct of competitions should be the same as those for the conduct of range and field practices.
(iii) Individual Firing.—Individual firing competitions beyond 600 yards have little military value.
(iv) Targets.—Bull’s-eye targets should as a rule be used in elementary competitions only for young soldiers in the first year of service. Service targets should be used of neutral colours, and of visibility approximating to that of the targets seen on service.
(v) Scope of Competitions.—Specializing in any one kind of shooting should be discouraged. Competitions for trained soldiers should include not less than three different forms of shooting, such as snapshooting, rapid firing, observation, appreciation of fire limits, etc., with as much variation of targets and conditions as can be conveniently arranged, according to the facilities available.
(vi) Rate of Firing.—Conditions for soldiers with more than one year of service should never permit of a slower rate than three rounds a minute for a series of shots, exclusive of time taken for signalling. In deliberate shooting, the best military shot is probably the man who, in skirmishing, first applies an effective shot to a target at unknown range. In rapid firing, the sighting to be used would very often be communicated to the soldier on service, and a high rate of fire, combined with reasonable accuracy, would be expected from him.