Brigade commanders and officers commanding districts will issue such orders as may be necessary for exempting non-commissioned officers and men from these tests, but every officer and sergeant who would command a company or smaller unit on mobilization should attend four tests annually in judging distance up to 1,400 yards.
(ii) Conditions of Tests.—During tests in judging distance no assistance from maps or other means should be allowed. The tests will be conducted on unfamiliar ground, half the objects consisting of fatigue-men or dummy figures representing skirmishers, and half of natural objects marking fire positions, such as would be occupied on service.
The observers will lie down or kneel behind cover, and estimates will be recorded by adjusting the sights (or in the case of officers by writing) in multiples of 50 yards; the objects should have been previously placed or selected, or the position of the observers should be chosen, so that the correct distance may closely approximate to some multiple of 50 yards.
Half a minute will be allowed for each estimate, reckoned from the moment when the object is pointed out or a shot is fired to draw attention to the position of the object. At the conclusion of the half-minute a whistle should be blown, when the observers will stand to attention, and no further adjustment of the sights or writing will be permitted. The register-keeper will then examine each rifle or paper, and record the estimates in the register. On return to barracks, the mean percentage of error of each observer will be entered in the register, which will be preserved for record.
On the completion of the classification practices, the mean percentages of error made by each individual officer, non-commissioned officer and man since the last classification will be added together and divided by the number of tests which he has attended, the average thus obtained being regarded as the standard of proficiency of the individual until the next classification.
Officers, non-commissioned officers, and men whose mean error exceeds 20 per cent., and those who have attended less than two tests, will be regarded as inefficient. Additional practice will be afforded weekly to all officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who are recorded as inefficient, until the next quarterly test. Officers and sergeants whose mean error exceeds 20 per cent. will not be classified as better than second-class shots.
Section 38.—Range-finding by Observation of Fire.
1. When Observation is Possible.—Observation of results is the best means of correcting errors in sighting, but it is only practicable (a) when the ground in the vicinity of the objective is of a nature to show the strike of the bullets by dust, or (b) when the enemy is in the open, and the accuracy of fire can be judged by its effect upon him.
2. Nature of Fire Necessary for Observation.--A considerable volume of rapid and concentrated fire is necessary to enable the strike of bullets to be observed, and for this purpose one or more Maxim guns, or not less than two platoons, should be employed to fire. The distance and nature of the ground will determine the volume of fire required, but the greater the difficulty of observation the greater must be the volume of fire. When trying for observation, third-class shots should not be permitted to fire.
3. Method of applying Fire for Observation—(i) Elevation.—An elevation well under the estimated distance should first be selected, and if the fire can be observed, the elevation should be increased by not less than 100 yards at a time until the nucleus of the bullets is seen to fall on the desired spot.