TRAINING THE RIFLEMAN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 135, 2 March 1908, Page 9

TRAINING THE RIFLEMAN.

BULL'S-EYE SHOOTING INADEQUATE. SERVICE PRACTICE REQUIRED. (By Echelon,) ' ' '.In-the "Defenco Notes" of TnE Dominion of February 1 tliero appeared an articlo entitled "Bull's-eyo Shooting Condemned." This article set forth.the views of tlio British Army Council on the inadequacy of rifle practico as at present conducted, and as tho subject has recently cxcitod some controversy, it is worthy of more than a casual investigation. ' In any, consideration of'methods of practice for;'proficiency, in a particular game, whether that be tho.gamo of rifle-shoo ting, or the gamos of football, cricket-,' rowing, and'so forth', every suggestion put forward must bp referred back to "the end in viow. The riflo is a ltthal,'weapon', neither moro nor less. ; Its primary purpose"is tho necessary, destruction of man (luring tho special circumstance of war, and, in, a subsidiary sense, the destruction of! animals.- Its special office, however, and that towards which all its improvements.'have been effected, is the destruction of man; and ho argument in favour!, of'.,'a' particular 'moans of attaining proficiency in tho. use'of tho riflo is of any value whatsoever which does not consider tlie relationship bf those means to this accepted function ot tho rifle. -

-Modern'improvomonts, ;both in the construction ;of tho rifle and in tho preparation of thb ammunition, have extbndcd tho range -of effective musketry to something like 800 yards,'.; Good shooting is frequently recorded at 1000 yards, and oven over, but the range limit, for good average shooting may be set. down at from 700 to 800 At those : ranges' men, and particularly khaki-clad :men, 'become almost invisible; so muclrso,- in ••fact, that the assistance of a powerful fieldglass is frequently in - order to locate thorn. Tho question may now be asked, "Of what nso is it to' practico at a staring lybito; square, haying in its centro a well-defined _ black disc, . if • tho enemy, in actual practico, is well nigh invisible?": Let lus defer the answor to -this and turn to the' next, point,- which is a/most important one. Having lobatod the onemy. the next question is the determination of the range. " How many: yards,J,' you , ask,. "is it from this firing point: across, tlioso dips and . hill,shoulders .to tho .enemy's positionover yonder The 'raiigo .is unknown, and .must, bo ; determined... • What _ then,, is'.the uso; of practising' -. riflo shooting at fixed ranges', when the .real test of bfficiericy is tho ability to approximate, by ono's. own judgment..,the distance. ,of.. an. unknown ,range ? Most! obvibtisly, tho reply: to 'the above questions, must bo that firing over known ranges at a black disc on a white not an ademeans of training riflemen;' for 1 tho conditions of activo servico;' which .conditions,' ! be it nolod, must constitute- the only true -test; of a marksman's skill. Tho ability to find tbb bull's-eye on a fixed target at a : :given ;rango'' is ; a proof, of-' skill, certainly, but only a certain'standard or still: Such-a ,tost-should not bo considered in tho light of' a championship test. , _ • '

Bull's-eye shooting, in brief, is elementary practice, pure and simple. ' ' ' v ; ; VIEWS OF THE BRITISH ARMY

. COUNCIL.. . Rifle competitions, in the opinion of tho British Army .Council, usually ombody the | following objectionable '■ features. ■ !. ■,' ', ,1. . Tho; . conditions ' of individual; competi-. ; 'tionsi unsuited to ■ tho' rank and' exporienco of' tho-competitors. ■ ,; ; 2. r The discouragement; of young soldiei's by the' admission of : expert shots into competitions, of an elementary character. ; Tho retention of competitions having ; little '.or no military value. - ■ 4. '-iVndiieimportance ; boing attached ito .one or.i'anWher elomont of rifle training, to tho exclusion of . other things of equal on greater importance,. ';'... : _. 5. Tho encouragement of a stylo of shoot-' ihfe unsuited to active servico; conditions.- ; > u. Tlio dissemioii(.ip;i;of.fhlae.' tactical ideas by thb'.use of such.terms:as ''.United! Service Cupj'.V Army Chnllenge.Cup,'.'Command, Championship;',' to . describe . elomentary grouping,competitions; ' 1•. . ."The attainment of a good. average standard .'o{,.,proficioncy .by a largo, number of .men/' says; the Council in its report,, 'fis in- '. finitely 'more important than phonomenal skill developed,. by > a few champions or tho, compilation.of scores in excess of any :pre..viously..recorded,,,..Tho, competitions should be suited,', to the rank and experience of- the competitors .... Championships lend interest to a '.meeting, but' do not directly assist tho object iii'view.. If ,a; ohampionship is awarded' to an experienced .competitor for . skill in some olemdiitary form; of shooting, .such aa an exercise in applying firo ,to ,a ( bull's-eye target when tho range is known" and each 'shot is signalled, money and ammunition are wasted, young soldiers are discouraged and false ideas as to musketry training aro disseminated."

111 tho opinion of the Army Council,, individual skill'in' military shooting implies:— . Quickening the oyesight, : S 2. Judging distanco. '3., Individual- grouping at short .ranges.-, i 4. 1 Application (applying 'a series, of shots to a mark). ' •• ',

:,s.'Snap-shooting '(quick aiming and .firing). v : '" '■ , ; 6. Rapid firo (quick loading,* aiming, and firing). .. " 7. Use of covcr. ■

,B:;Firing,and'movement '.(attack)-" . 9. : Firing ;at advancing targets (defence). 10; Observation of fire'... , V V. ."V , 11;-Firing'at' crossing targets. " , :12.' Tho Combination 'of these esercisos un,dor approaching those of active service as tests of advanced training. "USE AND 'ABUSF/OF FIRE IN THE •: field." ' r 'i Tho opportunity lioro presents itself for referring, .to'.a l?eturo entitled "The XJso. and Abuso of. Firo in tho,Field," delivered -beforo tl)e Aldershot -Military Sociot'y by Brigadier-General T. D.. l'ilchcr, C.8., A.D.C.,'" over a.-ycnr.-ago.v;!-!. : ./Tho; lecturer profaced hjs remarks by observing that- tlioy wero 'inclined to . forget;, the onormous importance of-, firo leadership, •and .also, that, while they ; had succeeded iii making their men good range-shots, tlioy .Wero apt to forget that, their.,task -had but commcnccd, for it was not bull's-eye shooting., but tho correct tactical application of massed ; firo which formed the ultimate aim of all musketry training. It .was important that officers should bo able, and qorrectly,:; to ' solvo-- any fire 'problems put before them;; This, .however;, was a branch •of. instruction which:.bad ; been somewhat';neglected. It was' clear, said ho, that for the fire-unit commandor, : judging distanco ishould be the first requirement of musketry training; and:for the private soldier , it -was from point-blank range up to about 600 yards, as necessary as, if not more so than, accurate shooting. INDIVIDUAL VERSUS COLLECTIVE 1 ; TRAINING. :' •' Some years,ago', in the garrison artillery, a special competition, in big gun shooting was carried out annually, about two detachments being picked out of each company to. compete. The result was that only a small porcontago of tho men wero trained. The' training of tho company as a wholo was a secondary consideration, but now overy member' of a' garrison artillery company is. tosted for efficiency,, and tho .average standard of proficiency is reckoned in' classifying tho companies for proficiency. In tho infantry corp3, however, this has not been recognised.' . ' ' In tho field ' and garrison ' artillery tho gunner is taught to shoot by dividing' the courso of his gunnery practico into fb.ur classos,.' via: l — ' (a) Elementary. " • (b) '-Instructional.' ■ (c) Clans 'firing. '- ' ' . ;(d) Battlo -practice'.---(In tho field artillery tliis phase is termed "Servico practice under Service conditions.") . According to tho programme of ri(lo i meetings all our infantry training is elementary. In the official programme for tho seventh annual meeting of the New Zealand Defence Forces Riflo Association, ono event (included as an extrn)ithe " Surprise Targets "• match is Used at trn unknown dif&uwe. This

match is a post entry event, open to all comers. Matches IS and 19 are field firing events, but in No. 18, tho range is known at starting (800 yards), and an advance is mado to 500 yards, the men then retiring, lntorval volleys are fired whilo advancing and retiring. No 19 match is somewhat similar. Matches 9 to 11 are servico events, at moving targets. The ranges, however, are knoiAi. . A fii'ld gunner is told that the'following are most important factors in order to get good shooting:— (1) .Fire discipline. . (2) 'Fire tactics. - _ : (3) Observation and correction of fire.' ■ (4) -Ability to range,quickly. (5) Judging distance.

, (6) .Uso of cover. (7) Firing at various targets likely .to present themselves, under the'numerous' and varying l tactical conditions on the field, of battle,- including moving targets. ' The same factors should be considered in muslcetry training, but'are, they P There, is, no suggestion that bu'H's-eye shooting should be. abolished. As .a means of training tho. young "snot, the present system is admirably constituted: to servo that purpose. But it must' bo recognised that, after all, it is only elemeutury training.. When a rifleman has proved his ability to shoot accurately under fixed targets at known ranges conditions, he should proceed to study the much more difficult art of firing under service conditions. Training in musketry might bo divided into three classes, namely':— . _ . I.!' Elementary' practico. (individual, for rocruits, at..fixed targets, and' at known ranges. . 2. Service practice (individual) for trained men. ■ ■ ;

~ 3. Company field-firing or battle practico. A ' national competition in company .field practice might bo instituted on somewhat similar lines to those at present in vogue for field artillery and' garrison artillery.