Chapter IX: Night Firing, Hand Grenades, and Competitions

Section =67=.--Night Firing.[29]

=1. Methods of Night Firing.=--A body of troops in a position commanding open ground or an approach which may be used by the enemy may arrange to sweep it with fire by laying rifles in rests constructed by daylight, by preparing illuminated aiming-marks giving a horizontal line of sight, or by firing at the flashes of the enemy’s rifles, or other marks by automatic alignment of the rifle. These various methods are explained in the following paragraphs. _Firing at night should only be employed within close range._

=2. Automatic Alarms and Flare Lights.=--(i) Automatic alarms and flare lights to illuminate the foreground are useful against night attacks. They should be used in combination with obstacles, if any have been constructed, and either protected or concealed, so as to prevent the enemy removing them. _No mechanical signal must be relied upon as a substitute for the efficient use of the eyesight and hearing._

=3. Fixed Rifle-Rests and Aiming-Marks.=--On a dark night it is difficult to insure the men’s rifles being aimed in the required direction. Any device to assist them in this matter is useful. Fixed rifle-rests may be made, or, failing these, some such device as a wooden bar can be arranged across loopholes, to prevent a man raising his rifle-barrel too high. Posts painted white on the defenders’ side make a good aiming-mark, if the night is not too dark.

=4. Automatic Alignment of the Rifle.=--(i) The automatic alignment of the rifle is as a general rule the most effective method of firing at night. Men should therefore be practised in aligning their rifles automatically for night firing at ranges of about 300 yards and under.

(ii) =Method of Instruction.=--Aiming-marks should be selected just above the ground-line, and within 100 yards of the squad. The men should then be ordered to bring their rifles into the firing position with both eyes shut. The right eye should then be opened, and the approximate alignment of the rifle verified. After some practice each man will be able to ascertain his individual tendency, which he should correct with practice until able to align the rifle with his eyes shut with approximate accuracy.

(iii) This exercise should be carried out in the daytime until proficiency is attained, when men should be practised in firing a few rounds after dark at large screens at a range not exceeding 300 yards. The position of the screen may be indicated by some rough expedient to represent the flash of a rifle. Much material effect is not to be anticipated from night firing except against an enemy in movement, but the moral effect should be considerable.

=5. Instruction on Miniature Ranges.=--Directions for night firing on miniature ranges are contained in Sec. 74, para. 7.

Section =68=.--Hand Grenade (Mark I).

=1. General Description= (see Fig. 52).--The grenade consists of the following principal parts: Cap A, body B, detonator C, cane handle D, wood block E, tail F, charge G, and cast-iron ring R.

=2.= The body B of the grenade carries the lyddite charge G. The wood block E is put into the recess in the cup H, and the cup, wood block, and body are then firmly secured together by means of the three brass screws J. Attached to the wood block E is the cane handle D, to the end of which is securely bound the tail F, the cane handle D being for the purpose of throwing the grenade, and the tail F to steady it in flight and to assist to make it travel and fall point foremost.

=3.= The upper part of the body has a groove M formed in it for the purpose of securing the cap A in position. The groove M is provided with four leads into it, two N.N., to allow of the insertion and removal of the cap, and two O.O., to allow the cap to move forward upon the grenade striking the ground or other obstacle. Two projections, e.e., are made in the groove M for the indent X in the cap A to jump when the cap enters or leaves the travel position. One projection is to be made long enough to carry the indent into the _Fire_ position. The object of these two projections is to give a definite indication of when the cap is in the _Travel_ and _Fire_ positions. Two indicating knobs P.P. are secured to the body, and two stop pins Q.Q. are fixed below the indicating knobs P.P., preventing the cap A being pushed down too far (except when turned into the _Fire_ position--see later) if by any accident the safety-pin had been removed or displaced. Fixed to the top of the body are two holding studs R.R. to secure the detonator C when in position. The body has also painted on it in red two arrows L.L. for the purpose of indicating positions of cap A as to the removing, travel, or firing positions.

=4.= The detonator C is formed with a flange S on which are two lugs T.T. for the purpose of turning the detonator when in position, so as to secure it under the heads of the holding studs R.R. On the face of the flange S is fixed a brass plate spring U, for locking the detonator into position. The two grooves V.V. in the flange S of the detonator C are to allow the flange S to pass the holding studs R.R. during insertion or removal of the detonator.

=5.= The cap A carries a steel needle W for firing the detonator. Two small indents X.X. are formed on the cap to engage with the groove M on the body B. The raised lips I.I, are to allow the cap A to clear the indicating knobs P.P. when the cap is being placed or removed from the body of the grenade.

=6.= Two raised lips K.K. are to allow the cap A to move forward when the cap is turned into its firing position, the lips K.K. being raised sufficiently to clear the stop pins Q.Q., this only being possible when the cap is in the firing position. The raised portions Y.Y. are for the indicating knobs to engage with when the cap is turned to the travel position, and thus give a further indication when the cap A is in this position. The cap is also fitted with a safety-pin Z, which passes through the needle and the cap, and prevents the cap moving forward while the pin is in position. The pin Z is secured by a whipcord becket passed over the cap A, and is also further secured by a thin leather strip d passing through a slot at one end, it being necessary to remove both these safeguards before the pin Z can be withdrawn. The safety-pin Z is also passed through the cap A in such a position that if by any mischance the detonator C was not properly secured after being placed in position, the act of placing the cap A on and turning it to the left into the firing position causes the pin Z to engage with the two lugs T.T. on the flange S of the detonator, and automatically locks the detonator under the heads of the holding studs R.R.

=7.= The hook _t_ fixed to the body of the grenade is for attaching the latter to the soldier’s belt. The grenade with the stick downward is hung on to the belt by the hook.

=8. To Prepare the Grenade for Use.=--(i) Turn the cap A on to the body B to the right until the indicating knobs P.P. are in the raised lips I.I. formed in the cap A. This can be seen by means of the arrows L.L. painted on the body B being opposite the words “remove” on the cap A. Then pull off the cap.

(ii) Place the detonator C in the recess for it. See that the two grooves V.V. in the flange S coincide with the two studs R.R., then press down the detonator into position. When the flange S is home, turn the detonator C to the left, passing the flange under the heads of the studs R.R., and continue turning until the brass plate spring U is released, thus locking the detonator.

(iii) Replace the cap A with the raised lips I.I. over the indicating knobs P.P., and push down into position. After the cap A has been put on, it must be turned one-eighth of a turn to the left, thus bringing the indicating knobs P.P. into the raised positions Y.Y. of the cap A. This is done by pointing the indicating arrows L.L. to “travel” on the cap.

(iv) The grenade is intended to be carried with the raised portions Y.Y. always over the indicating arrows L.L.--_i.e._, in the travel position, whether the detonator C is in position or not.

(v) =To Throw the Grenade.=--The tail is unwound, and allowed to hang loose at full length.

(vi) The cap is turned from the “travel” to the “fire” position.

(vii) The safety-pin is withdrawn.

(viii) The grenade is thrown by means of the cane D. The latter is grasped between the end furthest from the grenade itself and the attached point of the tail--_i.e._, on the grooved portion. The grenade is thrown in the required direction either under or over hand, care being taken that the tail cannot entangle itself with the thrower or with any object near him.

(ix) When throwing, the following points should be remembered:

(_a_) The grenade should be thrown well upwards at not less
than an angle of about 35 degrees. This, besides assisting in
increasing the range to which the grenade can be thrown, renders
its action more absolutely certain by causing it to strike the
ground nearly vertically. This is especially important when
throwing with a following wind.

(_b_) Any obstacle lying between the thrower and the objective
must be cleared, as the grenade will almost certainly act on
anything it strikes during any part of its flight.

(x) =Caution.=--(i) Should the hand grenade not be used, the cap is to be turned back to “travel” from “fire,” the safety-pin (which must be retained) is to be replaced in position, care being taken that the pin passes through the cap, and is secured by passing the whipcord becket over the cap, and by replacing the leather strip _d_ through the slot in the end of the safety-pin Z, and the tail rolled up and secured.

(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.

(vii) =Coaching.=--Coaching should never be allowed, but individual soldiers in observation and skirmishing competitions may be allowed to work in pairs, giving mutual assistance.

(viii) =Rifles and Aids to Shooting.=--It is essential that in competitions open to the rank and file, competitors should be allowed to fire only with a rifle in charge of their unit, and no departure from the regulations governing the painting of sights, use of slings, provision of wind flags, targets, rifle accessories, etc., is to be permitted in service-rifle competitions.