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Department. Form 820 is intended as a guide merely, and copies of this form will not be issued.

FIRE COMMAND SERVICE PRACTICE.

104. The fire commander conducts the practice from his station. He is responsible for all arrangements for the practice and for the general safety conditions.

105. Each battery commander will act as a local safety officer for his own battery, and when necessary for safety will interrupt the firing or suspend the execution of the orders of the fire commander, reporting at once by telephone the cir cumstances to the fire commander.

106. All the batteries of the fire command in service, except batteries below 6 inches in caliber, shall be manned.

107. In so far as they apply all instructions and rules governing battery practice will be observed in fire command practice.

108. Trial shots will be fired under the supervision of the fire commander from each battery and the results thereof communicated to each battery commander, as explained for battery practice.

109. The artillery district commander will take station with the fire commander and will prescribe the concentration and distribution of fire to be ordered by the fire commander. He will note the time that elapses between the giving of an order and the firing in response thereto. On the basis of these data the fire command will be rated as to its fire-control efficiency. 110. The artillery district commander will detail officers, or reliable noncommissioned officers, not belonging to the companies firing, to take times and lateral deviations at each battery and overs and shorts on the tug. In addition to the three observers on the tug called for by paragraph 90, ante, an officer will be detailed to keep a record on the tug of the time of each splash, the battery from which the shot was fired, and the serial number of the shot in the fire-command series. Fire commanders in ordering firing will keep in mind the time necessary for this officer to make this record. To this end not more than two batteries will be ordered to fire at the same time.

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111. Observers of lateral deviation shall note whether or not shots are fired at the target ordered. A shot fired at a target other than the one ordered shall be counted a miss.

112. The time to fire a battery series shall be the sum of the times required to fire the several subseries. The time to fire a subseries shall begin at the command "Commence firing' of the battery commander and shall expire at the discharge of the last shot of the subseries. Deductions of time shall be allowed for causes mentioned in paragraph 86 of this order.

113. An officer, or a reliable noncommissioned officer not belonging to a company firing, will be detailed by the artillery district commander to keep a record of the time of fire of each shot, the battery from which fired, and the serial number of the shot in the fire commander's series. He will take station in the fire commander's station or at such other point on shore as will afford him the best opportunity to perform his duties. This record will be used to verify the record kept on the tug as to the particular shots fired from each battery.

TARGETS FOR FIRE-COM MAND PRACTICE.

114. Four pyramidal targets will be arranged on the same towline 150 yards apart so as to be towed to the best advantage. The first target will be 200 yards from the tug. Mortar fire shall be limited to the last two targets.

115. Each target will be given the name of some war vessel, and, in assigning targets to the battery commanders, the ship's name shall be used by the fire commander.

RECORDS AND REPORTS.

116. The fire commander's plotting detail will make a tracing of the target third in order from the tug on a piece of paper attached to the plotting board by thumb tacks and will enter thereon, in connection with the track of this target, the orders given by the artillery district commander and the time of each order.

117. Battery commanders will submit to the fire commander reports of the same character as those required in battery

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service practice. These reports will be forwarded as prescribed in the notes on the forms.

118. In addition to the reports called for in the preceding paragraph, each battery commander will submit to the fire commander a report containing such comments on the practice or suggestions as to modifications of the regulations governing the practice as he may deem of value. The fire commander will forward to the artillery district commander these reports, the tracing called for in paragraph 116, and a report containing his own analysis of the firing. From these reports the artillery district commander will prepare a consolidated report reviewing the practice and submitting all data pertaining to fire-control efficiency, and will forward this report, together with the tracing submitted by the fire commander, through military channels, to The Adjutant-General of the Army.

119. Where but one of the batteries of 6-inch or greater caliber of a fire command is in service, fire-command practice for such fire command shall be omitted and battery practice substituted therefor.

II. SERVICE OF MINES.

120. At posts provided with a mine equipment, instruction in mining shall be given to the companies assigned to the mine defense by their respective commanding officers. Where a detachment is detailed for this work, the instruction shall be given by the post artillery engineer.

121. At every post where no company is assigned to mine defense and which is provided with mining equipment, a permanent detail of not less than 3 noncommissioned officers and 12 privates specially selected shall be made to assist the artillery engineer in its care and preservation. This detail shall be excused from all other artillery drill, and during the daily artillery drill period shall be given instruction in mining. 122. One month before the annual visit of the mine planter this detail shall be increased to 24 men (2 sergeants, 4 corporals, and 18 privates). Preparation, will be made so that full advantage may be taken of the visit of the mine planter. During the stay of a mine planter at a post, mine companies and detachments shall, when practicable, be excused from guard and police duty.

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123. The instruction in mining, which shall be attended by the entire personnel of the companies and detachments assigned to that work, with the exceptions noted in paragraph 12 of this order, shall be conducted during such hours as may be prescribed by artillery district commanders.

124. All mining casemates at garrisoned posts shall be kept at all times in service. No departure from this rule will be allowed except by authority of the War Department.

125. The character of drills and instruction will be such as to cover all the elements of the mine defense that the installation and equipment at the post permits.

126. Companies and detachments assigned to mine defense shall man and operate during night drill the mine-range stations, casemate, rapid-fire guns, and searchlights for defense of mine fields, when necessary alternating this work in such way as to secure thorough instruction in the duties mentioned.

127. During both day and night drills the tug will pass over an area assumed to be mined. Judgment firing shall be praeticed by firing fuses or small charges of explosive on shore from the casemate when the position finder shows the tug near the plotted position of a mine.

128. The character and scope of instruction with the mine planters, including the firing of mines, will be prescribed in special instructions from the War Department to all concerned.

III. SIGNALING.

129. Two men of each company will be instructed in signaling by flag, as prescribed in paragraph 1594, Army Regulations, 1904. From the men so instructed post commanders shall detail two men as a permanent post signal detail. These men shall exercise daily during the artillery instruction and drill period in exchanging messages with adjacent posts by flag and by such other means of signaling as may be available at the post.

Whenever practicable, with the means at hand, messages shall be interchanged daily (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted) between all posts in the same harbor. Where this is impracticable or where a harbor contains but one gar

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risoned post, messages shall be interchanged between the shore and the artillery drill boat during the drill period, or between distant points at the post.

IV. INFANTRY INSTRUCTION AND SMALL-ARMS TARGET PRACTICE.

130. Coast Artillery recruits upon arrival at their posts shall be organized for instruction into squads not exceeding 8 men each, and shall be thoroughly instructed by selected noncommissioned officers under the supervision of a commissioned officer in the following subjects before they are turned in to their companies for instruction :

INFANTRY DRILL REGULATIONS, U. S. ARMY, 1904.

School of the soldier, entire (paragraphs 25 to 87, inclusive).

School of the squad, entire (paragraphs 88 to 160, inclusive).

Honors (paragraphs 587, 588, 591, 593 to 598, inclusive, and 601).

SMALL-ARMS FIRING REGULATIONS, 1906.

Part II. Preliminary drills for rifle :

Sighting drills (paragraphs 2 to 22, inclusive).

Position and aiming drills (paragraphs 23 to 56, inclusive).

Gallery practice (paragraphs 66 to 78, inclusive).

MANUAL OF GUARD DUTY, 1902.

Privates of the guard (paragraphs 205 to 213, inclusive). Orders for sentinels on post (paragraphs 214 to 256, inclusive).

Compliments from sentinels (paragraphs 257 to 269, inclusive).

Special orders (paragraphs 282 to 285, inclusive).

Supernumeraries (paragraph 295).

Special orders for sentinels in charge of prisoners (paragraphs 364 to 368, inclusive).

Miscellaneous (paragraphs 382 and 385).