aaa. The Position. B. Ground Scouts. C. Battery Commander. D. Connecting files. E. Section Commanders. ee. Flankers. F. Guns & Detachments.] The Germans consider that ground scouts should never go into the proposed position, as they are likely to expose themselves to the enemy, and thus “give the position away,” and, as already pointed out, “surprise” is the essence of success. They say that the commander of the battery or section, whichever the unit may be, should alone examine the position and select the place for his battery or section to come into action--and this is the right method as a general principle; but in broken or hilly country, where cover is abundant, and where the position is extensive, a battery commander can do no more than indicate generally the positions to be occupied by the sections, and it will then be advisable for the section commanders to personally select the positions for their guns. If the cover is good, the range-finders may next occupy the gun positions and proceed to take ranges. They must be most careful not to show themselves in the least and should work from cover to cover, some distance from the gun positions and not on the same alignment. The ranges must be noted on proper range cards, and when complete sent to the section commanders. In open country, where there is no good cover in the position, the scouts will only approach it sufficiently to ensure that it is not occupied by the enemy, and will then halt and find a good position for the guns to be dismounted; the commander, passing through the scouts, will then reconnoitre the position himself, and select the place for coming into action. There are two methods of taking up a position, which depend for their choice upon the proximity of the enemy and the time at which fire is to be opened. The first is the “deliberate” method, when the guns are brought up and the range taken before the target appears. In this case cover is essential to success, and the guns must be most carefully concealed, the whole object being to surprise the enemy when the moment arrives, and thus concealment is of the first importance. The second method is used when the enemy is in the immediate vicinity, when the country is open and the position without cover, or when the position is within artillery range of the enemy. The guns unlimber and prepare for action immediately in rear of the gun positions, and as close to them as possible and completely out of sight of the enemy. The commander alone goes into the position, and having selected approximately where each gun is to go, he stations them immediately in rear of their intended places out of sight and then creeps into the position himself and watches for the opportune moment; when this arrives, a blast on his whistle brings the guns up with a rush, no concealment is attempted, but, fully exposed, each gun opens fire on the nearest target. If the moment has been rightly judged and the range properly estimated,