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| DENSITY.
TARGETS. +-+-+-+-
| 4 | 8 | 16 | 32
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| % | % | % | %
Infantry skirmishers standing in | | | |
the open, or a single rank line | 25 | 40 | 65 | —-
| | | |
Skirmishers lying down; gun crews | | | |
under fire but protected by shields | | | |
of the French type. Space between | | | |
shields and ground not closed | 7.5 | 15 | 25 | 40
| | | |
Infantry lying down behind knapsacks; | | | |
gun crews protected by shields. Space | | | |
between shields and ground not closed | —- | 7.5 | 15 | 25
| | | |
Infantry lying down behind their knap- | | | |
sacks, but not firing; gun crews | | | |
protected by shields. Space between | | | |
shields and ground closed so that | | | |
bullets cannot pass through | —- | 0-2 | —- | —-
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A skirmish line 100 m. long, and lying down, would suffer a loss of 15% irrespective of its strength, from progressive fire (tir progressif; 32 rounds, density 8). If the interval between skirmishers in the open amounts to 1-1/2 paces, for instance, the front would contain 62 skirmishers, and the resulting loss would amount to 9 men. If the men have placed their knapsacks in front of them, the loss would be reduced by half. A line of skirmishers of the same length and strength as the one considered above, would suffer a loss of 40%, or 25 men, when standing up or advancing. About 1-1/2 minutes are required to fire one tir progressif, after adjustment has been secured. The same effect could be obtained in about 20 seconds by firing a rafale of eight rounds, provided the battery has accurately adjusted its fire.
