Page:Tactics (Balck 1915).djvu/190

 Ranges up to 400      m. 5   rounds per minute; "   from   400- 700 "  4-5   "     "     "  "     "     700-1000 "  3-4   "     "     "  "     "    1000-1300 "  2-3   "     "     "  "     "    1300-1500 "  1-4   "     "     "  "     over 1500      "    1   "     "     "

Troops going into action for the first time are inclined to fire entirely too fast, due to their desire to overcome their nervousness. Veteran troops seek to attain the same result, not through rapidity of fire, but through accuracy. Only the determination to make hits is calculated to overcome nervousness. Wherever this determination is lacking, wild firing (fire panic), which is in any case difficult to prevent, will surely result. Fire delivered hurriedly during unexpected rencontres is almost invariably ineffective. For this reason most of the firing regulations have eliminated the command "Rapid Fire," which is only calculated to produce confusion.

The Italian Firing Regulations contain the following statement in regard to the effect of accelerated fire (see p. 140 supra).

1. When the appropriate elevation is used, two-thirds of the percentage of hits obtained by firing 5-6 rounds from each rifle per minute, may be expected when firing at the rate of 12-14 rounds per minute.

2. When the elevation selected is too great or too small by 100 m., rapid fire produces almost the same percentage of hits as ordinary fire at will.

3. When the elevation selected is in error by 200 m., rapid fire produces almost twice as great a percentage of hits as fire at will.