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CHAPTER I.

EXTRACTS FROM GENERAL ORDERS NO. 105, WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, MAY 11, 1907.

144. A candidate to be eligible for qualification as first-class gunner must have previously qualified as second-class gunner, though both qualifications may be made at the same examination.

145. Boards of examination shall be convened annually in each artillery district by the district commander, to meet within one month after the expiration of the indoor instruction period. Separate boards may be convened for the examination of candidates for first and second-class gunners and also for the posts attached to the artillery district. All boards shall consist of three artillery officers, selected with reference to their special qualifications for this duty; provided, that when a member of the board is a company commander he will, during the examination of candidates from his company, be replaced by an officer of another company. Where travel is necessary the selection of an officer for this duty will be made subject to the approval of the authority competent to order the necessary journeys.

146. Each company commander will, previous to the commencement of the examination, submit to the adjutant a duly signed list, in the triplicate, giving the full names, arranged in muster-roll order, of all the men in his company who are to be examined for first or second-class gunners, with the statement that he believes that each man so presented is capable of qualifying in the class designated. These lists will be transmitted to the senior member of the board by the post commander.

147. In determining the qualifications of candidates credit shall be given for practical knowledge of subjects rather than for text-book answers to questions.

Schedules for Examinations for Candidates for Gunners.

148. For candidates in companies assigned to gun defence:

149. The examination of candidates for first-class gunners of organizations assigned exclusively to rapid-fire guns not provided with separate position-finding system shall include the following head in lieu of that given above under (b):

(b) Subcaliber firing 50

150. The examination of candidates for first-class gunners shall be held as far as practicable at such places as the material or equipment pertaining to the subject in hand is located, i.e., at the guns or in the plotting-rooms.

151. The examination in subjects (a), (b), (c) for second-class gunners and in subjects (a), (b), (c) and (d) for first-class gunners shall be confined to the material of the battery and its accessories to which the company is assigned. If no azimuth instrument is included in the battery equipment, the instrument used in the company instruction shall be used in the examination. If for any cause beyond the power of the battery commander any part of this equipment has been removed from his control and has not been available for instruction for at least two months previous to the examination, such material shall form no part of the examination.

152. For candidates in companies and detachments assigned to mine defence: