Note 169 — THE FORMAL TACTICS OF INFANTRY. (continued 3)

Lieutenant-General Rohne’s definitions are given below in explanation of certain technical terms:

“Danger Space” is the distance measured along the line of sight within which the trajectory neither rises above the height of the target nor falls below the target.

“Beaten Zone” is the distance measured along the surface of the ground within which the trajectory does not rise above the height of the target.

Whether a target will be struck by a bullet when the range has not been correctly estimated depends entirely upon the danger space. In pointing at the bottom line of the target, the aiming position (i.e., the height at which the piece is held) does not affect the danger space. When pointing at the center of the target the danger space changes, increasing for low rear sight elevations and tall targets, and decreasing for high rear sight elevations and low targets, as compared with aim taken at the bottom line of a target. “The evil effects of errors in estimating the range decrease as the ‘danger space’ increases, which, by the way, is wholly dependent upon the ballistic properties of the rifle, upon the range, and the height of the target. The danger on the ground in rear of the target fired upon, and the difficulty of bringing up reinforcements and ammunition over it, increases directly as the beaten zone, which in addition depends upon the inclination of the ground to the line of sight.”