of technique, and we know that in all cases when such a conflict takes place, it is the technique which has to adapt itself to meet the fundamentally important condition. The technique in the present case is the technique of gunnery and fire control, and the author believes that it cannot be put too strongly that it is "up to" the gunnery officer (whenever possible) to carry into practice the concentration of the larger force on the lesser and to adapt his methods, cost what it may, to meet the requirements of the case; he cannot afford to flout a fundamental principle for the sake of simplifying the technique of his profession.
_-_Fig._18.png)
Fig. 18.
§ 116. The n-square law and Partial Concentration. In § 42 it was shown that if the whole of the "combined" fleet of 46 ships had been concentrated upon the British 40 ships the annihilation of the latter would have been complete, leaving the combined fleet victors with the equivalent of 23 whole ships to the good; this is now represented graphically in Fig. 18. By inadvertence this was referred to (quoting Villeneuve) as "the usage of former days." This is not strictly accurate, at least it requires qualification.
According to the said "usage of former days" 34 of the British vessels would have been opposed
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