battery
-
31th: I thought that when a Battery came in to action, it fired. But apparently coming in to action is not the same as firing (or not always?). So when I read "came in to action" do I tag "Attacking/Firing"?
Posted
-
by
cyngast
moderator
Coming into action apparently means getting the guns into position, but not yet firing.
In some diaries, the distinction is not very clear, and it is hard to know how to tag "came into action," but in others it may be clearly stated "Came into action but did not fire."
"Came into action" often seems to be the equivalent of "In the line" for infantry troops. We had another discussion on this same question, started by me when I realized there was a difference, at least a year ago. I think we decided that Attacking/Firing should be used only if the diary clearly states they fired. I don't remember, and I can't find that old discussion, if we decided that "In the line" should be used. At this point, use your judgment when selecting tags, and maybe Rob will be able to add some wisdom in the next few days.
Posted
-
by
ral104
moderator, scientist
In this case, I'd tag into action as 'in the line'. As Cynthia says, it's not always clear whether the batteries are actually engaging the enemy, or just arraying themselves in readiness to do so. So inevitably, we'll probably have a mix of tags for these activities. But, as a rule of thumb, if it's clear they're firing, use 'attacking/firing', but if not then go with 'in the line'.
Posted
