If a FO receives a Splash call and does not observe impact, what spotting would they make?

In the scenario where a Forward Observer (FO) receives a Splash call but does not observe the impact, the appropriate spotting to make is "Lost." This indicates that the FO is unable to determine where the rounds landed, which is crucial for the artillery to adjust fire or understand the effectiveness of the strike.

The term "Lost" signifies that the FO has lost sight of the round's impact, which may occur due to a variety of factors such as terrain interference, line of sight obstruction, or conditions affecting visibility. By choosing "Lost," the FO communicates to the fire direction center that there is ambiguity regarding the strike's effectiveness, which requires further clarification or adjustment based on the situation.

In contrast, options such as "Doubtful," "Unobserved," and "Cannot Observe" do not accurately describe the situation where the FO had some initial information (the Splash call) but ultimately lost visual contact with the impact. These terms either suggest uncertainty without the context of losing sight or imply an inability to see from the start, which does not align with the facts in this case.