ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD. 
21 
Artillery should therefore habituate itself to forming line from column 
and vice versa with unhesitating celerity, and this can only be done by 
leaders grasping the situation, and by their subordinates knowing 
what to expect, viz.—that on every possible occasion, and as soonj'as 
opportunity offers, line formation will be maintained. A clock-work 
sort of business with which Lieutenant-Colonels should seldom have to 
interfere. 
All manner of arguments and possibilities have been threshed out 
in the Institution papers and the various drill books, &c., and as there 
is {C nothing new under the sun,” I hope if you find in my remarks 
what has been said in one or the other publication you will understand 
that I am only going over old ground in the hope of catching the 
attention of some one who has not read so carefully as you yourself 
have. 
The whole question of positions is, of course, where to go and how to 
get there. 
Where to go. —Well, undoubtedly the first consideration is to get "to 
a place fronLwhich you can see, either with your own eyes or by means 
of the instruments with which a battery is provided. 
How much should be seen to ensure effect ? 
A good general view. —You can’t expect impossibilities; you can’t 
expect to find, in ordinary country, ground sloping down like a long 
glacis in front of the position. But you should have a good general 
view of the ground where the enemy’s guns are likely to be, and the 
ground over which his infantry are most likely to advance. 
No doubt you will say that is self-evident. Well, it is ; but how often 
is it needlessly neglected. Over and over again have I seen batteries 
brought up on to a position which did not fulfil these conditions, when 
a little to right or left, back or front, there was one which did. 
The question of cover, and the best position for guns to obtain the 
greatest immunity from casualties combined with effective shooting, has 
occupied our minds ever since we thought about such things. 
We are told that the Germans do this, the French do that, and so 
on; but I think, we must remember— 
1st.—We are never likely to have to deal with such enormous 
masses of artillery as those nations employed in their 
last war one with another. 
2nd.—That their last practical experience was some quarter of 
a century ago. 
3rd.—I really think we know quite as much about it as they do ! 
The best cover is such a formation of ground as renders it most 
difficult for the enemy’s guns to range on you. A dip in front, to 
hide the burst of such shells as are short, one behind to hide those 
that are over will give him a bad target to range on. 
I do not consider that we give half enough consideration to bach 
ground, and its importance will be more than ever brought out when 
we have cordite. There will then be nothing to discover the position 
of a battery in action, save the carriages and the personnel, and if any 
