22 
ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD. 
man doubts bow difficult it is to pick up sucb a [target, let him only 
try and do so on a battery. say,(in bracken or shrub, with a goodjback 
ground thrown in, if possible, at two or three thousand yards. 
In remarking on a battery’s [conduct at one field| day, I said, in 
speaking of a position taken up on a bare hill side (Position A), “ two 
hundred yards to the left would have been better.” The Major after¬ 
wards asked me why, saying he thought there was “no difference.” 
I told him that the reason was[that,l|in] the position I advocated,! he 
would find a background of dark scrub or trees (I forget which) (position 
B). He told me afterwards that, to make sure, he had onjafsubsequent 
day gone to the target, and had his battery placed just in the position 
he had taken up, and then in the position which I had|[advocated, 
further down the ridge; and that whilst he could see his guns in the 
first, he could not see them at all in the second. I need hardly say 
that the ground had been well reconnoitred by me previously, but, of 
course, he should have done the same before taking up j his] position 
with his battery. 
When it comes to actual cover, nothing is gained by hugging it,—• 
better, if possible, go two orgthree hundred yards behind it. The 
‘ cover ’ may often be a good object for the enemy to range on. Here, 
again, I will give you an example. I ordered a C.O. to bring his 
battery on a position something like this in section. He with great 
pains brought them close up to A, and it was only with great difficulty 
I could get him to see that B was a much better position. He wanted 
the cover given at A, which he really got much better some 200 yards 
further back at B. He, by the way, was wrong in every way; he 
could have got to B under cover, whereas he came right over the hill 
at the back. Further, at A all his guns when fired ran back into a 
small nullah in rear of the position and had to be got up to their 
original position with much labour after every round. 
A most important question which every officeFshould ask himself is, 
“ what am I taking up the position for ” and “ what future action will 
most probably be required of me ? ” Are we— 
(a) Attacking guns already in position with a view to covering 
an infantry attack ? 
(b) Pursuing a retreating enemy ? 
(c) Resisting an attack ? or 
(d) Covering our own retreat ? 
Further, what is the morale of the troops against which we are 
acting ? 
(a) Guns already in position. —In this case I should, if possible, 
make use of the concealed position (laying by means of pickets). It 
offers enormous advantages in the saving of men and material and in 
the matter of accuracy of practice. The great objection is that the 
objective cannot so easily be changed, also that cavalry can advance 
under cover up to the crest line in front of the battery. But the first 
and most prominent fact that strikes one is that in many cases it is the 
