26 
ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD. 
At a station such as this (Kirkee), where there is the complete staff 
of a Brigade Division, and a concentration of four batteries, all officers, 
the seniors especially, have very great advantages such as cannot 
possibly be found at outstations. 
With a view, therefore, of profiting by this fortunate circumstance 
and of illustrating the manner in which larger bodies of Artillery 
would be handled in the field, and also of practising on a larger scale 
than we have generally been able to do such matters as— 
The transmission of orders in the field. 
The chain of command. 
The occupation of extensive positions, and 
The massing of guns. 
It is proposed during the present season, when in consequence of 
the rains the drill grounds are closed and it is not possible to manoeuvre 
guns over the country, to form skeleton Batteries, Brigade Divisions, 
Ammunition Columns, &c., and by this means to learn, to a certain 
extent, our difficulties and the means of overcoming them. 
We shall, of course, be short of Officers, but I am not sure that that 
is wholly a disvantage; it is eminently a f service condition/ and will 
give us the opportunity of working the Sergeants as Sectional 
Commanders,—a duty which they would often have to take up on service, 
and in which they have under ordinary circumstances hardly sufficient 
practice to enable them to do justice to themselves when suddenly 
called upou to act in that capacity, 
At Kirkee — 
We have—one Battery of Horse Artillery and three Batteries of 
Field Artillery. 
Each of these would be able to form either 2 or 3 skeleton Batteries, 
and several schemes offer themselves: 
Such as the formation of— 
(A) 
Three Brigade Divisions and three Ammunition Columns, to be 
concentrated for combined action. 
(B) 
Two Brigade Divisions (Divisional Artillery). 
One Brigade Division, Royal Horse Artillery and one field Artillery 
(Corps Artillery). 
( 0 ) 
One Brigade Division, Royal Horse Artillery. 
Two Brigade Divisions, Field Artillery. 
One Ammunition Column (representing Corps Artillery only). 
And so on. Of these f B ’ seems most suitable. 
The skeleton Batteries can consist of 4 or 6 guns, according as we 
have Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers available. 
