173 
THE ARTILLERY AT DARGAI. 
BY 
LIEUTENANT G. F. MACMUNN, D.S.O., K.A. 
THE storming of the Dargai ridge has naturally excited much 
interest both inside and outside the military world, while the devotion 
of the l/2nd Goorkhas and the dash and discipline of the 3rd Sikhs and 
the Gordon Highlanders, created an enthusiasm of which| nothing 
better could be said than that it was thoroughly merited. 
It is not the object of this paper to describe the fight in detail, there 
are many better qualified to do so, and till reports and despatches are 
available, it would be impossible to do the subject justice. It was, 
however, said at the time of the fight that the artillery were of little 
use, the weight of their metal being utterly insufficient to produce any 
effect. This, cn first thoughts, certainly seemed to have been the 
case, and the actual facts will be of interest to all gunners. Having 
watched the fight from a distance of some 4,000 yards with a telescope 
and having afterwards had the opportunity to go carefully over the 
whole ground, an opportunity which, I believe, none of tho^artillery 
officers actually engaged aud but few others have had, I venture to 
think my observations may be of interest. I would first beg those officers 
engaged that day to pardon any minor errors of detail as to the exact 
positions and ranges of their batteries ; they will not affect the general 
account, and I have only been privileged to hear the actual details of 
their doings from some of the batteries engaged. 
The ridge of Dargai was the scene of two fights, viz, on the 18th 
and the 20th of October. 
The force destined for the expedition to Tirah assembled finally at 
Shinawari, some 45 miles from Kohat, near the Kohat-Kurrain ready 
immediately below the Chagru Kotal, over which there is a pass into 
the Khanki valley. 
The artillery with the force consisted of Nos. 1,8 and 9 Mountain 
Batteries B.A., and the following Native Mountain Batteries:—-No. 1 
(Kohat), No. 2 (Derajat). No. 5 Bombay, also No. 1 Kashmir; all 
armed with the 2rb" 7-pr. gun of 400 lbs., save the latter, which had 
a7-pr. gun of 200 lbs. No. 3 Field Battery was also up in Kurram, 
and No. 9 Field in Kohat. 
No. 1 Mountain 11. A. and Nos. 1 and 2 Native Mountain Batteries 
formed the artillery of the 1st division; Nos. 8 and 9 Mountain R A. 
and No. 5JBombay Mountain Battery that of the 2nd division. 
4. YOL XXV. 
