204 
GERMAN MANCEUVRES. 
a very small mark, ifc will be allowed compared to tbafc presented by 
a gun with limber and team. It is not only Artillery fire that has] to 
be looked for on these occasions, but it is very hard to ensure safety 
against advanced parties of the enemies Infantry, who with the present 
long ranging rifle, can play destruction with the teams (the German 
says at 1500 yards), and if the horses are killed the mobility is gone. 
Much however as I advocate this method of: coming into action 
when the ground is favourable to it, I must allow that the procedure 
is often impracticable, and that with large numbers of guns, such as 
those of an Army Corps or more, nearly always so, owing to the im¬ 
possibility of finding favourable conditions of ground. 
Extract from a Letter from a German Artillery Officer stationed 
at the School of Gunnery, Juterbog, 10th December, 1896. 
‘‘With regard to your other question with reference to the method 
of coming into action, our rule is, that the guns are to be brought up 
to the firing position by means of the horses only so far as the latter 
are under cover from the fire of the enemy, and thatxvhen that can no 
longer be the case, the guns are unlimbered and run up by hand by 
the Detachments. This is invariably done when coming up into action 
against the enemy’s artillery, already in position. If the latter is not 
the case, it is permissible to bring the guns up into the firing position 
without previously unlimbering. This, however, must be regarded as 
an exception to the rule. When, however, the fire of the enemy's 
artillery is nearly subdued, and when, in consequence, ours is not ex¬ 
posed to any great loss, when, moreover, we advance to a second or 
subsequent position to support the decisive infantry attack, then we 
bring up the guns into the firing position by means of the teams. 
This also is done in case of a pursuit, when it is all important to gain 
time. All these cases must, however, be regarded as’exceptions to the 
rule, which is, that the horses are not to be exposed To the enemy's fire, 
and that the guns are to be unlimbered, under cover, and run up by 
hand by the gunners. The guns being unlimbered, the Nos. 1 run 
forward to the firing position, and select the exact site for their re¬ 
spective guns, which are then run up by hand to them. 
“ With regard to what you say you heard took place at the Kaiser 
Manoeuvres this year, it was probably done in a case of pursuit, or in 
support of an infantry attack, in either of which cases the guns would 
have been brought up by the horses. In order, however, to fatigue 
the gunners as little as possible, the Battery Commanders are directed 
to reconnoitre the ground to their front most carefully, so that the 
batteries may advance under cover without unlimbering, as far as 
practicable, without being seen by the enemy; or in other words, that 
the distance over which the guns are run up by hand may be reduced 
to the utmost possible extent. This, of course, calls for a most care- 
full and searching reconnaissance on the part of the Battery Com¬ 
manders. 
,, In order to avoid observation from the enemy as long qaassible, 
it is the custom in some Artillery Regiments to dismount the drivers, 
