SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1898. 
323 
gun that would otherwise he used. Should it be found impracticable 
to obtain such a Q.F. for the Field Artillery, it may be, that some 
compromise can be effected, which will admit of an equipment, 
partaking largely of the nature of the Q.F. and yet not quite fufilling 
all its requirements, being adopted. Thus, the nearer we can get to a 
Q.F. equipment, the more effective will our Artillery be. If however, 
a sufficiently powerful Q.F. can be produced, it will undoubtedly give 
absolute superiority. 
For the Horse Artillery we can almost claim that this advantage is 
already ours, inasmuch as Q.F. pieces of the requisite power exist. It 
may perhaps be a little premature to assert that these possess all the 
qualifications needed, but that they fulfil them in a large measure, may 
be gathered from the fact that the French have, at the present time, 
130—12-pr. Q.F. batteries, and the Germans a considerable number.* 
Rumour has it that the German batteries have not proved altogether 
as great a success as was anticipated,"! but it must be remembered, 
that the question of Q.F. guns for field service is still almost in its infancy, 
and that modifications in equipments may be looked for, which will no 
doubt lessen, if they do not entirely remove, any existing defects. 
The result of such improvements would be, that a Horse Artillery thus 
armed, will most certainly be able, under all circumstances, to compete, 
on at least equal terms with any existing Horse Artillery gun, while, 
whenever very rapid fire is required, it will be greatly superior. 
Consequently we may conclude that Q.F. guns are particularly well 
suited to the requirements of Horse Artillery, and also that their 
adoption for the Field Artillery will undoubtedly prove of the greatest 
value, if it is found practicable to extend the quick-firing system to 
field guns as powerful as may be needed. 
* Parliamentary debate, Times , March 1st, 1898. 
f “ Naval and Military Record,” January 27th, 1898. 
