332 
COMMENDED ESSAY, 1898. 
2. Increased 
difficulties of 
ammunition 
supply. 
There are at present two recognized methods of checking the recoil 
of a field gun, the first by means of a buffer attached to the gun and 
carriage, the second by means of brakes acting on the wheels of the 
carriage. 
These systems may of course be used in combination, as in our 15-pr., 
Mark II. carriage, but something more is wanted to get rid of the whole 
recoil, and this would appear to be some form of trail anchorage, which 
would bury itself in the ground either when the trail is dropped or on 
the first round being fired. 
Now it may be said that these various appliances are in use on exist¬ 
ing carriages, and apparently without any disadvantage which ordinary 
care cannot overcome ; but it must be remembered that the present 
gun is not altogether prevented from recoiling, and it would seem that 
if it is to be, then the strains on the carriage must be greatly increased ; 
and the question is whether the carriage will be strong enough to resist 
these strains for any length of time without being made heavier, and 
this is impossible without affecting the mobility of the gun. Again, 
each additional appliance, whether it be a spring, a buffer, or a brake, 
must require extra care and add to the chance of a breakdown. 
2. The difficulties of ammunition supply will be greatly increased.— 
Great as the advantages of being able to fire rapidly may be, there is no 
use in trying to conceal from ourselves the difficulties in the way of 
the extra supplies of ammunition that may be required. To see what 
these may amount to, it will be necessary to examine a few details as 
to the possible expenditure. 
First, take the field gun “ Battery fire at 10 seconds,” the wagon 
ammunition will last lj hours, the gun limber ammunition f hour ; or 
in other words the battery without assistance, and if not obliged to 
increase its rate of fire for any reason, can remain in action for '2\ hours. 
During the battle it can count on receiving fresh supplies from the 
divisional ammunition column, and these if evenly distributed between 
the various batteries will last another hour, and consequently the 
battery can expect during the day to be able to keep up the rate of fire 
we are considering for 3^ hours. 
These times are of necessity merely theoretical, as it is impossible to 
form any idea as to the periods during which “ subdivision ” or 
“ magazine ” fire might have to be employed. 
Now, suppose the quick firer, with the same amount of ammunition 
as the field gun, but firing at the rate of 5 rounds per minute ; the wagon 
ammunition will last 18 minutes, the gun limber ammunition 7 minutes, 
and consequently the battery can remain in action without assistance 
for only 25 minutes. The ammunition column will only provide for 
another 9 minutes, so that the whole of the ammunition available for 
the day can be fired away in 34 minutes. 
It is not suggested for a moment that a quick-firing battery on 
coming into action would proceed to fire away all its ammunition 
as quickly as possible after the range had been found, nor is there any 
reason to suppose that, except when occasion demands it, the ordinary 
rate of fire of quick firers will be greatly in excess of that of well served 
field guns ; but, the point desired to be made is this, that if a rapid fire 
becomes necessary for any reason, the present supply of ammunition 
carried by the battery will be quite inadequate, and that unless it is 
increased the ammunition column must be prepared to render assistance 
almost from the commencement of the fight. 
