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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
INTRENCHMENT OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
BY LIEUTENANT B. WALKEY, E.A. 
The method of intrenching Field Artillery as shewn in the plan below 
is that adopted by the French army at the camp Chalons, and as in future 
campaigns it is probable that intrenching will take place to a much greater 
extent than hitherto, it may be well to make known a means of obtaining 
cover quickly by throwing up a number of detached works. 
The plan given is copied from a French drawing, and as all necessary 
dimensions are marked, only a few details of construction are added. 
The battery being drawn up in line, a distance of (7) seven feet is marked 
out on either side of the muzzle of each gun, and a breadth of 8 feet 
3 inches is measured to the front; on this rectangle of 14 feet by 3 feet 
3 inches is built up the parapet, the earth for which is obtained from a 
ditch 3 feet 3 inches deep, and 3 feet 3 inches wide, dug in front. 
From each extremity of this front face, 12 feet are measured off at right 
angles to the face, and at a distance of 4 feet from each angle formed by 
the face and flank a ditch 8 feet 3 inches wide and 2 feet deep is dug* 
The width (3 feet 3 inches) of each of these ditches is measured ill towards 
the interior of the work and the earth from them is thrown outside,* instead 
of inside as Was the case with the front ditch. 
Some of the earth from the front and flank ditches must be placed so aS 
to form the parapet of the epaulments, and though this be done, since freshly 
dug earth occupies a greater space than that of the hole from which it is 
obtained, there will still be enough earth to give a parapet 3 feet high 
around the work. 
Not more than seven men can conveniently dig at the same time, three 
being able to work in the front and two in each flank ditch, but other men 
can be well employed in revetting the parapet with sods and building up in 
places where required. 
The Officers of the present long course at Shoeburyness intrenched two 
guns after this method and were a little over an hour completing each work; 
the soil however was especially unfavourable, the surface earth being ex¬ 
tremely hard on account of the recent drought, whilst that below was 
very still' clay. 
