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pronounce in favour of the pit as regards protection to the detachments and 
guns. 
It must not be forgotten that in making this pit (which was rather bigger 
than is necessary) the men working were supplied with seven spades and 
seven picks, a greater number of tools than is carried by a subdivision of a 
battery. But a few days afterwards when Col. Michell, B.H.A., was with 
his Battery of Royal Horse Artillery at Shoeburyness, he ordered a serjeant 
and the six dismounted gunners of a detachment to intrench their gun, 
making use only of the tools carried by their subdivision, viz. two spades, 
two shovels, two picks, and he told them to take what advantage they could 
of a slight ridge running along the front of the battery. The party set to 
work, and by digging a recess, so to say, in the reverse side of the bank 
obtained excellent cover; the bottom of this recess was horizontal, the rear 
left quite open to facilitate limbering up, and it was completed in half an 
hour. The ground selected was of rather more than ordinary stiffness, 
and the tools were found to be sufficient as there was not room for more 
than four men to dig at the same time. 
Gun Pit constructed by Colonel Michell’s Battery, R.H.A. 
This trial must be considered a fair one, for since only the intrenching 
tools always carried by a subdivision were used, and the position chosen was 
such as is generally sought for by artillery, it was made under no favourable 
circumstances, but carried out as it probably would be on active service. 
Against making pits it is urged that in heavy rain they become pools of 
water; that when the gun recoils the trail and wheels of the carriage soon 
imbed themselves in soil soft owing to the surface earth having been 
removed; and that on account of the guns being nearly on a level with 
the ground any slight inequalities in front are not searched into by the fire. 
On the other hand pits for field guns are not likely to be occupied for 
more than a few hours; whilst the guns are so light and handy that the 
objection as regards the soil being soft cannot be considered important: 
and a grazing fire, provided all the ground in front be commanded, is exactly 
what is wanted. 
It is however not the intention of the writer to advocate any particular 
system of obtaining cover, so much as to bring to notice that continental 
armies are busy practising intrenching field artillery, and to point out that 
in the short space of thirty minutes, half a dozen men from a gun detach¬ 
ment can throw up around their gun a work, which if properly made, will 
afford them some shelter from the enemy's shells and greatly defend them 
from the fire of his riflemen. 
