THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
325 
THE 
NEW FIELD ARTILLERY OE MATTEI-ROSSI. 
TllANSLATED FBOM 
THE ITALIAN 
OF “L’OPINIONE,” 23rd—26th OCTOBER, 1868, 
WITH A NOTE BY THE TRANSLATOR. 
BY COLONEL H. IL. MAXWELL, E.A. 
1. Eor some time past the new light artillery tried at Eoiano has been 
much talked of. It is well that the country should know the origin of this 
question, its importance, and the manner in which it has been treated. 
In 1859 rifled field artillery was first adopted on field service, and its 
superiority was manifested: at its first introduction not only was the 
accuracy of fire and effect of the guns very remarkable, but the carriages 
were so much diminished in weight that the teams were reduced from six 
to four horses. 
All the European powers soon introduced rifled artillery into the arma¬ 
ment of their troops, fraught as it was with such important advantages; 
we alone, from motives of economy and for want of time, contented ourselves 
with rifling our existing guns, thus in no way altering our materiel; by this 
step the practice was much improved as regards the rifled field gun; and, 
barring the question of weight, our field artillery was amongst the best in 
Europe; but due to that one fact of excessive weight, it is inferior to all 
foreign artilleries. 
In the campaign of 1866, the difficulties occasioned by the weight of our 
artillery became evident, and the necessity of lightening it was acknowledged : 
but besides the importance of bringing up the materiel of our artillery to 
the degree of perfection obtained among other nations, the introduction 
of breech-loading small-arms has created anew the necessity of doing so; 
this we will endeavour to explain. 
The quickness of fire of breech-loading arms, and the facts of the Austro- 
Prussian war have demonstrated that good infantry covers its front by such 
a mass of fire, as to render any attack against troops so armed materially 
impossible. 
Hence an enemy armed with breech-loaders, who remains on the defensive 
in action, and upon whom it is necessary to march up to, to come to hand- 
to-hand fight, is, it may be said, invincible; unless artillery in large numbers^ 
[vol. vi.] 43 
