SL, 
PRECIS 
AND 
TRANSLATION. 
“INVALID RUSSE.” 
No. 165. 
DEFENCE OF A HORSE ARTILLERY BATTERY AGAINST 
CAVALRY. 
TRANSLATED BY 
MAJOR E. LAMB ART, R.A. 
The following’ scheme of self-defence against small bodies of cavalry lias lately 
been practised in the Russian Guard Horse Artillery. 
Every Horse Artillery gun has a detachment of nine men, of whom six are 
active numbers and three horse-holders. In moments of emergency (such as a 
cavalry attack) three numbers only are left with the gun, viz., a layer, a loading 
number, and a firing number. The other three numbers double to their horses, 
take them from the horse-holders, and mount. The horse-holders give the led 
horses on their right side to the lead centre and wheel-drivers respectively. This 
leaves six mounted men per gun free, or 36 in all ; to these are added the six 
serrafile N.-C.O’s., making 42. One of the battery officers previously told off 
takes command of the troop thus formed, which is placed on the threatened 
flank of the battery. When the enemy is within 30 to 40 paces of the battery 
the last round is fired, and the limbers move at a gallop and form at close 
interval to each other between the guns. The troop, formed as above, acts 
against the enemy attacking on the flank. 
Note.- -The above scheme will, I fear, he rather horrifying to those officers who hold with 
Prince Kraft that well-served guns can always drive away cavalry. Considering, however, that 
accidents do happen, and that a very few of the enemy’s cavalry could “ make hay ” in a battery 
if they got there, it seems a pity that our drill-book does not contemplate any scheme of self- 
defence at close quarters. 
2. VOL. xx. 
