446 THE VALUE OP MOBILITY FOR FIELD ARTILLERY. 
the 3rd Light and 3rd Heavy Batteries of the 9th Brigade to the 
heights. The road by which these batteries endeavoured to advance 
was at all times a difficult one, but now ploughed up by shells, and 
narrowed by some cavalry who had preceded them and halted there, 
was almost impassable. 
The leading gun of the Light Battery was alone able at first to 
reach the heights, and its anxiously waited for appearance was greeted 
we are told by a loud cheer from the well-nigh exhausted infantry. 
Soon after the rest of the Light Battery was got up, but only one 
division of the Heavy Battery was able to gain the spot they strove 
for. Although these eight guns lost nearly half their gunners, fighting 
as they were within 800 paces of a line of French skirmishers in 
shelter trenches, the effect of their shells compelled the enemy by 
degrees to abandon the field and the remaining four guns of the 
Heavy Battery were able to come into action also. The timely advance 
of these guns and the glorious struggle maintained by them had a 
most decisive effect, and had it not been for their opportune appearance 
the Rotherberg might have been lost to the Prussians. Few better 
examples of how lightness and activity may serve us at a pinch could, 
I think, be quoted. The Light Battery, it will have been noticed, was 
able to ascend a height at a critical moment which was impracticable 
to the heavier guns, and which it was of vital importance to occupy 
quickly with artillery. Not only, however, was the great necessity of 
mobility conspicuously displayed here, but the disadvantage of a field 
piece with much recoil in certain situations was also exemplified. We 
are told that the configuration of the ground, sloping as it did to the 
rear, brought about such an amount of recoil in the heavy guns as to 
interfere very seriously with their service. This fact, though only 
casually mentioned, is not without a certain bearing on the subject, 
and I feel I need not apologise to alluding to it here. 
To return to incidents in the war of 1870—at the battle of Vion- 
ville—Mars-la-Tour, when the Prussian infantry had to evacuate the 
Trouville copses between 3 and 5 o’clock, their retreat was covered 
with much bravery by their artillery, who had a very difficult role to 
play, till they were reinforced at a critical moment by the 3rd Horse 
Artillery Battery of the 10th Corps, which had been temporarily with¬ 
drawn from another position, and which came up round the south of 
Yionville at a gallop and supported the other guns 1 already in action 
From the battle of Gravelotte incidents of the same description 
might be freely culled. The splendid reckleseness or devotion, call if 
what you will, which sent Hasse’s and Gnugge’s batteries across the 
ravine opposite the French left, the gallant advance of von Prittwitz, 
and the 3rd Light Battery of the Guard Corps Artillery have furnished 
a theme for many a sympathetic writer. We need not multiply 
examples of this kind, and moreover they savour somewhat of a 
(i Balaclava Charge ” kind of tactics, and of magnificent courage, and 
soldier-like qualities, falsely utilised by deficient leadership. 
It may possibly be that the same scenes may once more be re¬ 
enacted,, in the future, for the very precision and intensity of modern 
1 The batteries of the 6th Infantry Division, 
