THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
465 
In 1787 Frederick the Great died. No reaction, however, similar to that 
which occurred on the death of Gustavus Adolphus, took place in the artillery 
world. For Frederick had lived long enough not only to force upon the 
Prussian service, and compel the officers to accept for a number of years, 
the innovations of which he was author, but to educate his army to so great 
a degree as to convince them that his innovations were improvements; while 
Gustavus, appearing with the suddenness of a winter torrent, disappeared as 
suddenly into the realms of death— 
“ Ins Baverland, wie ein gescliwollern Strom, 
Ergotz sich dieser Gustav..” 1 
The Prussian artillery, therefore, did not retrograde, although perhaps it 
did not progress, after the death of Frederick. 2 
About the middle of the century the Austrians betook themselves to the 
task of creating a light field artillery, and, rejecting the detachment system 
which had been adopted in Prussia, they chose the fourth, or car system. 3 
Owing, no doubt, to the feeble fire of the 3-prs. with which these batteries 
were armed, and to the inherent inconveniences of cars, the Austrians re¬ 
organised their cavalry artillery in 1773, and introduced the third, or gun- 
carriage system. 4 The new batteries consisted of six 6-prs., drawn by six 
horses each, and one 7-pr. howitzer, drawn by four. The carriages differed 
only from those of the medium guns in having a longer trail, on which was 
constructed an ammunition box which contained fourteen rounds for the 
gun and six for the howitzer. 5 Astride of this box rode five gunners, one 
behind the other, while a sixth gunner rode on the off-centre, or off-wheel 
horse of the team. The howitzer was commanded by a mounted bombardier, 
and each division of the guns by a corporal. On the limbers there were no 
ammunition boxes, but to each piece were attached two drivers and four 
pack-horses, which carried in their pack-saddles eighty rounds for the guns 
and forty for the howitzer. 
In 1792 General Cardell organised a light artillery in Sweden after the 
Prussian fashion; 6 but owing probably to its costliness, the Swedes grew 
1 Schiller’s “Death of Wallenstein,” III. 13. 
2 “ Preussen stand still . . . Preussen war gezwungen fremde Erzeugnisse sich anzueignen, 
anstatt den Eremden ein Vorbild zu seyn.”—“ Ueber reitende Art. &c.” p. 5. 
3 “Die Kriegsmacht Oesterreichs,” Wien, 1871, p. 40. Scharnhorst, “Handbuch der Artillerie,” 
Hanover, 1806, Band. II. p. 645. 
4 “Die Xriegs. Oesterr.” p. 40. The “British Military Library,” London, 1799, Yol. I. p. 19, 
gives the date as 1783; Carl von Decker says 1780; “ Geschichte des Geschutzwesens und der 
Artillerie in Europa,” Berlin, 1822, p. 150. I am quite unable to explain these contradictions. 
In a note on a paper, “ Ueber den ersten Gebrauch und die allgemeinere Einfuhrung der reitenden 
Artillerie,” which appeared in the Berlin “Militair-Wochenblatt,” Part 30, p. 21, the editors make 
the following remark:—“ In dem baierschen Erbfolgekriege, 1778, erschien sie schon als ein Haupttheil 
der preussischen Eeld-Artillerie und die ostreichsche Armee setzte ihr eine ahnliche leichte Artillerie 
entgegen.” Erom this it might be inferred that the Austrians possessed a light field artillery on the 
detachment system in 1778. It is quite certain, however, that such was not the case. The only- 
resemblance between the Austrian and Prussian light guns at the time in question lay in their 
lightness. 
5 Decker says the trail ammunition box contained only ten rounds for the gun. “ Geschichte, &c ” 
p. 150. 
6 Ibid. p. 147. 
