490 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
the adoption of improved axle-tree seats, and arrangements for carrying 
the detachments, the field gnn may be enabled to go anywhere at good 
speed, and always attended by its full complement of men. 
Field entrenchments would enable a force armed with inferior weapons 
to oppose a prolonged resistance to another possessing those of superior 
power and range; and in England it must be borne in mind that the great 
majority of batteries in India are armed with the antiquated S.B. bronze 
9 pr. guns—for the most part unserviceable, and with the very best of 
which it is a matter of much wonder and congratulation if the lucky gunner 
manages once in 40 rounds to hit a 5 ft. x 5 ft. target at the very moderate 
range of 700 yds.—guns which, taking a most partial view of them, are 
only fit for firing case or salutes, more especially the latter, or better 
than all, are only fit for that limbo of antiquity, the marine store shop. 
Should it ever be found necessary to send an auxiliary Indian army, 
say of two corps, to Egypt, Asia Minor, or Turkey, the greater part of 
the artillery contingent that would accompany this force would be armed 
with the above weapon; and it would be needless to point out that 
without resorting to some expedient, such as entrenchments, portable 
mantlets, &c., these S.B. guns would easily be overpowered long before 
they could fire an effective round. 
The necessity of some authorised instruction in entrenchment may 
therefore be considered as established. 
The question is, how to obtain the best cover with the least amount 
of labour. Two methods of obtaining cover present themselves :— 
1. The sunken, or gun-pit battery. 
2. The elevated, or gun battery. 
It is assumed that at least 6 ft. of good cover must be obtained. The 
sunken or gun-pit battery seems to be the best expedient for obtaining 
this cover:— 
(1) As it supplies its own parapet from the interior excavation. 
(2) The parapet and trench increase simultaneously, thus halving 
the labour. 
(3) It presents a very small target, and half of the parapet is per¬ 
fectly impenetrable to any projectile. 
(4) The labour of construction is not excessive. 
While on the contrary, the elevated or gun battery— 
(1) Requires double the labour to construct. 
(2) Presents a larger mark. 
(3) Is pervious to shot or shell at its strongest part. 
In comparison with the gun-pit, it has the advantage of being tenable in 
all weathers, while the gun-pit is liable in wet weather to get filled with water. 
But then positions for action are seldom held for longer than five or 
six hours, and even should the pits become filled with water during an 
action, the guns can be run back and fought in the rear with advantage, 
as in the case of a screen battery. 
The gun-pit, with a parapet the maximum thickness of which is 6 ft. 
only, requires about 300 cubic feet to be excavated; while the gun 
battery, with a parapet of the same thickness as the gun-pit, requires 
about 600 cubic feet of excavation. 
