THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
35 
It would appear, therefore, that the writer in the “ Archives/ 5 whilst 
fully recognising the importance of artillery fire on a modern battle¬ 
field, is of opinion that it will be practically impossible to employ beyond 
a certain number of guns. Hence he infers that, in the organisation of 
large armies, the proportion of guns to men should never be more than 
3 per 1000. He is careful, however, to point out that the case of 
smaller armies is wholly different. An army of from 70,000 to 75,000 
men should, he considers, be able to deploy in about 3^ or 4 hours, if 
marching by three or four parallel roads; the proportion of artillery 
should therefore be increased, since, in diminishing the total strength, 
the difficulty of bringing a number of guns simultaneously into action 
disappears, or, at all events, is much modified. At the battle of 
Custozza, the Archduke Albrecht had 75,000 men and 172 guns (2*3 
per 1000). In spite of the ground being unfavourable to the action of 
artillery, there were several gaps in his line of battle into which some 
additional batteries could have been introduced with advantage; had 
the ground been favourable to the action of artillery, a larger pro¬ 
portion of that arm would have been absolutely necessary to him. 
In conclusion, the writer in the “ Archives 33 is of opinion that large 
armies acting in a flat open country, when the communications are 
good and numerous, should be provided with artillery in a proportion 
not greater than 3 guns per 1000 men; but that if the country be 
enclosed or mountainous, or the roads few and of bad quality, the 
proportion should not exceed 2 to 2\ guns per 1000 men. On the 
other hand, he is of opinion that smaller armies of from 50,000 to 
80,000 men should be provided with artillery in the proportion of at 
least or 3 guns per 1000 men in mountainous and enclosed country; 
but that, if the theatre of war is favourable to the movement and action 
of artillery, the proportion should be increased to 3^, 4or even 5 guns 
per 1000 men. 
Topographical and Statistical Department 
of the War Office, 
April 13, 1871, 
