8 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
NOTES EXTRACTED FROM SOME GERMAN PAMPHLETS * 
OST THE 
EMPLOYMENT OE ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD. 
BY 
CAPTAIN W. Gr. BllANCKER, It.A. 
Ranges. Since infantry fire may now be considered as effective at 800 yds. 
and deadly at 300 yds., to bring gnns to within case shot range 
of unshaken troops, more especially on ground admitting of cover, is to 
lead them to certain destruction; while firing at ranges from 4000 to 
5000 yds. may be considered a waste of ammunition to be encouraged 
in an enemy but avoided on one's own part. It may then be laid down 
that artillery ought to avoid engaging troops at distances under 800 or 
over 3000 yds. when acting on the offensive, and that case shot is useful 
mainly for the defensive; though on rare occasions, when an enemy has 
become utterly demoralised by a fire at the longer range, victory may be 
completed by allowing the guns to accompany the assaulting columns. 
Duties in the The duties of artillery in the field are :— 
field ' 1. To begin the action. 
2. To hold an enemy in check, and thus gain time for 
the other arms to deploy. 
3. To prepare for the attack of the other arms. 
4. To withdraw an enemy's fire from them. 
5. To aid the pursuit. 
6. To cover a retreat. 
The officer To enable artillery to carry out the above duties, it is 
commanding necessary that its commander should be well acquainted with 
} the intentions of the officer commanding the troops to which 
it may be attached; but this he cannot possibly be unless he is close to 
him. It may therefore be laid down that the place of the officer com¬ 
manding the artillery is near to the commanding officer, so long as the 
troops are not engaged, but that when the batteries have once opened 
fire, the correcting of ranges, the keeping up of a sufficient supply of 
ammunition, the choice of the objects to be aimed at, will require his 
* “ Ideen iiber die Verwendung der Feld-Artillerie,” by Kraft Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen. 
Taubert’s C£ Gebrauch der Feld-Artillerie.” Perzonius, “ Tactic.” 
