THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
305 
In later stages of the siege, the artillery fire of the place must be so 
enfeebled that no rules can be laid down for its employment, except that 
every endeavour must be made to keep as many guns efficient and in 
action as possible, so as at all events to cause delay to the besiegers. 
Next, with regard to the artillery of the siege train. 
The first principle is, that the batteries must not be unmasked and 
fire opened until they have all been completed and armed, or at least a 
sufficient number to assert a decided superiority over the artillery of the 
place from the first. 
Fire must be opened from all the batteries simultaneously, and as 
early in the morning of the day of opening as it is possible to see, so 
that the enemy may be taken unawares before his gunners are at their 
posts, and that a certain effect may be produced before a return fire can 
be commenced. Common shell with large charges would be fired 
against earthworks or ordinary masonry, and Palliser or steel projectiles 
against iron shields. It would probably be found that the gun detach¬ 
ments were too well protected for it to be advisable to fire shrapnel at 
them until some of the defensive works had been ruined by shot and 
shell. The ranges of the different works of the fortress from tho 
batteries should be ascertained, as nearly as it may be possible to do so, 
from plans and maps which would be in possession of the staff and 
engineers, so that as little time as possible may be lost on opening 
before the fire becomes effective. The rate of firing should be laid down 
beforehand, and it is essential that it should be continuous, so that the 
defenders may have no time to repair damages, or bring up other guns 
in place of those that might be rendered ineffective. 
The first batteries which the besieger makes will not be, probably, at 
a less distance than from 2500 to 3000 yds. from the place. 
When the fire of the place has been subdued, the besiegers will push 
forward their trenches and construct their breaching batteries. 
In old times, breaching batteries were established on the crest of the 
glacis of the work to be breached. With modern artillery, scarps can 
be breached from a distance, even though hidden from view, and the 
power of musketry fire has so increased that it will be generally 
impossible to establish breaching batteries in the former position, but 
they will generally be placed from 1000 to 1500 yds. from the place. 
We will now consider the conditions under which a hidden revetment 
may be successfully breached by curved fire. 
The object to be gained is that the projectile should graze the crest 
of the covering work, and strike the scarp wall at the desired point 
with the maximum of energy. The first thing to be done is to decide 
upon the gun and projectile to be employed. 
It is required that a projectile should strike the revetment at a con¬ 
siderable angle of descent with sufficient energy to destroy the masonry. 
Now, in order that a considerable angle of descent may be obtained at a 
moderate range (from 1000 to 1500 yds.), it is necessary that the 
remaining Velocity should be low; but this may be obtained in two 
ways—by a projectile that has been fired originally with a comparatively 
high velocity, and has lost it rapidly, or by a projectile that has been 
fired originally with a lower velocity and a higher elevation, but has 
not lost its velocity so quickly, 
