The limber. 
See pi. III., 
fig* 3. 
See pi. III., 
fig • 4- 
See pi. Ill,, 
fig • ®. 
556 THE EQUIPMENT OP FIELD AETILLEEY. 
matter of common sense that artillery to be really effective must be 
independent of natural cover, often having to act where none such 
exists, and at the same time the improvements in small arms, and the 
development of long range fire are tending to render the service of 
guns in the open almost impossible. It would be well for us to lay aside 
any presumptuous ideas we may have imbibed from the experience 
of the practice ground, and turn to the consideration of the stern facts 
of history, and to remember that our field artillery is absolutely 
without reserve upon which it can fall back. It is to be hoped that 
this question will soon meet with the attention it deserves. 
18. The limber should be made principally of steel, with thin plates 
of metal where necessary ; the use of buffers as introduced into the 
Russian Artillery is manifest; in that service* the “ limber frame is 
made of iron bars, and so connected with the axle that above the 
prismatic axletree (B) there is a support provided with a slit, which is 
connected with the caoutchouc buffers (C), which are under the axletree; 
by this means the shocks upon the axle are borne by the buffers, and 
only received by the limbers in greatly decreased force. 5 '’ The limber 
should have but one box, provided, where necessary, with thin metal 
plates. The system of having drawers in the limber containing the 
projectiles has serious drawbacks, such as liability to jams, &c., and if 
it was placed on the slope of a hill, a very common occurrence, the 
service of the ammunition would become impeded; such a system 
would also render difficult the adoption of some means to protect the 
men and horses with the limber ; that something of the kind is necessary 
is amply proved by the casualties in the gun teams during the Franco- 
German war,f a great many of which must have occurred whilst the 
batteries were in action; if the limber were reversed in action, so that 
the horses heads would be turned to the rear, and if the lid of the 
limber box were made bullet proof, a good deal of protection would be 
afforded, but it would be well if in addition folding screens were pro¬ 
vided that could be extended at will, a little over the wheels. In the 
service of the ammunition one gunner would remain mounted on the 
limber, and the hinges of the lid of the box would be to the rear, that 
is, over the pin-tail. As doubtless all projectiles in future will be 
carried with fuzes fixed, it is desirable that they should be shaken as 
little as possible during transport. The buffers above referred to 
will facilitate this; in addition, we would propose the following mode 
of packing:—the projectiles should be placed parallel to the longer 
sides of the box, and four pieces of metal {aa, bb , a'a !, b'b',) should be 
provided to keep them in their places, of these aa a'a! should be fixed, 
a play of one inch being allowed to bb, b'b' , by means of slots at c, c, c, c. 
Four bars d , d, d, d ,would supply the means of screwing up bb, b'b', 
close to aa and a'a', and when this was done the circular opening left 
in the metal should correspond exactly to the calibre of the projectiles, 
and the curved portion of the metal should be faced with gutta-percha. 
* Vide Dr. Beckerheim’s “ Field Artillery,” p. 61. 
f Vide Hoffbauer, ‘ { Ilie G-erman Artillery,” Appendix. 
