644 
GIORNALE DI ARTIGLIERIA E GENIO. 
communicate to the artillery. If the latter pushes far and rashly to 
the front, it runs the risk of being isolated and cut off; if, on the other 
hand, relying upon the great range of the guns, it remains far in rear, 
so little time is left for its action before its fire becomes masked by 
its own cavalry that the correct range could rarely be ascertained. 
Again, should the cavalry be forced to retreat, the guns, which by the 
regulations of the Austrian service must take up positions to cover the 
movement, will tend rather to hinder than help the cavalry, which 
must look to the safety of the guns, while they, by their subsequent 
retirement at a gallop, will tend to increase confusion and spread panic. 
The cavalry of the second line will rarely be brought into action 
before the decisive moment for pursuit or covering retreat takes place, 
while under those exceptional circumstances, when it is called upon to 
arrest the advance of the enemy’s infantry without support from its 
own, to charge a battery which is causing serious loss, or to cover the 
retreat of portions of its own defeated troops, its attack must be 
essentially sudden and bold, and here there is certainly no scope for 
artillery to prepare the way. The magnificent charge of the Brigade 
Bredow at Yionville is a remarkable instance of such cases. 
On the other hand, it was considered that horse artillery should 
accompany large bodies of cavalry, acting independently, and especially 
in large reconnaissances, and in the attack of positions, forcing defiles 
and such like operations, as well as in rear guard actions, when the re¬ 
treat of an army is being protected. It also plays a very important 
role 3 when advancing with cavalry to sieze and occupy points of vantage, 
which it is important to hold till its infantry arrives, as did the 5th 
Division of Prussian cavalry with four batteries of horse artillery at 
the battle of Yionville-Mars-la-Tour. 
When the cavalry is with the rest of the army, the horse' artillery 
should pass over to the corps artillery of its own corps d’armee, This 
was invariably insisted upon by the Germans in the war of 70-71. 
It is considered that the pace of horse artillery should very rarely 
exceed that of a trot, which is of far more practical utility than 
galloping, which shakes and damages the carriages, and flurries and 
unsteadies both men and horses, without any compensating advantage. 
Guns should be moved as seldom as possible. The construction and 
equipment of the gun carriage and limber should be such as to combine 
strength and mobility, with the capacity of carrying a sufficient number 
of rounds, to make the gun to a great extent independent of its 
wagon. All batteries, on peace as well as war establishment, should be 
armed with six guns, and the detachment should consist of five active 
numbers. The Austro-Hungarian horse artillery detachments are 
composed of ten men, all mounted; of these seven are with the gun, 
three with the wagon, Nos. 8 and 9 are horseholders with the former, 
No. 10 with the latter. 
Note by the Translator Many of the above conclusions are by no means shared 
by the German horse artillery, which always prepares the way for the advance of a 
cavalry division, and which, as a rule, manoeuvres at a very fast gallop. The 
occasions would appear to be very rare indeed when there is no opportunity for 
horse artillery to come into action and support the cavalry, with,Tit least* the moral 
effect of a few rounds fired at the object of the latter’s attack. 
