389 
THE ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYMENT OE 
GARRISON ARTILLERY; 
FROM 
A PRIZE ESSAY 
BY 
LiEUT.-GeNERAL FeRSMAN AND LiEUT.-CoLONEL SciIiCAREWlTSCtl, 
Imperial Bussian Artillery. 
TRANSLATED BY 
A Member oe the R. A. Institution. 
Until within the last ten years it has been the custom, in accordance 
with “Vauban's Method of Attack/'’ to enter upon the establishment 
of a first artillery position after the completion of the first parallel, and 
generally the first batteries were made in this parallel. 
In the modern attack, the establishment of the first artillery position 
is antecedent to, and entirely independent of, the throwing up of the 
first parallel, which latter serves solely for securing the safety of the 
batteries of the attack situate behind it, and for keeping such ground 
as has been already taken, as a basis for the subsequent sapping 
operations. 
Many examples are to be found in the history of sieges, where the 
attacking force has succeeded during one night in opening the first 
parallel entirely unobserved at a short distance from the place, and in 
executing such extended works, that on the next morning they had 
sufficient cover to enable them to hold out against the enemy's fire. 
But in addition to the unperceived establishment of the 1st parallel, 
the modern system of attack requires the construction and arming of 
as many batteries as possible of the second artillery position in the 
same night. 
Modern improvements have rendered possible the establishment of 
a battery of the attack in one night, but whether the attacking force 
can, in the course of one night, construct such a number of batteries 
as shall give them a decided superiority of fire over the defenders, will 
depend mainly upon the energy of the latter. 
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