394 
GARRISON ARTILLERY, 
for modern sieges. Very intelligent men, experienced in tliat kind 
of work are required in these detachments. These men must be 
trained in peace time during manoeuvres illustrating the attack 
and defence of fortresses. These manoeuvres are especially important 
for garrison artillery, for the clearing up of many points connected with 
sieges. 
Operations after Discovery op the Enemy's Works. 
The discovery of the position of the enemy's works will be of little 
use to the defenders as far as night-firing is concerned, unless the 
ground in front can be lighted, so that the guns may be aimed and the 
effect of the shots observed. There remain two courses open to the 
defenders, either to lay the guns in the direction of the works, accord¬ 
ing to plans of the country, and to fire at random, or to make sure of 
not wasting all the fire on some unimportant work, to vary the direction 
of the guns, so as to keep a certain portion of the ground in front 
under fire. 
If the data obtained from the maps be not correct, there is the risk 
of wasting all the ammunition in the first case, and a great part of it 
in the second. Let us suppose that the means of illumination at hand 
be in a state of efficiency, and that the defenders have in some way 
discovered the position of the besieger's batteries, and let us pass on 
to a consideration of the employment of the artillery at this juncture. 
The garrison artillery should have the two following objects in 
view:— 
a. To injure the works and to hinder their completion. 
b. To keep up an energetic fire on all convoys bringing stores of 
any kind, thereby to prevent the arming of such batteries as are com¬ 
pleted. 
For the attainment of the first of these objects, the whole of the fire 
of the fortress must be concentrated on one part of the works, while 
the second requires a sweeping fire over the whole ground in front. 
Here the authors think it necessary to explain that in the expression 
“ the whole fire of the fortress," they refer only to those guns from 
which direct fire can be poured on the enemy. 
Night firing, when the object aimed at is not visible, is often 
necessary in sieges. 
In order that there should be any chance of this being successful it 
is absolutely necessary that practice at the object aimed at should have 
been made on the preceding day. But in case (a) this is altogether 
out of the question, for under the most favourable circumstances it 
would be tolerably late at night before the position of the enemy's 
works could be discovered, and it is often necessary to correct the 
laying by means of an observer standing at a greater or less distance 
from the guns. Without asserting that such fire would be altogether 
