GERMAN IMPERIAL MANOEUVRES. 
433 
The above instructions were very accurately carried out, and though, 
manoeuvres of the kind are more tactical exercises than actual imitation 
of war, still the day was a very interesting one, enabling a spectator, 
as stated above, to obtain a far clearer insight into the modus ojoerandi 
of the different arms, than did the great manoeuvres. When the 
Emperor, who was accompanied by the Duke of Connaught and Duke 
of Cambridge, arrived at the mill, the signal to advance was at once 
given, and the advanced guard of the 3rd Army Corps, consisting of 
six battalions of the line, a battalion of Jagers, four batteries of 
artillery, and covered on their left by the Ziethen Hussars, pushed 
forward on Buchow. The latter, as usual, with the German cavalry, 
moved in line of squadron columns, each squadron being in column of 
mgs or divisions. Scouts were pushed far to the front and to the left. 
The cavalry division, with two batteries of horse artillery, advanced at 
the same time on the right. Directly the enemy appeared, and the 
scouts began to fall back, the two batteries of horse artillery forming 
the reitende abtheilung , under a major, galloped to the front a con¬ 
siderable distance at full speed, and taking up a position which an 
officer had already gone forward to select, came into action. The 
cavalry commander made his dispositions for attack, covered by the 
fire of the horse artillery, and then advanced to the charge. The 
batteries remained in action till their fire was masked by the advancing 
cavalry, the fire was then directed on any of the enemy's troops visible; 
directly, however, the cavalry drove back the enemy, the guns^limbered 
up and again advanced at full speed, to cover a further advance of the 
former, and when, eventually, the enemy was finally driven from his 
position north of Gross-Ziethen, the horse artillery crowned the position, 
and in combination with seme field batteries opened a heavy fire on the 
retreating enemy. 
As soon as Buchow was taken, the whole of the corps artillery was 
brought up to some rising ground to the left of the artillery of the 
advanced guard, where it was massed to prepare the way for the grand 
attack of the main body on the enemy's position north of Gross- 
Ziethen. Throughout the manoeuvres, this massing of artillery 
invariably took place when occasion rendered it feasible, the tactics of 
Friedland, Wagram, Worth, and Gravelotte being repeated, and the 
corps artillery, always being kept in band by the general commanding, 
to permit of its massing with other batteries, or forming a large battery 
of itself. The action of this arm was most prominent and daring, and 
its losses would have been very severe. On no occasion were the 
batteries accompanied by escorts of other arms, even when pushed to 
the front on an exposed flank : this appears to be exposing artillery to 
unnecessary risk. The whole of the equipment of the batteries are kept 
complete, but only four guns are horsed during peace time. It is a 
notable fact that no range-finders are used, which is not because they 
have not been tried, for they have been most fully so, but they have 
been found difficult to keep in adjustment, and most uncertain in their 
results. Batteries always commence firing at practice at unknown 
ranges with trial shots ; and if the result of their shooting is to be 
accepted as worth anything, they certainly expend very little ammuni¬ 
tion indeed, before they discover the actual length of their range. 
