45 
ARTILLERY FROM AN INFANTRY OFFICER’S 
POINT OF VIEW . 1 
A CRITICISM. 
COMMUNICATED. 
The following remarks on Captain Pilcher’s lecture on u Artillery from 
an Infantry Officer’s Point of View,” which he delivered at the R.A.I., 
Woolwich, on the 12th March, 1896, are made by a German General 
officer, an acknowledged authority; the Committee have much pleasure 
in publishing them and gratefully tender their thanks to the writer for 
placing at their disposal so valuable a criticism. 
It is most important at manoeuvres that the effect of artillery fire 
should be made known by umpires to all whom it may concern. 
I most fully concur with Captain Pilcher’s remarks concerning the 
necessity of the commander of a unit separating himself from his unit, 
and this applies doubly if his unit is acting independently; under these 
circumstances it is the duty of the commander to think of the tactical 
situation and not to bother himself with the details of drill. If his 
second in command or other officer whom he may delegate is not 
capable of giving the proper words of command, or leading the troops 
in the required direction, the unit had better remain at home. 
Too much stress cannot be laid upon the necessity of opening fire 
with all your batteries simultaneously and not giving the enemy an 
opportunity of dealing with yon in detail, and should one or two 
bat Luries come into position before the rest, they should, under 
ordinary circumstances, wait until the remainder have come up before 
disclosing themselves and so drawing upon them the whole hostile fire. 
Captain Pilcher goes rather too far in saying that indirect fire is 
rather the rule in Germany than the exception. In many, I may say, in 
most positions where many batteries are in line, some of the guns have 
to be laid indirectly, and indirect fire may often be advantageously 
resorted to when coining into position against an enemy already in 
position, and decidedly should be if coming into position against a 
1 The numbers in the margin have reference to the pages of the lecture by Captain T. D. 
Pilcher as published in No. 6, Vol. XXIII., R.A.I. “ Proceedings,” June, 1896. 
It VOL, XXIV, 
Page 261 
(last para¬ 
graph). 
Page 263. 
