64 
ARTILLERY POSITIONS AND SCREENING GUNS. 
above the ground. The gunuers (if standing up and 5 ft. 10 in. in 
height) would have at least 4 ft. of their bodies exposed above the 
ground, and therefore on the sky-line, if the gun was on the reverse 
slope and could just fire over the crest. 
Table I. 
Muzzle-loaders. 1 
The 9-pr. on Mark II. carriage has height of trunnions 3' 61", giving exposure of men 2' 31" + 3" 1 = 2' 61" 
„ 13-pr. on Mark I. „ 3' 7", , 2'3" + 3" 1 =2 / 6" 
» 16-pr. on Mark I. „ 3' 71" „ 1' 2\" + 3"! = 2’ 51" 
Breech-loaders. 
The 12-pr. or 15-pron. Mark I. „ 3'31", » 2'61" 
» n Mark II. „ 3' 4", „ 2' 6" 
Gun wheels 
—not the de¬ 
tachment— 
which ‘show 
up ” on sky¬ 
line. 
Each drill- 
book gives 
shorter in¬ 
structions as 
to choice of 
positions. 
Consequently we arrive at the conclusion that in spite of the better 
cover given by the 12-pr. owing to its being a breech-loader, we have 
the same amount of height above the sky-line and therefore, exposure 
of detachment, as with the 9-pr., 13-pr. and 16-pr. muzzle-loading 
guns. This is because the 12-pr. has to be run up a vertical distance 
of 3 in. to 4 in. higher in order to clear the crest. The wheels in each 
case are the same height, consequently the further you run up the gun 
the more the wheels will, appear out against the sky. I have often 
noticed that it is not the men serving the guns who attract the most 
attention, but it is the gun wheels, always inclined outwards at the 
same angle, which betray the presence of artillery on or behind a crest. 
The fact of the spare wheels, packed up on the wagons in rear of a line 
of guns, being so visible on the sky-line, has probably been one of the 
reasons which has caused them to be removed from their former 
position and carried elsewhere in the new 15-pr. equipment. 
To return to our modern battle. The commander of the artillery 
may occasionally come into action on the crest or even beyond it; but 
I am bound to say that at almost every field-day our artillery officers 
are very chary of exposing more than the muzzles of their guns. If 
the reverse slope is at all feasible (say not exceeding 6 degrees) guns 
are invariably brought into action on that side. 
Before proceeding to examine the reasons for and against each 
position, it would be well to note that each of the last three drill- 
books becomes more vague than its predecessor. No doubt it is best 
to leave officers a free hand in this and other respects. But it will be 
observed that under the heading “ The choice of a position,” the Field 
Artillery drill of 1889, Yol. II., page 209, gives instructions in full on 
this subject; then we come to the drill of 1893, page 156, in which 
the first three-quarters of a page of the 1889 book is cutout. Finally, 
we have our most recent copy of the drill-book of 1896. The instruc¬ 
tions on page 12 are shorter still. Wbat I want to know is :—“ What 
is the best artillery position ?” 
It always appears to me that a battery on the reverse slope violates 
the first condition, which is as follows :•— 
“A clear view over the sights of the target, and of all ground on to 
which it is probable fire may have to be turned, is the most im- 
1 For muzzle-loaders we should add 3 inches for the numbers in line with the front of the wheel 
if reverse slope were about 5 degrees. 
