G8 ARTILLERY POSITIONS AND SCREENING GUNS. 
limbers and wagons in rear of the crest are in greater peril than if they 
were standing out in the open on the exposed side of the hill, 
in 1 “ ^ battery would be compelled to fight it out in the open simply 
Tter^flrnif 1 av °M physical fatigue to the men of running the guns up into 
<l 1 111 ' position on a steep hill side. This point generally escapes the 
attention of the manoeuvre ground umpire, when blank ammunition 
only is consumed, but those who have seen the absolute physical 
prostration which can ensue among a gun detachment in a long- 
contested action will not be disposed to underrate its value. A man 
who has once seen his gun numbers fall asleep under a heavy fire and 
had to drag them out of the way of the recoiling wheels, carries away 
with him an impression that time cannot efface ; and if in peace-time, 
in deference to an umpire’s opinion, he fights his guns in an impossible 
position, ho will generally, in the security of his club or ante-room, 
express his opinion of that umpired capacity with anything but 
respect.” 
(3) .—Easy to limber up unseen by the enemy. 
verse°siope" This would be the case if guns were invariably run back a long way 
seldom run behind the crest before limbering up. But as a matter of fact when 
“limbering it is required to advance, the trail is thrown round on the ground the 
u p-” gun stands on and the limbers are brought up right against the sky, on 
the order “ Front limber up.” Previous to limbering up we start by 
having the gunners exposed 1 (see Table I.) for 2 ft. 6 in. of their height 
in action. The limber comes forward in front of the gun. The gunners 
mount; their heads are then 8 to 9 ft. above the ground. Add to this each 
pair of horses and we get a very large target for infantry or artillery 
fire showing out against the sky and perfectly visible to everybody. 
Consequently there is not much difference in favour of the reverse 
slope position as far as this head is concerned. Turn to the plate 
once more. At D, General W has a gun in action on the reverse slope— 
he wishes to limber up preparatory to advancing. The gun should be 
first run back considerably. This is not done as a rule, and when the 
gun team comes up with the limber, the whole movement and intention 
are exposed to view against the sky. 
(4) .— Wagons can be brought up unseen and under cover. 
supply?” My answer to this is that in many cases the wagons “ show up ” if 
the reverse slope is very gentle; also that it is a mistake to suppose 
that a line of wagons, 40 yards apart, advancing at a rapid pace to the 
guns on the forward slope, forms an easy target. 
(5) .— Guns are less easy to range on and bursts c over y are hard to 
judge. 
“^ a e 1 ^ g ” True. But the enemy can still clearly see the detachments and the 
more gun-wheels for half their height against the sky. In the case of “ the 
difficult, on ]sj 0> 2 range at Okehampton, it is not so much because the 
bursts “over” are so hard to see that the guns in this position are so 
invulnerable; but it is because there is an underfeature just in front 
1 Yide Army and Navy Gazette leader of 25th April, 1896. 
