70 
ARTILLERY POSITIONS AND SCREENING GUNS. 
execution on their columns, retired with but trifling loss, while the 
French and Turkish batteries, which had remained on the rising 
ground behind, suffered severely.” 
a My own (Sir David Fraser’s) opinion is that in most cases a good 
background is the great point, and if the forward slope has some 
scattered bushes on it, among which the guns could be placed, it would 
make a good position for an attacking battery, so far as effect of fire 
was concerned, either for inflicting or promoting loss.” 
-SiieJy (2)-—To-day’s (21. 8. 96.) tactical field-day at Aldershot, 
tactical day Three Brigade Divisions Field Artillery, Southern Force, against 
at it ld S hot one of E.H.A. and 2 Brigade Divisions Field Artillery, Northern 
Force. 
At the conference it was pointed out that several batteries came into 
action on Jubilee Hill and Burns Hill in a position to open fire on the 
advancing batteries when these should appear on Brock’s Hill or 
Tweseldown. 
There was no enemy to fire at, but the guns of the Southern Force 
were placed there to receive him with a concentrated fire at a measured 
range on his first appearance. 
These guns of the Southern Force were visible to the advancing 
E.H.A. brigade division and disclosed their position even before they 
opened fire. 
This disposition of the Southern Artillery was criticised. It was 
admitted by the Southern Artillery commander that it would have 
been better to have unlimbered the guns just behind the crest and 
have run them up by hand on the appearance of the enemy, 
alwaysun- But Southern reverse slope of Jubilee Hill was so steep that the 
m^upby £ uns were brought up on its crest with the greatest difficulty. Would 
rU hand? y it have been really possible to have unlimbered on the reverse slope in 
this case ? 
Now just suppose for one moment that these Southern batteries had 
been burning smokeless powder and that it had been possible to screen 
them artificially on this crest in some way during the long period 
before the expected advent of the Northerners. Would this prepared 
bSground f P os ^ion have been a faulty one ? I think not. First, because there 
’ was a good solid background in the shape of the heights of Hungry 
Hill in rear ; and, secondly, because it would have been impossible for 
the Northern Artillery commander to see these guns firing smokeless 
powder 2,200 to 2,600 yards away with every advantage of command 
and favourable background on their side. 
On the other hand, had these Southern guns been standing up 
against the sky on the top of Bricksbury Hill, as they were two days 
previously, their every movement would have been visible. 
mctise°at ^ °^ ten won( ler why we do not practise more frequently at guns 
guns on re- placed out of sight on the reverse slope just behind the crest. Nine 
Yerse slope? y ears a g 0 ^ w p e n an endeavour was being made to obtain a good land 
range for artillery in Ireland, I suggested that one could be found in 
the Wicklow mountains instead of going to Glenbeigh, where the 
position of your target and the position of your battery are fixed and 
