ARTILLERY POSITIONS AND SCREENING- GUNS. 
81 
through an embrasure only enabling you to see in one direction ? 
Again, think of the time it takes to construct a gun-pit, and also of 
the difficulty of concealing it when made and, finally, of the beautiful 
target it presents to the enemy when ranging ! Are you quite sure 
that your detachments are quite safe from the searching effects of 
shrapnel bullets when ensconced in its recesses ? You say that 
gunners are not to bo trained to take cover; but is not the very 
opposite taught in the infantry ? Why, every man of them, from 
the Brigadier to the advanced skirmisher, is told to take advantage of 
every indentation or unevenness of the ground to conceal his advance. 
Artillery 
stand to 
their guns in 
the open. 
fire V 
If you have followed me so far through this paper you will say to Appa * ent 
yourself : “ What on earth is the fellow driving at ? At the com- traditions, 
mencement of the paper, and in fact right down to the previous page, 
he has argued strongly against placing guns on the reverse slope. He 
wants to shove his batteries right forward under the enemy’s muzzles 
so as to back up his own infantry and make his gunners take their 
share of the bullets. Now he suddenly turns round and says a 
handful of gunners are not going to stand up in the open exposed for 
hours to be fired at! ” 
Well, to this I reply: “Concealment from view is better than c onceaiment 
protection from fire. better than 
There should be a happy mean. Bring your guns out of the second 
line or retired position behind the crest where they cannot see, to an 
advanced position where they will at least be able to take an intelligent 
interest in the battle as it progresses. Then, when you have got them 
there, conceal them if possible. 
I contend that it is possible to hide guns on the forward slope. it is possible 
1 here are three ways of concealing guns. guns on the 
The “ Field Artillery Drill-book of 1893 ’’says on pages 156 and f s °w; d 
157 ( see also bottom of page 12, “ Field Artillery Drill, 1896”) 
under “ Choice of Positions” - 
“ The guns should be concealed from view — 
(l.) By making use of natural cover. 
(2.) By constructing artificial cover. 
(3.) By taking care that the background of the battery is 
unfavourable to observation of fire by the enemy.” 
I ask the candid reader to say impartially, how often, in his own Artificial 
experience of field-days and manoeuvres, have the artillery ever been ^ever* 
concealed from view except by the first method, namely, “ making constructed - 
use of natural cover ? ” The reverse slope position is the one method 
employed for the purpose. 
The only artificial cover ever sought for is obtained by digging gun- Danger of 
pits or epaulments, which of themselves are bv many officers considered guu ‘ pits etc - 
11 
Why should we gunners defy all the teachings of experience and 
blindly practice in peace what we would not be able to do on service, 
viz.: stand up in the open—-exposed to view and unprotected from 
