Field Artil¬ 
lery Drill, 
p. 100. 
Field Artil¬ 
lery Drill, 
p. 15. , 
Annual B e- 
port School 
of Gunnery, 
Horse and 
Field Artil¬ 
lery, 1806. 
396 FIELD ARTILLERY POSITIONS. 
battery is armed, elaborate instructions for the putting out of the aim¬ 
ing posts. In spite of all this Major Keir submits for consideration 
“ the issue of clear and detailed instruction for a uniform method of 
the occupation of position behind cover ” ! 
(b) Is it Advisable when Occupying the Main Artillery Position to 
Unlimber the Guns under Cover and run them up into 
Position by Hand. 
Practically what this comes to is our “ deliberate method/* with the 
addition of unlimbering the guns in the covered position and running 
them up on to the layers by hand. 
To begin with :—Although the writers I have already quoted appear 
to be much taken with this method, I presume they will acknowledge 
that the tactical restrictions to the use of the deliberate method apply 
with equal or greater force to the German elaboration of it. These 
are that it should only be employed under the following circum¬ 
stances:—• 
When surprise is possible. 
When the ground admits of the batteries being halted under 
cover and close in rear of the position to be occupied. 
When the advance into this position is concealed from the enemy, 
When the range is long and target indistinct, 
Assumiug this, and assuming also for the sake of argument (though I 
do not admit its actual truth) that a position with the muzzles just 
showing over the crest qs the best one to occupy, let us see what is 
gained or lost by running up into this position by hand. 
Both Colonel Turner and Captain Pilcher describe how they saw 
long lines of German guns brought into action without any sign of 
man or horse until fire was opened. How'was it done ? The German 
system (exactly as described) was tried at Okehampton last year under 
very advantageous circumstances—in that the ground was good and 
that the covered position was very carefully reconnoitred and marked 
so as to get every yard of cover. Yet when the guns were run up by 
hand the time from their first appearance in view of the target to the 
first gun being fired was 1' 14". When the direct method was em¬ 
ployed (at a trot) the time was 1' 25" to the first gun, but only P 20" 
until the horses had disappeared. 
Now what was gained ? The difference in actual time from first 
appearance to first gun was 11"; but I admit that the horses in one 
case were not seen at all, while in the other they were seen for V 20". 
There are some no doubt who will say that in that time they would 
have been destroyed by the enemy’s artillery. Colonel Turner, for 
instance, says “it is suicidal to unlimber guns in a firing position in 
sight and within 2500 yards of the enemy’s artillery which is already 
in position when cover is obtainable.” I am a great believer in the 
power of Field Artillery, but I cannot believe that. I wish I could, but 
there is nothing in the results of our peace practice to warrant it, and 
we are scarcely likely to be more accurate in war than in peace. I 
have watched a great amount of practice, both from the firing point 
