580 
NOTES ON ARTILLERY, 
effort the gunners get their pieces into action, it is advantageous not 
to tire the waggon horses. The more one sees of war the more one 
understands the utility of having a fourth of the ammunition supply 
carried on a mule^s back. 
The 24 prs. weigh nearly 6000 lbs.; it is sometimes difficult to bring 
them into action under fire. The idea which has been expressed of 
having light 24 prs. is good. If we had had these pieces in Egypt, we 
should probably have taken some into Syria by land. It was judged 
impossible to take the existing 24 prs. across the desert of Katieh, and 
if we had had four of these pieces in front of Acre, the town would 
have been taken on the first day. A 24 pr. carronade which was taken 
at Kaiffa from Sidney Smithes long boat, was placed in a battery, and 
its effect was incomparably superior to that of the 12 pr., and yet this 
carronade cannot be compared for effect with a 24 pr. gun. For all 
places situated in mountainous regions guns of high calibre are 
necessary, and in many such a position where a light 24 pr. could 
be taken it would be almost impossible to take the ordinary 24 pr. 
It must not be concluded from this that we should substitute the 
short 24 pr. for the ordinary one, but the short one should be main¬ 
tained and improved, and the arsenals should have some to provide for 
extraordinary circumstances. 
It would be wrong to say that we thus complicate the equipments of 
artillery : it is difference of calibre which causes complication. 
The 16 pr. has been rightly suppressed. The 12 pr. is sufficient for 
ricochet fire, direct fire, and for the defence of places and where the 
16 pr. might have some advantages, these are not equal to that of 
supplying a place with the same ammunition as is issued to troops in 
the field. It was on this principle that we did well in abolishing the 
8-in. howitzer. In the same way places should be adapted for 
6 prs., so that artillery should have but 4 calibres, the 6, 12, 24 prs. 
and the 5^-in. howitzer. In this way we abolish 4 calibres. 
We should add 3 prs. for mountain equipment. In abolishing the 
Rostaing guns, we get rid of stubborn beasts not worth the trouble 
they give. 3 prs. should be a minimum calibre. Some of them are 
made very light and carry as far as the Rostaing pieces. 
^ * * * * 
The 10-in. mortar has been suppressed, and the 8-in. and 12-in. 
preserved. The 8-in., which throws a 401b. shell, is an excellent 
mortar : it is the true siege mortar. 
The 6-in. mortars appear necessary, both for the attack and defence 
of places. These mortars, which do not weigh 100 lbs., have the 
greatest effect in trenches and covered ways. A field artillery park 
should have twenty of these which can be used with 5J-in. shell, and 
may be useful against redoubts and villages and thus save the howitzers, 
the fire of which is very destructive to their carriages. 
The question of the 12-in. and 10-in. mortars is not yet decided. 
The 12-in. throws a 1501b. shell, the 10-in. only 1001b. In this 
respect the 12-in. is to be preferred. Since we have an 8-in. it is 
useful to have one with far more power, but M. de Gribeanval had 
