“ 6.—To the deployment of artillery masses is peculiarly applicable the maxim 
of Napoleon—‘ In war nothing can be done without calculation; nothing 
that is not thought out in the most minute details can be relied on with 
certainty to produce results. 5 This deployment is a very complicated 
matter, requiring much forethought and practice in peace time. Not only 
must the flanks of the line be protected by fairly strong bodies of cavalry 
and infantry, but the whole front must be covered by a strong line of 
skirmishers. 
“ 7.—As the enemy at this period will not be in a position to employ very 
large masses of troops against us, the defence of our artillery line need 
not be of great strength, but it is important that there should be no un¬ 
protected gaps in it. Infantry, on account of its slowness of movement, 
would delay the deployment and, therefore, it is better to use cavalry 
skirmishers along the front, though they have less power of fire defence. 
fC 8.—The artillery will be guilty of criminal neglect if in its tactics of the 
present day sufficient care is not taken to effectually protect the deploy¬ 
ment of long lines of guns. 55 
The “ Field Artillery Drill of 1896 ” says in various places " On leaving 
the line of march to advance into action a short halt will usually be necessary in 
order to collect the batteries. 
“ The formation will be in line of battery columns. 
“ When all, or nearly all, the available artillery has arrived the whole of the 
batteries will advance simultaneously to a previously selected position within 
medium range.” 
Vol. II. of the “ Cavalry Drill, 1896 ” :— 
" The sphere of action of cavalry (in battle) will always be on one or both 
flanks.’ 
“ The cavalry taking up a position beyond the flanks of a line of battle. 55 
The “ Infantry Drill of 1896 55 says “ Artillery when covering the advance 
at long ranges is, as a rule, sufficiently protected and requires no escort.” 
Presumably in the artillery duel, treating of one army corps at our own estab¬ 
lishment, 17 batteries would be engaged, occupying at least 2200 yards of fron¬ 
tage, even if formed in a continuous line. 
The “ Infantry Drill,” p. 147, gives the frontage of an army corps formed for 
attack as 1^ miles, or 2600 yards, and it is probable that, unless the ground was 
exceptionally favourable or the guns formed in tiers, the batteries would occupy 
fully that space. 
As a rule there is no difficulty in recognizing approximately the positions which 
hostile artillery will take up for their first and greatest effort, the artillery duel. 
These positions, according to the “ Infantry Drill” (p. 116), are covered by 
the infantry of the advanced guard at a distance of from % to ^ a mile. 
The preparation for action of so large a force—viz., the interval of time 
between the batteries leaving their respective columns and the advance into posi¬ 
tion of the whole mass—would hardly occupy much less than an hour, allowing 
for the distribution of orders, detailing targets, etc. 
During this time the various brigade divisions would be ; some waiting in line 
of battery columns for orders, some moving into this formation from the line of 
march, some deployed perhaps behind the crest of their position; all of them a 
considerable distance in front of their main infantry bodies and none of them cer¬ 
tainly prepared for sudden action against cavalry the other side of the crest. 
Their own cavalry, after the preliminary action of large or small bodies with 
the cavalry of the enemy, would be drawn off to one or both flanks. Practically 
the whole defence of the artillery at this time would rest on the infantry of the 
advanced guard or guards. 
