GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1894. 
383 
What will at once strike anyone in looking over this table is that, 
although the total number of rounds carried by us in the field bears 
comparison with that carried by other armies, in the actual number of 
rounds carried with the batteries we fall far short of them. This is 
explained by the fact that both Franco and Germany have 9 ammuni¬ 
tion wagons to 6 guns, while Russia has 2 wagons per gun for her heavy 
batteries and Horse Artillery, and 12 wagons to 8 guns for her light 
field batteries. * As this is a subject of some importance, it is worth 
our while to examine it still further. 
In Colonel von Lobell's Annual Report for 1892 (translated by 
Colonel Hildyard in the “Journal of the United Service Institution” for 
December 1893, p. 1357) when referring to the German artillery the 
following passage occurs :— 
“ The second line (of wagons) which followed formerly in rear of the 
divisions, and thereby far removed from its batteries, is now to follow 
the artillery formations, being massed by Brigade Divisions. With 
advanced guards, flank guards, &c., they are to follow the rearmost 
troops as previously. By the addition of a 4th ammunition wagon to 
the fighting battery, it is now in a position to sustain an action for at 
least 2 hours' duration, by which it is insured that no want of ammuni¬ 
tion will arise before the arrival of the 2nd line of wagons. This is 
made doubly certain by the place of these wagons being laid down as 
not further than 600 metres (previously 800 metres) behind the firing 
position.” 
To find out what expenditure of ammunition, firing for 2 hours' 
duration, represents, we have the following data, viz.:—that the num¬ 
ber of rounds carried in 6 limbers and 4 ammunition wrngons (the. 1st 
line) suffices for an action-lasting the above time. 
The 8 cm gun-limber carries 39 rounds (1 on gun-carriage). 
,, wagon „ „ 38 „ 
„ „ body „ 48 
Therefore, the total rounds in the wagon is 86, and as there are 4, they 
will carry 344. 
That is = 57 rounds per gun. 
Therefore, the total rounds per guns , in 1st line is 57 + 39 (gun- 
limber) = 96. 
Similarly, the 9 cm gun has 84 rounds per gun with 1st line. 
Thus, the Germans allow for the expenditure of 96 (or 81) rounds 
per gun before the arrival of the 2nd line of wagons, while we only 
allow for one of 72. 
And, further, while their 2nd line brings them a reinforcement of 58 
(or 52) rounds per gun, that brought by ours only, amounts to 36. 
If we work the problem of our ammunition supply out on paper the 
result is satisfactory, in so far as the Ammunition Column of the leading 
division would appear to arrive on the scene about three-quarters of 
an hour after its division had come into action. The practical experi¬ 
ence of our neighbours, however, appears to lead them to the conclusion 
that, if all risk of running short of ammunition is to be avoided, the 
allowance of a much wider margin than this must be made. 
Question of 
sufficiency of 
ammunition 
carried at 
present with 
our 
batteries. 
45 
