334 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1894 . 
Maximum 
expenditure 
of ammuni¬ 
tion in 
modern 
battles. 
France. 
Germany. 
Austria. 
Russia. 
Since writing tlie above, Major Barnhart* s very interesting article, 
translated from the “Russian Artillery Journal,” has appeared in the 
March Number of the R.A.I. “ Proceedings,” on page 6 of which the 
following passage occurs :—“ The very large expenditure of projectiles 
which we must expect in future battles renders it necessary to bring 
under the immediate control of the Battery Commander on the battle¬ 
field the whole of the battery wagons. Batteries at war strength 
consist—light batteries of 8 guns and 12 wagons; heavy batteries, 8 
guns and 16 wagons; Horse batteries, 6 guns and 12 wagons, with a 
certain number of spare men and horses.” 
From this we see that Russia also is considering the question of an 
increase of the number of rounds available for immediate use with her 
batteries. 
More light may be thrown on this subject by the following data 
gleaned from the experiences of the Franco-German War. The maxi¬ 
mum number of rounds fired by artillery was 230 at Mars-la-Tour (for 
any one gun). There were but 10 cases when a battery fired over 
1000 rounds, and the average throughout the war was 36 per gun. 
When reading the above, however, we must consider whether the 
introduction of smokeless powder and the improved breech mechanism 
of modern guns will not tend to increase the expenditure of ammuni¬ 
tion in the battles of the future. The former facilitating rapid laying, 
and the latter rapid firing. 
These are the considerations which have induced other nations to 
increase their supply of ammunition with the batteries. 
Now, as an increase in the amount of ammunition carried with the 
batteries would necessitate changes in the composition of our two lines 
of wagons, a comparison with the systems in vogue on the Continent 
may perhaps assist us in arriving at a decision as to the best one to 
adopt. 
France has 3 wagons in the 1st line and 6 in the 2nd. The 3 right 
wagons of the 1st line accompany the guns into action and form be¬ 
hind the right limbers of sections. The remaining 3 take up position 
300 metres in rear. The 2nd line (3) 550 to 850 yards in rear. 
Ammunition to be taken from wagons whenever possible. 
Germany has 4 wagons in the 1st line, 5 in the second. Two wagons 
from the 1 st line take post 10 paces in rear of the guns behind the centre 
guns of half batteries. The remaining two with limbers take position 
about 200 paces in rear. The 2nd line take post 660 yards (in open 
ground when they cannot get cover nearer) behind the battery. 
All 2nd line wagons are grouped together by abtheilungen. 
Austria, which has 8 guns per battery, has 4 wagons in 1st line and 
4 in 2nd. In action the limbers are 15 yards in rear of their guns, and 
the wagons 30 yards in rear of the limbers. 
Russia (8 guns per battery). In Russia the 1st line consists of 4 
wagons, which on coming into action, keeps as close as possible to the 
batteries. The 2nd line, consisting of 12 wagons, keeps at a distance of 
from 900 to 1200 yards in rear of the battery. 
Italy. The wagons are divided into two lines, each of 3. The 
limbers are 10 yards in rear of the guns. The 1st line is placed not 
Italy. 
