358 
SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1894 . 
Retrospect 
of British. 
Artillery 
tactical or¬ 
ganisation. 
Tactical or¬ 
ganisation of 
German 
Artillery in 
the war of 
1870-71. 
Normal or¬ 
ganisation of 
German 
Artillery at 
the present 
date. 
Napoleon allotted 1 120 guns, organised in 15 batteries of 8 guns each. 
The distribution was as follows:—two batteries to each Infantry 
Division, four batteries to the Cavalry Division, and three batteries in 
Reserve. The system of command was very much, as at present. 
There was a superior Commander for the whole of the Artillery of the 
Guard, and .subordinate Commanders for the Divisional and Reserve 
Artillery. The Divisional Generals were always liable to have their 
guns taken from their command when Napoleon wished to produce a 
decisive effect. 2 Notable instances of this occurred at Wagratn in 
1809, and at Liitzen in 1813, when all the available batteries of the 
Guard were massed under the command of General Druot. 
In our own service during the Peninsular and Waterloo Campaigns the 
tactical organisation of the artillery was usually in Brigade Divisions 3 
of two batteries each. At Waterloo, each of the Infantry Divisions 
engaged was allotted two batteries, under a Lieut.-Colonel, 4 At the 
battle of the Alma the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Light Divisions received two 
batteries each—the 4th Division only one. 5 In Egypt, the Divisional 
Artillery was organised in Brigade Divisions of two batteries, each under 
a Lieut.-Colonel—the Corps Artillery being at first composed of four 
batteries (three Field and one Horse Artillery). During the advance 
on Tel-el-Kebir the Divisional Artillery (two Brigade Divisions of two 
batteries each) and the Corps Artillery (one Brigade Division of three 
batteries) were massed under the united command of the General Officer 
Commanding the Artillery of the Expeditionary Force. 6 
In the war of 1870-71 each German Army Corps had a Regiment of 
Artillery attached to it. This regiment was composed of twelve Field 
Batteries forming' three Brigade Divisions, and three Horse Artillery 
Batteries forming one Brigade Division. Each Infantry Division re¬ 
ceived one Brigade Division of four batteries—the remainder of the 
artillery, after a share of the horse batteries was allotted to the cavalry, 
being given to the Corps Artillery. The regiments, however, varied 
in strength, and some Brigade Divisions contained only two and three 
batteries. 7 
The normal organisation of the Artillery of a German Corps at the 
present date is as follows 
Each Corps has a Brigade of Artillery attached to it. The Brigade 
is divided into two regiments, the 1st Regiment contains twelve Field 
Batteries organised in four Brigade Divisions. The 2nd Regiment con¬ 
tains nine Field Batteries organised in three Brigade Divisions, and 
two Horse Artillery Batteries forming a 4th Brigade Division. The 
1 “ L’ experience a prouve qiCil fallait quatre pieces pour 1000 homines” Correspondance 
de Napoleon lev. Tome 31. 
2 “ C’est Vartillerie de via garde qui decide la plupart des batailles parceque V ay ant toujours 
sous la main je puis la porter partout oil il est necessaire .” 
3 The term “ Brigade Division ” is used throughout this Essay to indicate the next tactical 
organisation of artillery above the battery. 
4 “ Letters of Colonel Sir Augustus Fraser, K.C.B., R.H.A.” Edited by Major-General 
Sabine, R.A. 
5 “ The War in the Crimea.” By General Sir E. Hamley, K.C.B. 
6 Official account of the expedition to Egypt, 1882. By Colonel J. F. Maurice, C.B., R.A. 
7 “ Letters on Artillery.” By Prince Kraft zu Hohenlohe Ingelfingen. 
