COMMENDED ESSAY, 1894. 
387 
ing a fire-engine would be futile did we not first ensure that the 
reservoirs which are to feed it shall be full, nor will anyone but a 
spendthrift live upon his capital (as a battery does in action) without 
anxious forethought as to the future. 
The method of ammunition supply, based as it is on actual experi¬ 
ments carried out at Aldershot, in May last, which is now laid down in 
the drill-book, 1 2 is sufficiently satisfactory, and renders it unnecessary 
for us to go much into detail. 
The Officer Commanding a mass of artillery will not interfere with 
battery arrangements unnecessarily, but will exercise such a general 
supervision that there may be no obstruction to the free flow of ammu¬ 
nition from the rear. He will likewise do well, when formulating his 
plans, to consider how far the expenditure of ammunition involved will be 
justified. 3 
The stage of the fight, the hour of the day, the quantity of pro¬ 
jectiles in hand, must all be carefully and rapidly weighed in his mind, 
and without unduly encumbering this discussion with details which are 
not distinctly proper to it, he may be reminded that in round numbers, 
leaving out of consideration case (only useful on particular occasions), 
there are:— 
Divisional Artillery. 
With each Batterv . 
„ its 1st Reserve (Divisional Ammunition Column).... 
„ „ 2nd ,, (Ammunition Park) . 
.. 100 shell 
.. 70 „ 
.. 70 „ 
Total .. 
.. 240 „ 
Corps Artillery. 
With each Battery . 
„ its 1st Reserve (Corps Ammunition Column) . 
„ „ 2nd „ (4th Section Ammunition Park) .... 
.. 72 „ 
68 „ 
Total . 
.. 240 „ 
How long, therefore, can he count on his fire being sustained ? 
With ordinary fire one box (18 rounds) will last half-an-hour, or an 
hour’s fighting will absorb 36 rounds. Therefore, the battery supply 
will last three hours; that of the 1st Reserve two hours; and that of 
the 2nd Reserve two hours. He can rely, therefore, on his batteries 
being able to maintain the struggle, for seven hours continuously, at an 
average rate of fire of four rounds per battery per minute. 
At Vionville one German battery fired 1164 shells, and several others 
got rid of more than 1000, while at Gravelotte, the battery most heavily 
engaged expended very nearly the latter number. But, taking a fair 
average and bearing in mind that although ammunition columns are 
primarily intended for particular units, they are never to refuse ammu¬ 
nition where it may be urgently required; if arrangements are judiciously 
made, there should be enough ammunition to supply the demands of 
any battle. 
1 “ Field Artillery Drill,” 1893. Chap. IV., Sec. 13. 
2 “ The rapidity of firing should be regulated by the Officer Commanding the Artillery.”—von 
Schell, p, 52. 
