5 
ceeding to join the Commander, gives corresponding orders to the senior officers, 
who temporarily replace the Battery Commanders. The officer who has recon¬ 
noitred the road to the front accompanies the batteries in their advance as a guide. 
Meanwhile the Commander continues to reconnoitre the position and the enemy 
(keeping as much under cover as possible), so as to have all possible information 
ready for the Battery Commanders when they join him. 
Advance to the Preparatory Position. 
This is made in “ fighting order.” The wagon echelons, collected under the 
senior officer with the wagons, detach themselves from the batteries, either dur¬ 
ing this advance or, if cover is available, during the advance into action. The 
Commander either meets the batteries here, or sends an officer with written orders 
to the batteries as to the direction of the advance into action, and the formation, 
accompanied, if possible, by a sketch. 
Advance into Action. 
This is made in line on good ground, or in line of sub-division columns if the 
ground is broken. In the latter case, the batteries must so time their movements 
as to allow of their all arriving on the position at the same moment. 
The first line wagons follow in line of sub-division columns, deploying into line 
as they come up into position. 
As a general rule the advance into action must be made independently by bat¬ 
teries. Only in exceptional cases can they be brought up and unlimbered by word 
of command from the Commander. 
Continuous Advance into Action. 
The above method of bringing the brigade-division applies only to those cases 
in which circumstances allow of ample time being devoted to careful reconnais¬ 
sance of the position. It will, however, very often be necessary for the batteries 
to advance straight into action, and the only time available for reconnaissance will 
be the few moments which the Commander and Battery Commanders can gain on 
the batteries by the extra speed of their horses. It is therefore most necessary 
that these officers should cultivate the habit of quickly grasping the features of 
any position. 
Intervals in Action, 
These are very important. The greater the battery intervals the easier it will 
be to place the limbers and teams in favourable positions when they will suffer 
less from the enemy’s fire. The best position for them is on the flanks of their 
batteries in line. 
Ammunition Supply. 
In this connection, the command of the wagon echelons is of great importance, 
and it should therefore be entrusted to an officer of experience. He should allow 
considerable latitude to the Commanders of wagon echelons under him, in the 
choice of their positions. The wagons must always be sufficiently apart to allow 
of the teams to move about. 
The officer in command of the echelons must at once establish communication 
with the Commander, and the Echelon Commanders under him with their Battery 
Commanders. If one battery runs short of ammunition before the others, the 
Echelon Commander should communicate with the Commander, and ask his per¬ 
mission to replenish it from the echelons of the other two batteries. He has no 
power to draw on the wagons of another brigade-division without orders from his 
own Commander or the Commander of the artillery. 
74a 
