94 
COMPOSITION AND STRENGTH OP A SIEGE TRAIN 
as well as for purely bombarding. In order to do this, with maximum 
effect, they must be capable of firing, at low angles of eleva¬ 
tion, with considerable force of impact and accuracy and this can be 
obtained,* without impairing the power at high angles, by giving the piece 
greater length than necessary if used for the latter purpose only, and 
supplying it with a projectile of less weightf, than that already fixed at a 
maximum for bombardment, and which may be fired with a larger charge. 
For destruction of materiel, a projectile of but medium weight and 
capacity is necessary, therefore ordnance of nature (b) maybe consider¬ 
ably lighter than those of (a) and thus can more easily be brought into 
battery. Hence this nature may be employed in more advanced parts 
of the position than (a) and therefore its minimum range, at 45° of eleva¬ 
tion, reduced to 4921 yards (4500m.); it may with advantage be 
as heavy as moderate ease of transport allows, namely, 37i cwt.J, and for 
for this weight should throw as powerful a shell as possible, with reason¬ 
able accuracy, it must also like (a) be available for curved fire, 11 and 
can be made so in a similar manner.f 
Ordnance of nature (c) being for use in the most advanced parts of 
the first position, it does not appear necessary that its range should 
exceed 3827 yards (3500m.) as a minimum, and as the projectiles should 
not penetrate into the ground, the latter should be of minimum weight 
but with sufficient size and capacity for burster to break up into a con¬ 
siderable number of fragments. The work of this nature of piece 
necessitating frequently a rapid change of position its weight should 
not exceed 15 Gibs. ^ 
In ordnance of Description n, for fighting the enemyfe artillery, 
range, accuracy and hard hitting are the desiderata, all which should be 
a maximum, limited only by the weight of piece admissible for transport 
namely, 75 cwt.** This nature of piece would be available for enfilade 
fire at long ranges, that is beyond the effective ranges of (a) or (b) and 
36 lb. rails, when covered with 6ffc. of earth ; and, in the experiments of 1876, a 10 in. 
M.L R. shell, falling at an angle of 45 Q , on the concrete roof of a casemate produced but 
little effect. “The destruction of such works (arches covered with earth) should, if 
possible, in future be effected by means of indirect fire.”—Prussian Field and Siege 
Artillery, fourth part,, by Major H. Muller. 
# In Germany, from the experience of the war of 1870, experiments have been carried 
out in view of superseding the 21 c.m. rifled mortar by a short gun of the same calibre— 
a combination of mortar and howitzer—the mortar having failed, as already mentioned, to 
destroy bomb proofs by vertical fire and the short 15 c.m. gun not always sufficing to do 
it by indirect fire. 
“ It may be hinted, that, when we succeed in constructing a short 21 c.m. gun, the effect 
from our first artillery position will be considerably increased,”—Kraft, on Sieges. 
+ This piece would thus have two shells of different weight. 
t See p. 109. 
|| To reach a gun, immediately behind a casemated traverse, an angle of descent of about 
25° is required. 
“At longer ranges of 1200 to 3000 m. (1312 to 3281 yds.) the mortar-like effect of 
the 15 c.m. gun can, in such cases, (enfilade firing), be utilised. The guns fire thus at an 
angle of 25° to 30°, with a charge corresponding to the distance.” —Curved fire, by 
Count Bylandt-Bheidt, Major General in the Austrian Service. 
f See p. 110. 
** See p. 109. Under difficulties of transport, greater than usual, similar pieces of 55 cwt. 
might be used; see p. 109, note. 
