102 
COMPOSITION AND STEENGTH OF A SIEGE TEAIN 
We find on reference to Plate n. that even, if the guns of the fortress 
have but 60° field of fire, it will permit nearly all those of the high 
batteries of the body of the place, together with the salient gun and some 
of those on the faces of the Ravelin, on front IV.-Y. to bear on a siege 
battery established for the demolition of the caponier of front IIP.-IV. 
through that battery be approached to 1214 yards (1110m.) ; also the 
guns of the upper tier of the caponier and those of the flank and of the 
battery de reverse of the Ravelin, of frontIV.-V. bear upon the ground 
of attack. In order to keep under the fire of the former 8 heavy and 
10 medium guns, and 8 heavy and 4 medium howitzers will, at the least, 
be required and for the latter 8 medium howitzers. In addition to these 
4 heavy howitzers may be allowed for the upper tier of the caponier 
and for the battery de reverse of the front still more remote from the 
salient attacked, which also bear upon the besiegeVs approaches. Add¬ 
ing the same number of pieces for the collateral works bearing on the 
right attack and taking the sum of all, we find they approximate very 
nearly to the numbers for the attack of one front, less pieces for breach¬ 
ing and other special purposes, (namely, 18 heavy and 20 medium guns, 
24 heavy aud 26 medium howitzers.) It seems therefore desirable to 
substitute the latter and so have but one proportion that founded upon 
the main requirements, as the basis, so to speak, of the siege train. 
This gives :— 
The total oednance eequieed foe the siege teain, as:— 
(duns: — heavy, 56. medium, 60. field* * * § 24. 
Howitzers:—heavy, 90. medium, 86. light, 36. 
or 352 pieces,t to which must be added 10 per cent, to allow for guns 
dismounted, under repair, &c. This gives a grand total of: 
Guns :— heavy, 62. medium, 66. field* 26. 
Hoivitzers: — heavy, 100. medium, 94. light, 40. 
or 388 pieces, as the minimum numberj required for the siege of the 
fortress. 
The peecentage of the teain, is therefore:— 
Guns: — heavy , 16. medium, 17. field* 7. 
Howitzers: — heavy, 26. medium, 24. light,SO. 
The British siege train is laid down to consist of any number of units, 
composed of heavy or light ordnance, according to the requirements of 
the Service. Taking the heavy unit,§ we find it to consist of eight 64 
* Field guns and mitrailleuses. 
+ The men required to serve this number, at two reliefs, (which is hardly sufficient for 
continuous work), with 25 p.c. to cover casualties, would be 8,320 or 55 Batteries of 
Artillery, each 152 strong in rank and file. 
$ “ The maximum number must be limited to those which can be employed at one time, 
with an addition of 10 to 20 p. c. as a reserve.”—Kraft, on Sieges. 
§ The light unit consists of ten 40 pr. M.L.B. guns, ten 25 pr. M.L.R. guns and ten 
6’3 in. M.L.E. howitzers with six 7 pr. M.L.R. guns. 
The heavy and light units might be combined in the same train, but it would be difficult 
to arrive at a satisfactory percentage by any such combination. 
