158 
Wall pieces. 
When in 
regimental 
charge. 
In ordnance 
charge. 
Officers and 
men. 
Strength of 
detachments. 
SIEGE TRAINS. 
trail or perch suitable for hauling it rapidly from point to point, 
would be preferable to any field gun for repelling sorties, especially 
at night, owing to its uninterrupted fire and wide-spreading effect. 
The latest American pattern weighs only 751bs. and fires 1,000 
shots in 2-J minutes. 
Wall Pieces. —With the object of penetrating the sand-bag cover¬ 
ings of riflemen, and so compelling them to feel that they are never 
safe, it is desirable that a weapon of this kind should be introduced 
for the advanced trenches. It should be fitted with a swivel and 
peg for driving into the ground to fire from the shoulder, through 
an opening in the parapet, and be thoroughly effective as regards 
accuracy and penetration at 600 yards, carrying a one-pound ball. 
Ammunition. 
Gun-Cotton or other Explosive for bursting Shells. —The intro¬ 
duction of some more powerful agent than gunpowder for bursting 
shells is only apparently delayed by the difficulty of finding an 
explosive which can be fired with safety to the guns, and it is 
evident that the adoption of such a ready means of reducing the 
labour of breaching is only a question of time. 
Special Fuze for Breaching. —A percussion fuze sufficiently sensi¬ 
tive to admit of being set in action with a low charge, and yet be so 
retarded in its action on striking as to ensure the complete pene¬ 
tration of a shell before bursting, is indispensable for battering 
purposes. 
Special Battering Projectiles. —Shells of 901bs. weight, with 
chilled heads, to be used from the 64-pr. gun, are under trial, with 
a view to ascertaining if they possess any advantage over ordinary 
projectiles for battering solid masonry. 
Baching Ammunition. —To avoid the inconvenience of carrying 
and storing powder in bulk, and the manipulation of it in the 
batteries, all cartridges should be filled and packed in metal-lined 
cases, the shells being loaded, and, together with case shot, carried 
in wooden boxes. 
Charge of a Siege Train on Service. 
There are two distinct conditions under which a Siege Train 
may be required for service. The first, when a siege has actually 
been determined upon, in which case the guns, ammunition, and 
stores required for immediate service are made over to the Artillery 
and embarked with the troops, the reserves being retained in 
ordnance charge in a field-park, to be established for the purpose, 
and drawn on as wanted. The second condition is when a Siege 
Train accompanies an army taking the field for general siege work, 
in which case it is sent to the base of operations in charge of the Ord¬ 
nance Department, with which it remains until required for service. 
The Personnel of a Siege Train. 
The establishment of officers and men to be provided fora Siege 
Train taking the field should be divided into two branches, viz., 
“ the fighting and transporting.” 
Establishment of Fighting fife??.—-The number should be cal¬ 
culated by batteries, according to the guns to be employed, allow - 
