RoLE OF HOUSE ARTILLERY, 
335 
Home says, in speaking of cavalry and horse artillery acting against an 
enemy’s flanks, 44 it is requisite that they should be boldly used, and 
advantage taken of the rapidity of their movement; they must not be 
kept close to or hanging on the infantry for support, but must act 
boldly.” 
Acting thus, it will doubtless open out frequent opportunities for the 
charges of moderate or small masses of cavalry. 44 Important oppor¬ 
tunities which recent tactics will afford to cavalry will be the attack 
upon masses of artillery.” * Such cavalry will, moreover, protect it from 
attack, if not itself overthrown ; but to guard against such an emergency 
a special support will be required, which will be considered under the 
head of Escort. 
The duties of the escort will be :— Escorts 
1. To guard the exposed flank when in motion or action. 
2. To reconnoitre positions about to be taken up. 
3. To support at the last moment in the event of attack. 
The late Franco-German War has proved what guns, well worked, 
are capable of doing at close quarters. 
But to work them to the last, their detachments should have that 
coolness which can only be afforded by the confidence that when they 
have obtained the greatest effect from their 44 fire,’’they have a support 
at hand ready to deliver that 44 shock ” of which they themselves are 
incapable. 
Artillery and cavalry, thus combined, possess an immense power; one 
arm is the complement of the other. 
It has been said that, 44 as however cavalry is only an offensive arm, 
it is evident that it is only efficacious as an escort to defend the 
guns from an equal force of hostile cavalry.” On the contrary, if the 
detachments work with coolness, and, commencing with shrapnel, follow 
on with case till the last moment, they will leave a large mass of 
opposing cavalry an easy prey to a comparatively small supporting body. 
It has been proposed that a certain portion of the escort should act 
dismounted when thus supporting guns. But modem shrapnel is so 
searching that it will give artillery ample fire against troops even in 
open order, and it would therefore be a mistake to run the risk of 
rendering the escort unsteady by dismounting troopers, and thus 
diminish in any degree the power for shock which is required to 
complete the work. 
Mounted riflemen would afford a still more mobile combination of 
fire and shock, which might often be most advantageously employed 
when the use of the above combination of artillery and cavalry would 
be out of the question. As a force attacking guns will generally attempt 
to act against the flank or rear, and will, when possible, direct a 
portion of its strength against the guns, and a portion against the 
support, it will be necessary to be prepared to throw a portion of the 
guns round and to divide the support accordingly. 
* Hamley, 1872. 
