346 
EMPLOYMENT OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
infantry. To avoid the latter, the guns should be brought up as near 
to the objective point as the nature of the ground will allow of without 
risk to their own safety. Where they cannot be brought close at once, 
they will be obliged to change their position during the action. The 
moment the infantry has gained an entrance at the objective point the 
artillery must cease firing. 
In street fighting, particularly where strong reduits exist, it may be 
necessary to bring guns into the interior of a place to gain entrance 
for the infantry into the reduits. 
Guns intended for the defence of localities must not be placed in 
front, or in the interior of the same, but on the flanks, where they will 
be considerably more effective, and will not be taken if the place is 
lost. 
In an attack on field works the artillery should damage the enemy’s 
guns, and shake such of his troops as are not covered by gun-pits. 
As here it will depend generally upon purely artillery considerations 
where the guns should be posted, the officer commanding the artillery 
must ascertain what spots are most suitable for the purpose, and 
propose them to the officer commanding the troops. 
When firing shrapnel against field works, in order to obtain from it 
the full advantage, positions under 1125 metres (about 1235 yards), 
even though little exposed to infantry fire, ought, as a rule, to be 
avoided; while, on the other hand, the positions must not be far off, as 
the batteries will be masked too soon by the attacking infantry. 
While getting the range, as well as during the artillery fire preparing 
for the infantry attack on the works, special care must be taken that 
the guns are accurately laid and the effect of each shot carefully 
observed. To cover the advance of the infantry the batteries will 
have to fire less deliberately, and continue firing as long as it is possible 
to do so without danger to their troops. 
The artillery must not change positions while the infantry attack is 
being carried out, but remain prepared to oppose any counter-stroke of 
the enemy. 
For the defence of fortified positions guns, as a rule, should not 
occupy cover thrown up for the infantry, but be placed either in the 
open or under special cover. 
The Passage of a Defile during an Action. 
In debouching from a defile during an advance, the artillery, when 
the nature of the defile admits of it, should take up an advantageous 
position on the flank, whence it may by its fire facilitate the debouching 
of the force. 
No artillery should pass through the defile, except by orders of the 
officer commanding the troops, nor until the outlet is protected by 
troops deployed beyond, and then as quickly as possible. 
On arriving on the farther side, the artillery must deploy considerably 
to the flank and in advance, and by a well-sustained fire endeavour to 
draw the enemy’s fire away from the entrance of the defile, on itself. 
