542 
ORGANISATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF SIEGE ARTILLERY, 
Necessity 
of care 
and fore¬ 
thought in 
preparing 
armament. 
Importance 
of a simul¬ 
taneous 
“openingof 
fire” by all 
batteries. 
and estimate the stores, machines, &c., likely to be required to place 
the pieces in position. 
Before opening fire it is presumed that such a supply of ammunition 
is at hand as to be certain that there is no chance of any cessation in 
fire through lack of it. The trench magazines will therefore have to 
be filled with a proper supply as regards quantity and quality. If 
reduced charges are to be used, care must be taken to have them 
ready weighed and made up beforehand; also the number and des¬ 
cription of projectiles and fuzes should be decided on. This having 
been done, the complete armament for each battery should be, as far 
as possible, arranged separately, and a very careful examination made 
to see each lot is complete in every respect. The men should next be 
shown their exact work, and told their duties by night; they should 
be forewarned of the expedition required of them, the silence necessary 
in conducting their work, and any errors likely to be made should be 
pointed out. 
The sites of the batteries being known, a careful inspection of the 
roads must be made by day, so that the position of any obstacles may 
be noted, and, if necessary, means taken to mark out the way so 
clearly as to prevent any mistakes being made in the darkness. 
Opening fire simultaneously from all the batteries is of great im¬ 
portance, and therefore very careful forethought must be exercised to 
prevent any unlooked-for delay in arming. Want of due attention or 
preparation in respect to the matters just mentioned might hinder an 
important battery being ready to fire by the appointed hour. The 
advantage of the initiative would thus be lost, and probably with it 
the superiority of fire over certain of the enemy's works. 
On the importance of this point Prince Hohenlohe writes as 
follows:— 
“ The termination of the night is the signal for e opening fire.' It 
is absolutely necessary that the firing should commence as soon as day 
breaks, or else the enemy sees the unmasked and newly-constructed 
batteries, and commences his fire before we can. But in the engage¬ 
ment now impending the one who commences has a great advantage 
in being able to observe the first shots without difficulty, and conse¬ 
quently of making the necessary corrections. Any fortified work 
which is bombarded on two sides, and is hit before it can answer the 
fire, will have great difficulty in retaining sufficient composure to 
observe the effect of its own projectiles. Let any man realise the 
confusion of the artillery garrison, suddenly awakened from its morn¬ 
ing's sleep by the enemy's fire, and then having to go and serve the 
guns on a rampart upon which shell and shrapnel are falling like hail. 
“In these matters, as in war generally, surprise and initiative 
guarantee half the certainty of success. 
“ The order for opening fire must be so timed that we can calculate 
upon all the guns from the first artillery position opening fire simul¬ 
taneously. When the f opening' is once determined upon, it must be 
commenced on the appointed day as soon as there is light enough to 
see and to make corrections, although certain guns or batteries may 
not perchance be ready." 
