SHOUT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
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52. Some Observations on the Mobility of Field Artillery. 
The following remarks on the subject of the Mobility of Field Artillery have 
been forwarded by Lieut.-Colonel Soady, E.A.:— 
It is proposed here to consider cursorily the present mobility of field artillery in 
the British service, as well as the tactical amount of celerity required from it when 
in support of the Arm it is specially attached to ; whether it is with facility and 
sufficient celerity able to cover and protect its own infantry in changes of front or 
of position, or when advancing, as well as capable of being quickly and with but 
short warning brought together or re-inforced from the reserve to bear on im¬ 
portant points of an enemy’s position, or to act against those arms requiring 
formidable opposition. 
1st, Are field batteries capable of affording other troops the utmost protection 
and support, or is their action restricted or limited from any cause ? 
Taking the case of an infantry brigade of three battalions with a field battery of 
light guns attached and in position on a flank.* The brigade in line would 
occupy rather over 700 yards with battalions of 800 strong,f to which must be 
added the distance for the front and interval of the battery4 
Should the brigade be required to change front, and the guns from not having 
been previously on the pivot flank unable to correspond and be brought into action 
with the front clear within a short distance, then, unless the guns can move more 
speedily than the foot pace of the infantry towards their new position, the value of 
their cover will not be felt during the execution of the movement. 
Should a change of front be made on a company of the centre battalion, 
the guns would have larger arcs to describe than the centre or either of the flank 
battalions, before the new position could be reached; advantage in pace would 
therefore be also essential here. 
When a forward movement is to be made of both guns and battalions, the guns 
with their detachments on foot would still be unable to move at an accelerated 
pace when within effective range, in order to precede and cover the infantry from 
favourable positions for the better aiding their advance or taking the enemy at a 
disadvantage, consequently cover could not be afforded to the advancing troops 
without the undesirable contingency of the guns dropping to the rear and firing 
over the heads of the troops. 
Napoleon says, “There is no infantry, however brave, which can without 
artillery march with impunity ten or twelve hundred yards against sixteen pieces 
of cannon well placed and well served; before it could accomplish two-thirds of 
the distance those men would be killed, wounded, or dispersed.” Hence the 
necessity for the artillery not being retarded in its progress when supporting and 
* Field Exercise, 1867. 
f Hand Book for Field Service, 1867. 
X Gun detachments of field guns, when brigaded for manoeuvres with other arms, are not 
mounted, hut remain on foot; the ammunition wagons do not remain with their guns on these 
occasions, but are kept at a distance in rear, protected from the enemy’s fire as far as the ground 
permits. 
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