654 
ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
covered the deployment of their battalions. The effect produced by 
what was practically one great battery was admittedly enormous, and 
has been quoted almost acl nauseam by every recent writer on tbe tactics 
of the arm ; but later on in the day, when the infantry attack on the 
Niederwald came to a standstill, guns pressed on to their support in a 
fearless manner, such as belies the value of deductions based on 
musketry returns, and deserves record as a notable achievement of the 
true romantic type. 
Prince Kraft has quoted this example of how widely the German 
artillery tactics of 1870 differed from those in vogue during the previous 
campaign, and gives the following account 1 2 of what took place:— 
“ When the infantry found itself prevented by the enemy's fire from 
continuing its advance from the northern edge of the forest, the 
artillery was pushed out to the front. Eight batteries came into action 
in the very thickest of the infantry fire, and supported the attack 
which was directed against Elsasshausen, just as later on they assisted 
the infantry to repulse the counter-attacks of the enemy ; on this 
occasion they many times fired case in place of shell. Between three 
and four p.m. 13 batteries had already been hauled up the scarped 
heights on the other side of the Sauerbach and prepared the way for 
the attack on Froschwilier with the fire of nearly 80 guns at a very 
short range. At this point single batteries advanced in front of the 
line of skirmishers attacking the village.During the 
pursuit in the evening the artillery still supported the other arms at 
all points." 
On the same day on which was fought the battle of Woerth (the 6th 
of August), another combat was also taking place at Spicheren, where, 
however, numbers were on the side of the French, and here, too, the 
German artillery evinced an equally daring spirit, and genially came 
to the support of the infantry without attempting to avail themselves 
of the safety which their superior range might have assured them, had 
their own freedom from loss been a first consideration with them. 
To recapitulate the performances of the different batteries would be 
almost to write the entire history of the day, but one special achieve¬ 
ment deserves a separate mention. 
When the struggle was at its fiercest, soon after six o'clock, we find 
Colonel von Rex, commanding the 32nd Brigade, particularly begging 
for the support of artillery to give more decisive effect to the successes 
which had already been effected on the Spicheren plateau by the 
infantry, who now, worn out by their exertions, were clinging with diffi¬ 
culty, almost exhausted, to the ground they had captured. In response 
to his cry for aid, General von Biilow ordered up the 3rd light and 3rd 
heavy batteries of the 9th Brigade to the heights. The road by which 
these batteries endeavoured to advance was at all times a difficult one, 
but now ploughed up as it was by shells, and partially blocked by some 
cavalry who had preceded the battery and halted in their path, was 
well nigh impassible. 3 The leading gun of the light battery was alone 
1 2nd Letter on Artillery. 
2 Prussian Official account. Part I., Yol. I. 
