660 
ACHIEVEMENTS OE FIELD ARTILLERY. 
battery of the 5th Division came into line with the other' batteries. 
Between 2 and 4.30 p.m. four Field Batteries and one Horse of the 
10th Brigade also arrived in turn ; they placed themselves under my 
command. As at first, I had placed my guns with very wide intervals, 
owing to the great extent of ground which I had to occupy, I had 
plenty of room for the batteries which joined me afterwards.” 
“ There were therefore in position at Flavigny, at about 5 p.m., four 
Horse Artillery and seven Field Batteries. At this hour the Imperial 
Guard made an extremely violent attack upon us. We had six French 
batteries in front of us (I counted them several times), which for the 
most part fired salvoes on us. When the artillery fight had lasted 
about half-an-hour, the French infantry advanced to the attack. We 
could only see a very thick line of skirmishers. As for the troops in 
column in rear we could see nothing of them. Our fire was directed 
against this line of skirmishers as it advanced, and since we had been 
in position since 2 p.m., and knew all the ranges, our shells made such 
gaps in the enemy’s line that it, after having very bravely approached 
to a distance of about a thousand paces, and having been received with 
a rapid fire, answered with a hurried and ineffective discharge, and 
then turned to the right about and retired.” 
“ On this occasion I acquired the certain knowledge that a line of 
artillery cannot be beaten or broken by a frontal attack. At that time 
we had common shells only, and what an overwhelming effect did we 
not obtain with them. At the present day the artillery have shrapnel, 
and a frontal attack would be repulsed with even more terrible loss.” 
“The fight at Vionville has also made me sure that the only way to 
close open ground efficiently, is to employ artillery for that purpose, 
for the very reason that it caunot be driven back by a frontal attack. 
But such a line of artillery has a yet further use; it serves as a substi¬ 
tute for a reserve to receive troops which have been driven back.” 1 
“ During the alternate successes and failures of the infantry fight 
round the hill, marked 308 near Vionville, I often saw detachments 
which the enemy had just repulsed form up again immediately in rear 
of the line of artillery, for there they knew themselves to be in safety, 
and from thence they were led forward once more to the attack. We 
had no longer any infantry reserves.” 
“ But, to return to Vionville, about 7 p.m. some batteries of the 8th 
Brigade arrived on the field of battle. They filled up the interval 
between my guns and those of the 5th Division. We had then from 
20 to 2 4 batteries in one line. There was no fear that the French 
would ever force this. Consequently we had done exactly what General 
von Alvensleben desired. It was fortunate also that he had so much 
artillery there, for the infantry was wasting slowly away in these terrible 
struggles .” 
Subsequently Von Dresky led forward the Corps Artillery of the 3rd 
Corps to Bezonville, where in spite of heavy losses they sustained from 
some hostile infantry “ they came gaily into position and opened fire.” 
The fight continued about twenty minutes and then the enemy’s 
1 The manner in which Napoleon utilised his artillery at Wagrana to reinforce his centre is an 
example in point.— E.S.M. 
