672 
ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
pute the crest of the hill with our skirmishers. You can scarcely 
imagine the effect which the first shot of Prittwitz’s produced on these 
masses. In an instant they became motionless as if they had received 
a violent electric shock. But when shell after shell began to burst in 
the middle of them, when our line of artillery was reinforced by my 
other batteries as they arrived in turn at a gallop, and by the three 
guns of the first battery which succeeded in rejoining us, the columns 
at once took to flight. Then my 30 guns set to work to find the range 
by giving trial shots at different points, while on our left the fire was 
raging round St. Privat. The possession of our height was of the 
greatest importance. From it to our right we could enfilade Aman- 
villiers, for we could see its steeple above a slight undulation in the 
ground. ” 
A second attack by the French was repulsed with equal success. 
It had advanced in quarter column from Amanvilliers. 
“ When the head of the column became visible over the hill, our 
trial shots reached it at a range of 1900 paces, and my 30 guns opened 
a rapid fire. The enemy’s infantry was enveloped in the thick smoke 
which the shells made as they burst. But after a very short time we 
saw the red trousers of the masses which were approaching us appear 
through the cloud. I stopped the fire. A trial shot was fired at 1700 
yards range ; this was to show us the point up to which we should let 
them advance before re-opening the rapid fire; we did the same for 
the ranges of 1500, 1300, 1100, and 900 paces. In spite of the hor¬ 
rible devastation which the shells caused in their ranks these brave 
troops continued to advance. But at 900 paces our fire was too 
deadly for them ; they turned short round and fled ; we hurled shells 
after them as long as we could see them. Here was an infantry attack 
which was repulsed purely and simply by the fire of artillery. A few years 
later I had the opportunity of talking with an aide-de-camp of General 
de Ladmirault, the very man who had carried the order to make this 
counter-attack, and who had been present during its execution. Two 
regiments of infantry had been despatched on this duty. The French 
officer said to me, “It was impossible to succeed. You have no idea 
what it is to advance under the fire of your artillery.” 
Thus was a force equal to six battalions of our regiments defeated 
by guns firing common shell, a projectile so little effective as compared 
with modern shrapnel that in future it will only be carried by batteries 
for ranging purposes. 
The fire of these guns, combined with the musketry of the weak 
infantry force with them, continued so deadly that all the attacks of 
the enemy broke down, and the fight gradually passed from the critical 
stage into a stationary action. 
At 6.15 the attack on St. Privat had come to a stand-still, and the 
12 batteries of the Guard, with the two Horse Artillery Batteries of 
the 10th Corps, continued to support their infantry in the positions 
they had gained. At 7 o’clock these 14 batteries were divided into 
two groups, of which the first was directing its fire on St. Privat and 
Jerusalem, whilst the other was fronting towards Amanvilliers. The 
combined efforts of the first group soon made itself felt in a very 
