PRECIS 
( 
AND 
TRANSLATIONS, 
“RUSSIAN ARTILLERY JOURNAL.” 
PRACTICE AT SNOW PARAPETS. 
TRANSLATED BY 
CAPTAIN E. A. LAMBART, R.H.A. 
The question of the resistance to field artillery projectiles offered by fortifications 
constructed of snow is of some importance, especially to those countries where the 
ground is covered with snow almost half the year. 
Cases are very probable where troops will have to entrench themselves in the 
winter; the frozen ground offers very great resistance to digging, and in this 
respect resembles stony ground. In raising fortifications on such ground it is 
necessary to have recourse to transported materials, as it is impossible in a short 
time and with ordinary means to get any sort of cover out of stony ground ; 
whilst at hand lies an immense quantity of a material which is very easily heaped 
up, namely snow. 
Having decided to make use of snow fortifications it is necessary to decide on 
the dimensions which the profile must have in order to give cover which will not 
be penetrated by the enemy’s projectiles, and for this we must know how far the 
projectiles of field artillery will penetrate snow. It is further necessary to know 
the best way of digging up the snow. Whether it should be trampled down as it 
is thrown up. Whether advantage can be taken of the ice, &c. 
The following experiments were carried out before a special commission at the 
Oost-ijorski camp in February 1890, and March 1891. 
Experiments in 1890. 
These experiments were so to speak preparatory : their object was to decide 
the best form of parapet for further experiments. For this purpose a parapet 5 
feet high and 40 feet frontage was constructed in 5 portions of 8 feet each—each 
of them was made differently : 
1st portion 14 feet thick made of unrammed snow. 
2nd portion 8 feet thick made of snow trampled down as it was thrown up. 
3rd portion built up of 6 rows of ice blocks 2|- feet thick faced with snow 
1 foot thick 
4th portion 7 feet thick was built of snow saturated with water as it was 
thrown up. 
5th portion 8£ feet thick was built of bags of snow each weighing about 
10 lbs. 
1 , 
VOL. XIX. 
