398 
FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 
Weight Behind the Team. 
Horse Artillery .—This most important factor in Horse Artillery 
equipment is jworthy of study. Horse Artillerymen are practically 
unanimous in saying that the weight behind the team should not 
exceed 6 cwt. per horse, some place it as low as 5J, and it will be seen 
that all nations admit the truth of this dictum and legislate accord¬ 
ingly, except ourselves, who, in addition to having 37J cwt. behind 
the team, put two gunners on the limber, which practically brings the 
weight up to 41 cwt. This, however, is in a fair way to be remedied 
by the introduction of a lighter 12-pr. Horse Artillery gun, expressly 
designed for the use of smokeless powder and by taking the two men 
off the limber. Meanwhile the Cavalry Manoeuvres in Berkshire in 
1890 have left as a record the impossibility of dragging 41 cwt. 
behind the team in the Horse Artillery. 
What is the reason why our equipment should so much exceed the 
others, seeing that we have not a heavier shell nor do we carry more 
rounds than the others ? The great muzzle velocity, which enjoins 
powerful and heavy breaks and a comparatively strong and heavy 
carriage to absorb and control the shock of discharge, otherwise the 
recoil would be excessive and the carriage soon shaken to pieces. 
Field Artillery .—The weights behind the team are all much alike, 
some 38 cwt. plus five men, with the exception of the French, who 
have a weight of 41 cwt. plus five men (according to one authority 
three men, but five is probably correct, as three could hardly work so 
weighty a piece). It is an openly expressed opinion of the French 
Artillery Officers that their gun is too heavy for Field Artillery and 
that, with their short service drivers, the men do not drive well enough 
to drive the leaders of a team of four pairs, which they ought to have 
for the weight behind them. The reason for the great weight of the 
French equipment is that, although they have the heaviest shell they 
have also the highest velocity, except ourselves, who in accepting the 
high velocity have had to content ourselves with the lightest projectile 
of all. With this light projectile we certainly carry a few more 
rounds than other Powers, but the total weight of ammunition per 
gun and limber carried by us is less than that carried by other Powers 
on account of the comparatively great weight of the rest of the 
equipment, brought about by the high velocity. 
Heavy Field Artillery .—It is accepted abroad that 45 cwt. is not an 
excessive weight behind the teams for heavy field or light position 
guns; this, I presume, means that the detachments will mostly be on 
foot except on good roads, and the guns will manoeuvre but little, and 
not often move at a trot off the roads. 
There are only two examples to offer, of which one, our own, is still 
in the experimental stage. 
There is some talk of re-introducing the 95 mm gun into the French 
service to the extent of one battery per Army Corps, for the express 
purpose of firing shell loaded with a high explosive. 
Special .—Of this class only one claims attention as actually being a 
service weapon of which details are known, namely, the Russian 6-inch 
