FIELD ARTILLERY FIRE. 
399 
field m or bar. Other Powers are experimenting with weapons which 
approximate nearly to the 12*5 centimetre field howitzer of the Swiss 
service. 
These weapons are meant to compete with the tendency, now 
becoming so marked under the deadly effect of modern firearms, to 
make great use of the spade in warfare, and this beyond the mere 
breastwork and shelter-trench of the past. 
One of the most striking features of modern-type field works is the 
completeness of the overhead cover in the shape of field casemates 
that has been designed for them. In this cover it is proposed that the 
infantry shall shelter until the artillery combat is over, and, still con¬ 
cealed there, they hope to survive the preparation of the infantry 
attack by the opposing artillery and only to issue therefrom when the 
attacking infantry advance to the assault and the heaviest part of the 
supporting artillery must perforce cease, at least for a time. 
To try and neutralise the work of the spade, weapons for high-angle 
fire have been designed, how far they will succeed in their mission 
time alone will show. Should a reliable high explosive be used with 
their common shell it could not fail to have a great effect on any work 
that it is possible to construct in the field. 
Organisation. 
All the batteries that come under our notice are each of six guns, 
except the Austrian and Russian field batteries, which are each of 
eight. 
There are three factors that influence the choice of numbers : 
expense, mobility, and fire effect, and, to thoroughly appreciate the 
value of each, we must study how each affects the organisation of 4, 
6, and 8-gun batteries, for into one of these three organisations have 
guns always been collected since the assemblage of the old galloper 
and battalion guns into batteries. 
Expense .—It is manifest that, of the three, the 8-gun organisation 
is the cheapest. For, if 24 guns be taken (the L.C.M. of 4, 6, and 
8) in 4-gun batteries they will require the staff of six batteries, 
whereas with 8-gun batteries only the staff for three is required, 
hence a great saving in pay, officers, staff N.-C.O/s, forges and horses, 
a matter of great consideration for a country that, not being rich, has 
to maintain the gigantic armaments of the present day. 
Mobility .—Here the 4-gun battery has, without doubt, a great 
advantage, but the expense of its establishment and a disadvantage 
as to its fire effect preclude its use, even for Horse Artillery, where its 
mobility is most desirable. The 8-gun battery, while sufficiently 
mobile for Field Artillery is not so for Horse Artillery, so, although 
Austria and Russia have adopted the 8-gun organisation for their 
field batteries, they have been obliged to limit their Horse Artillery 
batteries to six pieces. 
The Russian field mortar batteries are also of six pieces for the 
reason that if of eight the number of vehicles for the conveyance of 
its heavy ammunition would be too great for one battery. 
