0 
The last advantage which General von Saner claims for batteries using plung¬ 
ing fire seems open to dispute. He says :—“ When the plunging-fire batteries 
have ceased firing for fear of striking the infantry which have advanced to within 
200 or 300 metres of the point of attack, if subsequently these troops begin to 
retire there is no reason why fire should not be resumed to check the enemy’s 
pursuit as soon as circumstances permit. Such a support could only be given by 
plunging fire.” 
It does not appear upon what grounds he bases this last assertion, which is in 
direct contradiction to the German Artillery Regulations, in which we read :— 
“ If the infantry attack fail, the batteries, and especially those most advanced, 
should support the infantry in their retreat and check the enemy’s pursuit.” 
It may be added that batteries firing directly have the advantage over batteries 
using curved fire of being able to change their target more rapidly, as it is well- 
known that the operation of finding a new range generally takes longer in the 
case of high-angle fire than in that of direct fire. 
Again, our author thinks that the remarkable properties of high-angle fire 
entail a very large employment of mortars or howitzers upon the field of battle. 
“ It is a mistake,” he says, “ to consider these pieces simply as a reserve capable 
of being employed only in certain special cases, such as the moment of assault, 
in order to give the defenders their coup de grace.” 
All the Powers which have introduced mortars into their field armament, such 
as Austria and Russia, have a very limited number of these pieces. As yet 
Russia has only three regiments of mortars of four batteries each, or 12 batteries 
only for the whole army. This proportion seems much too small for General 
von Sauer, who attaches such importance to these new pieces that he wants a 
battery for high-angle fire to each infantry brigade, or four for an Army Corps. 
“ This number is necessary,” he says, “ in order that the batteries may come 
into line and make their powerful action felt from the beginning.” 
They will support the deployment of the batteries for direct fire, which in 
their turn will prepare for the infantry attack, and they will continue their action 
up to the moment of the decisive attack, and then produce their utmost effect. 
Such, in a few words, are the tactics recommended by the author. 
But even admitting that these new batteries will be more strongly represented 
in the armies of the future, it hardly follows that they will bring a greater 
element of strength to the attack than to the defence. If both sides are pro¬ 
vided with mortars and howitzers, they will be in the same relative position that 
they were before. If the effect of these pieces is as great as is represented, it is 
evident that the high-angle firing pieces on the one side will try to destroy those on 
the other, and the duel which will result will constitute a new phase in the 
combat. But there seems to be no reason why one side should have the advan¬ 
tage over the other, and nothing appears to justify the introduction of a new 
equipment, less portable than the ordinary one, necessitating heavier and, 
therefore, fewer rounds of ammunition, and always entailing a very serious 
complication in the supplies. With all due respect to General von Sauer, 
the opinion expressed some time ago by the Jahrbucher fiir die deutsche 
Armee und Marine appears much wiser, according to which “ Pieces for high- 
angle fire should only be used to arm special batteries, maintained in addition to 
the organised units of the mobilised army. These special batteries will take but 
little part in the ordinary work of the artillery, but will be principally intended 
to direct a crushing fire upon the point of attack immediately before the assault. 
They will not, therefore, open fire at the very beginning of the action, but as soon 
as the course of events has developed the character of the combat.” In short, 
they will give the enemy his coup de grace. 
The Jahrbucher think that the proportion of one battery for high-angle fire to 
each Army Corps would be quite sufficient to meet all requirements. This pro- 
