NOTES ON GERMAN SIEGE ARTILLERY, ETC, i) 
India, is under trial, and the number of teams allotted for this purpose 
has been lately. increased, but I have nothing to add to the details given 
in the paper referred to, all data not being yet absolutely settled, no 
batteries of this kind were employed in this year’s manceuvres. It will be 
seen from the preceding that a German Siege Train Unit consists of 10 
companies and 60 pieces of ordnance presenting a marked contrast to 
our modest requirements of 4 companies and 16 pieces. There is a 
tendency in all European nations to make a greater use of their Foot 
Artillery for field operations than has hitherto been the custom. 
Perhaps it would be as well if we occasionally turned our eyes from 
the sea towards the land, and afforded greater opportunities to our 
Regular and Militia Garrison Artillery for studying the working and 
véle of movable armaments. At present it seems limited to the 
Volunteer Position Artillery, and three or four Siege Companies. At 
the Head Quarters of each Regiment of German Foot Artillery is a 
small bugle band. Would it not be possible by reducing our Mounted 
Band Establishment to have similar small bands at our large Garrison 
Artillery Stations, such as. Portsmouth, Plymouth, Dover, and our 
Mediterranean Fortresses ? 
: FIELD ARTILLERY. 
The three “ Abtheilungen”’ of the 27th Regiment Field Artillery 
I saw were. attached to the 21st or Frankfort Division, and. consisted 
each of three 4-gun batteries without wagons. The regiment forms 
one of the three constituting the Field Artillery Brigade of the XI. Army 
Corps and rendered distinguished service in 1870. The peace strength 
of aGerman 4-gun battery is 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants or 2nd Lien- 
tenants, 1 Sergt.-Major, 1 vice Sergt.-Major, 1 Ensign, 4 Sergeants, 
10 Under Officers, 2 Trumpeters, 4 Bombardiers, 7 Acting-Bom- 
bardiers, and 69 Gunners (of whom 23 act as Drivers), 16 troop 
riding horses, 24 draught, 4 spare, and 3 “kriimper” horses. The 
Captain has a charger allowed him, but the Lieutenants are mounted 
on troop horses. The Staff of a Field Artillery “Abtheilung” is 
1 Major Commanding, 1 2nd Lieutenant as Adjutant distinct from 
Battery Establishments (as he should be with us), 2 Under Officers as 
Clerks, a Medical Officer, a Paymaster, a Veterinary Surgeon, and 4 
riding horses. 
On mobilization the following would be required to complete one of 
these batteries to war establishment, viz:—1 Lieutenant, 1 Trumpeter, 
75 Gunners and Drivers, 13 riding and 92 draught and spare horses, 
2 guns, and about 9 6-horsed carriages. The chief difficulty in the 
mobilization of these batteries lies in the supply of horses and it is con- 
sidered that it would take at least seven days to complete them for 
service. As regards the extra guns and ammunition wagons required, 
each battery maintains in peace, either with it or at a neighbouring 
Artillery Depét, the full complementary equipment. 
As is doubtless well known to many readers of this paper the field 
gun of the German service is not yet General Wille’s ideal weapon, of 
which we have all heard so much, and as yet seen so little approaching 
the same.. It is the so-called 9° by Krupp, a B.L. single cylinder 
pneumatic wedge gun, and is a steel tube strengthened for half its 
length by steel hoops. 
