NOTES ON GERMAN SIEGE ARTILLERY, ETC. 3 
In addition to the above and also divided amongst the fortresses are 
the following :— 
(1). Two reserve siege parks of the same composition as the pre- 
ceding, but formed in part of the guns detailed as armament of the 
fortress with no ammunition columns. 
(2). Two special siege parks which would march with the field 
army to bombard barrier forts, or be employed as batteries of position, 
each park being composed of forty guns and an “ Abtheilung ” of four 
park ammunition columns. The ordnance of these parks is made up of 
twelve heavy 12™ guns, twenty short 15 ™ guns, and eight 21™ rifled 
mortars (howitzers), with a supply of 1000 common shell and 200 
shrapnel for each gun and 1000 shell for each mortar. 
(3). Three reserve sections each of 24 guns, viz:—twelve short 
21™ or twelve heavy 12° bronze guns and twelve heavy 9 bronze 
guns, with 1000 common and 200 shrapnel shell for the 9 and 12 ™ 
guns and 1000 common shell for the 21 ™ guns 
To each section of a siege park or special siege parks would be 
attached a Foot Artillery Regiment of two battalions (about 56 officers 
and 2200 N.C.O.’s and men), with two mobilized Park Companies. 
A special staff is formed for each park, and it is probable that the 
Inspectors of Foot Artillery and their staffs would take charge of the 
siege parks, whilst the staff of the regiment attached would perform 
the same duties for the special and reserve parks. 
The Park Ammunition Columns would each have 1 Captain, 1 2nd 
Lieutenant, 1 Sergt.-Major, 2 Sergeants, 7 Under Officers, 8 Lance- 
Corporals, 80 Train Drivers, 1 Farrier, 16 riding and 164 draught 
horses, and 40 four-horsed ammunition wagons. 
The German Siege Guns are all of hard bronze and breech-loading. 
(See table A). 
I may state that a German artillery officer informed me that in his 
opinion the mobilization of the units referred to in this paper would not 
be fully completed with the ease that a study of the regulations might 
lead one to imply, especially in the formation of the Siege Train units. 
Having assisted as an Acting Company Commander in the formation 
of a temporary Siege Train Company in India, and as Adjutant in the 
conversion to Heavy Position Artillery of a Volunteer Artillery Bat- 
talion, I quite realized the force of his conjectures. 
The special uses of each of these siege guns is as follows :— 
9°" heavy gun.—To fire at personnel, reply to the pieces of the 
mobile defence, fire on sap heads, and enfilade counter approaches. 
It may also be used for dismounting guns, destroying sand-bag 
embrasures, etc. when it is inconvenient to bring heavier guns to bear. 
At ranges under 800 yards it has given good results against guns 
behind blinded embrasures. It is also employed to bring shrapnel 
fire to bear on the enemy’s works and to annoy parties repairing 
damages in the defence works. 
12° heavy gun ( see foot note to table A).—This gun is used to bring 
an accurate fire to bear at long ranges. During the first stages of a 
