NOTES ON THE GERMAN SIEGE ARTILLERY 
AND 4-GUN FIELD BATTERIES, 1895. 
BY 
MAJOR H. C. C. D. SIMPSON, B.A. 
THe recent extensive organization of 4-Gun Field Batteries on our 
Home Hstablishment, and the conteniplated administration as a distinct 
branch of our Siege and Heavy Artillery, may I hope be a sufficient 
excuse for bringing these few notes to the notice of my brother 
officers. They are collected from the diary of a tour made this 
autumn on the Rhine and in the Province of Nassau, during which I 
had an opportunity of inspecting the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, and 
of witnessing the Field Artillery operations at the Autumn Manceuvres 
of the 21st German (Frankfort) Division. 
Khrenbreitstein (“the broad stone of honour”), called the Gibraltar 
of the Rhine, situated on its rigkt bank, constitutes a part of the forti- 
fications of Coblentz commanding the junction of the Moselle and 
Rhine rivers, and is nearly 400 feet above the latter. Since the acqui- 
sition of Metz it has lost a good deal of its importance, but in it is one 
of the largest mobilization arsenals of the German army. 
Its present garrison consists of the 9th Battalion Foot Artillery, 
formerly at Cologne. 
I first inspected the barrack rooms which seemed neatly kept. The 
iron cots were arranged in two tiers around the walls like the berths 
of a cabin. The carbines were placed in racks in a sort of outer room 
or hall, with each man’s name entered on a card above his carbine. 
I then saw the men drilling at 15°"! guns and howitzers. The 
directions were somewhat similar to ours, and each gunner was required. 
to repeat the instructions of the Under Officer after each stage of the 
drill. 
The men were fine sturdy fellows, averaging 5ft. 6in. in height. 
The ascent to the drill grounds is very steep, and sentries confront one 
at every turn. One parade ground is apparently for infantry drills, 
and the other for artillery exercises. Round the sides of the square 
1 Qcm 
12 cm 
13 em 
15 cm 
Q1 cm 
1. vou, xxrtt, l 
Hou ny 
