302 GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1896. 
case is to make the fighting portion of the army efficient. It is often 
so hard for us to bear in mind the general good, when a clear and 
visible personal disadvantage stares us in the face. 
Wavereulan We will now consider what a Divisional Ammunition Column can 
Divisional and should do during an action and after an action, after which we 
“Sapnition will treat the Corps Troops Ammunition Column and Cavalry Brigade 
case (1a). Ammunition Column. We select this order so that we may take the 
more comprehensive first. We will first take the simplest case (la), 
that of a Divisional Ammunition Column parked in a convenient 
situation behind its division, which forms part of the line in a defensive 
position. We will suppose that the enemy is making a methodical 
frontal attack—modifications will have to be made for those of flank 
divisions, or divisions held in reserve; with these latter the columns 
will have to act very much as in case (3). In case (la), we may pre- 
sume that the first demand will be for artillery ammunition, empty 
wagons will come in from the front as the artillery duel progresses, 
some of these may be short of horses, but this is not very likely as in 
such a position as we are at present considering the teams can usually 
be well protected by the ground. The wagons and wagon limbers 
which come up should be inspected as soon as they arrive in the field 
where the Ammunition Uolumn is parked. The officer in charge must 
make up his mind at once as regards what changes in horses are 
necessary. ‘Time here is always an important factor; that lost on the 
road is the result of circumstances over which he has no control, but 
any hesitation as to what is to be done in his command will cause 
avoidable delay. The orders of the officer in charge must be concise, 
he must state to what section each individual vehicle is to go, and tell 
the subaltern officer in charge of the section whether the wagons are 
to be refilled and returned or simply exchanged. [If refilled, the 
limber and wagon should be drawn up close to an A. and 8. wagon 
in which the packing cases have already been opened and two men 
set to refill each box ; if exchanged, the teams should be immediately 
unhooked and hooked again into one of the full ammunition wagons 
of the column, the kits of the gunners being transferred from one 
wagon to the other. As soon as each consignment of wagons is ready, 
it should be immediately despatched to rejoin its unit at the front. 
The empty wagons which are left behind should then be filled from A. 
and 8. wagons of the column, and made ready in every respect to go 
to the front again. As soon as three A. and S. wagons are empty, 
they should be despatched under the charge of an N.-C. officer 
to the Ammunition Park; any loss in horses can be made good by 
sending these to the rear under horsed, or with horses that have 
suffered from the effects of the campaign, as it may be possible to 
replace them at the Park. Wounded horses which can travel should 
be sent with this detachment. No seriously injured horse should ever 
come to the Ammunition Column, as these are not worth their food, 
and should be shot when they are disabled. Horses which are sent 
to the rear may become fit for work again at the horse depots; they 
are only a useless encumbrance at the front. The front is the hardest 
place to feed anything, and no temporarily useless animal should be 
kept there. 
