COMMENDED ESsAy, 1896. 339 
the rate of fire is ordinary, it may be assumed that a box of ammuni- 
tion will last half-an-hour. 
The first line of wagons will therefore last one hour. 
r 
The second »” ” »” ) »” 
The gun limbers _,, a oF aren se 
The battery could, therefore, in an emergency, fight for three hours! 
without having to call upon an Ammunition Column at all. But it is 
not intended that it should do this, and it would rarely, or never, if 
arrangements were judicious, have thus to stand alone. 
Nevertheless this supply for three hours’ ordinary fire with the guns 
forms the special care of the battery commander, or in the case of 
three, of the brigade-division leader. He is responsible for the ex- 
penditure of those 108 rounds per gun. 
We shall presently see what an infantry officer of similar position is 
responsible for. Meanwhile I may add that according to the tables I 
have given previously, the 18 guns of a brigade-division can count on 
1332 rounds (with 15-pr. 1414 rounds), that is to say, 248 common 
shell, 1008 shrapnel, and 76 case shot (with 15-pr. 1850 shrapnel and 
64 case shot) with the Column immediately behind it; or, in other 
words, there being 18 guns or 74 rounds per gun (with 15-pr. 78 
rounds per gun). 
The Corps Troops Ammunition Column would similarly supply its five 
batteries with 2304 rounds, namely, 432 common shell, 1736 shrapnel, 
and 136 case shot. ‘There being 30 guns to be supplied we find that 
there will be 76 rounds per gun in this case. 
Under new scheme nine batteries with 3774 rounds, namely, nil 
common shell, 8590 shrapnel, and 164 case shot. There being 54 
guns to be supplied we find that there will be 70 rounds per gun in 
this case. 
With the Ist, 2nd and drd sections of the Ammunition Park there 
are, according to the tables already given, 252 common shell, 972 
shrapnel, and 72 case shot. This produces a grand total of 1296 
rounds, which gives us a total per gun of 72 rounds. 
With the 4th section of the Ammunition Park there are 420 common 
shell, 1620 shrapnel, and 120 case shot. In all 2160 rounds. There 
being usually 80 guns with the corps artillery we again arrive at a total 
of 72 rounds per gun. ‘To summarize, and adopting round numbers 
(we may leave case shot out of our calculation as it is only for use on 
special occasions) :— 
There are with each divisional battery, 100 shell. 
TStpResetyoxan Gehan eta wee kee @ OME 
2nd Reserve... ZORA; 
and in round numbers the supply of shell with the corps artillery 
amounts to just the same proportion per gun as in the other cases. 
The important question to decide now is, how long is such a supply 
likely to last ? 
1 With the 15-pr, equipment it will be able to fight for more than four hours. 
