4, 
(¢.) Proximity of the supply units to the combatant troops on line of march.— 
This merely represents a return to the principles of Napoleon and 
is less dangerous now-a-days, as the personnel of these units is 
much more numerous and far better disciplined than in his day. 
(f.) Separation of the supply of ammunition from that of material for 
repairs.—Parks as at present constituted do not only carry am- 
munition, but large supplies of materials for repairs, the demand 
for which is not so unceasing or imperative on the part of the 
troops. We would, therefore, reorganize the parks into ammunition 
sections pure and simple and movable workshops and store waggons 
which need not be nearly so mobile. 
The system we propose does not directly depend on the composition of 
ammunition columns, but the interchangeability of sections of them 
and sections of the corps park would be more easily arrived at 
if their composition were alike. This arrangement prevails in 
Germany, but even the German system does not seem completely 
satisfactory. The ammunition of the corps park is carried in 
packing cases carried either in military or requisitioned carriages. 
It would, in our opinion, facilitate supply if the corps park were 
divided into two portions: the first of them should be organized 
similarly to ammunition columns and the ammunition carried in 
ammunition waggons; the second carrying an equal amount of am- 
munition, but in ordinary military waggons and in boxes. Lastly, 
the composition of the 1st echelon of the grand park should be 
similar to that of the 2nd section of the corps park. 
Under this arrangement the work of the parks might be thus detailed :— 
The 1st section of the corps park (a) moves rapidly forward to the field of 
battle and, as soon as the ammunition column (6) is exhausted, takes its place ; 
the 2nd section (c) of the corps park, halted some distance in rear, fills up the 
empty waggons of the ammunition (4) column, which then returns to the troops 
and takes the place of the 1st (a) section of the corps park when that is exhausted. 
The movable 1st echelon (d) of the grand park, taking part in the general 
movement, replaces the 2nd section (c), the latter having filled up (4) moves 
as rapidly as possible to the immobile echelon (¢) of the grand park, which is at 
the unloading station at the railway. This is repeated by (d). Thus this system 
consists in organizing a chain of light ammunition columns composed of am- 
munition waggons and directly supplying the batteries on the field of battle and 
a chain of heavy military waggons connecting the former with the railway or other 
base. 
We claim for the system the following advantages :— 
(a.) A larger number of rounds per gun can be carried than by the existing 
system as shown in this table :— 
PRESENT SYSTEM. 
CARRIAGES. Rounds. 
of 14 ammunition 
wageons 
Corpsaparkue em aye mere aed manOURE 6 scene Ost 1,0 
Six ammunition columns 
sera) BOAbeimd sands 05800 
Lotalenbe cee Sct ee eS tee eee Ja 75 
Per pun oee ooo p00 eco 000 000 106 
Ck 
