CASUALTY RETURNS OF THE GERMAN ARTILLERY. Bad 
instead of relying upon our Artillery fire dispersing infantry attacks 
before they come within a quarter of a mile of the guns. 
As regards casualties to material, it will be instructive to consider 
the maximum figures in the following form :— 
Tasie II. 
0) 
Material 
(1) 
Maxima in 
any one battle 
(2) 
Averages for 
the 3 battles 
(3) 
Totals for 
the 3 battles 
Gun-carriages ... 
1 per 26 batteries at 2 
1 per 44:5 batteries 
1 per 15 batteries 
| Colombey 5 
AWARCTIS — 500 0:00 uy Loe aes oe 1 per 15 batteries 1 per 5 batteries 
TEBIES ooo ocs HOO Ne ee Oa eae ert 1 per 21 batteries 1 per 7 batteries 
A comparison of Tables I. and IH. shows that the loss of a gun- 
carriage disabled is an altogether exceptional circumstance, and that 
under no circumstance should we anticipate such a casualty occurring 
twice in the same battery; moreover that the relation which this nature 
of casualty bears to the total number of batteries engaged, in the action 
which shows the heaviest proportion under this head, is only 1 to 26 
batteries ; whereas if we take the average for the three battles the 
casualty would be only 1 per 44°5 batteries: if now we imagine the 
same batteries engaged in each of the three battles and consider 
the casualties as cumulative, we arrive at the loss of | gun-carriage 
per 15 batteries. 
Now this last assumption gives, I think, a fair idea of what our 
greatest possible requirements in the shape of spare gun-carriages can 
amount to. Appendix B. gives the proportion which are actually to be 
provided in our service,with the 15-pounder Field and 12-pounder of 
6-cwt. H.A. equipments.} 
The same line of reasoning applies to the spare wheels and poles 
required; but since the figures in column (1) under these two headings 
show a heavier casualty rate than the figures in column (3), we should 
adopt the former figures as our basis instead of the latter. 
There is one case (see Table I.) of a single battery losing 6 wheels, 
and a comparison with column (1) in Table II. shows that this loss 
was most abnormal ; the case in question was at Gravelotte, and 
occurred in the 4th Light Field Battery of the 9th Army Corps; this 
battery had two wheels disabled, but it also had a gun-carriage and 
limber disabled, accounting, as previously explained, for the remaining 
four wheels, which are required to make the total up to siz. 4 
And now, before jumping to any conclusion, it behoves us to consider 
carefully the relation which individual maximum casualties bear to 
average Maximum casualties, and endeavour to arrive ata fair adjust- 
1 Appendix B. has been omitted, as a final decision on certain points affecting it, has not yet been 
given. —/'.G.8. ‘ 
