ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF ARTILLERY IN CUBA. 549 
this is not possible the boxes can be carried by hand and the rockets 
can be fired from almost inaccessible positions. It is of course well 
known that for range and accuracy the rocket cannot compare for a 
moment with a piece of artillery; but in cases of this kind something 
must be sacrificed, and more especially so in order to attain simplicity, 
and above all when, as in the case in point, it is “ Hobson’s choice.” 
“ We must either carry and use rockets ” he says “ or deprive ourselves 
of the valuable assistance of artillery and suppress it absolutely.” 
The transport and manipulation of the war rocket is easy and simple ; 
easy on account of its relatively small weight, and simple because noth- 
ing more is wanted than some elementary trestles or tripods for firing 
at high angles. 
The author then enters into a recapitulation of what is known of war 
rockets which I shall only touch on very briefly. Dating from the end 
of last century they were known of in India by Colonel Congreve, R.A.; 
the natives used them, and they consisted then of thick bamboos filled 
with incendiary compounds. Congreve introduced them into England 
and greatly improved them, but kept them still as incendiary missiles. 
The English fired 200 against Boulognein 1806,and many against Flush- 
ingin 1809. Nelson, in 1807, fired 40,000 against Copenhagen in 3 days 
with great success. The Danish government commissioned Captain Schu- 
macher to study this new weapon with the result that a war rocket was 
improvised which fired shot and bullets, besides incendiary matter. 
The Prussians and Swedes began to use them in 1818, in which year 
Rocket Troops were formed in the English artillery and were employed 
at Leipzig' and Waterloo. Later, rockets were studied by all the prin- 
cipal Powers. France used them in Algeria, the Crimea and Mexico, 
and even tried them in 1870-1, for the French Minister of War tele- 
graphed on the 19th November, 1870 to the Director of the School of 
Pyrotechny, ‘Let me know, by telegraph, if you have any war 
rockets.” Russia has used them in Central Asia, England in Africa 
and India, and Spain in Marocco in 1859. From that period rockets 
have gradually been allowed to die out, though England alone still 
keeps them on both for field and siege operations. None can wish to 
compare rockets in value with artillery, but in certain places they are 
undoubtedly of use, and Cuba seems to be one of these. Their fire is 
somewhat uncertain—this has always been recognised—and hence they 
should be fired in numbers and at an extensive target.. Congreve ad- 
vocated fire by salvos and Captain Harel, who commanded the rocket 
batteries before Sebastopol, says in his memoir on the employment of 
war rockets that ‘above all and where ever possible they should be 
fired in great numbers.” 
The maximum range of the field war rocket is some 2700 to 8000 
yards; with the siege pattern the range varies up tosome 7000 yards. 
The minimum angle of projection for the former should not be below 
10° and for the latter 25°. 
The author next proceeds to describe the war rocket and means of 
1The valuable services of the Rocket Troop R.H.A. at this decisive battle are a matter of history, 
Captain Bogue commanding the troop was killed, and Lieutenant Fox-Strangways, who was lator 
on severely wounded at Waterloo and killed at Inkerman, succeeded Captain Bogue in command: 
