Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/722

660 12 pounder of 8 cwt. being for the armament of field, and the 9 pounder of 6 cwt. for horse artillery. The field carriages were provided with a gun-metal &quot; saddle &quot; worked by a lever and hand-wheel for traversing, and ball-and-socket elevating screw. The limbers and ammunition waggons were constructed of an improved pattern, and the whole equipment showed a great advance in efficiency; 124 rounds per gun were carried on the gun carriage and ammunition waggon, and a further &quot; reserve &quot; in a second line of wag gons. The system of attaching small arm ammunition waggons to field artillery was abolished, and in future separate &quot; ammunition columns &quot; will convey this as well as reserve ammunition for artillery. The Armstrong system, which was but little tested in the field, has since 1873 been almost entirely superseded by muzzle-loading rifled guns, which will be described further on.

In France a new era for artillery opened with the wars of the consulate and the empire. The matériel underwent no great alteration, the 6-pounder being substituted for the 8 and 4-pounders for horse and divisional artillery, and a 24-pounder howitzer introduced. But beyond all other changes, we may note the increased tactical employment of artillery under the great artillery officer, Napoleon I. It is to his wars that we first look for instances of the important effects produced by this arm, in that concentration of fire which in those days was only produced by massing guns. After the peace of 1815 the system of Gribeauval, which had served its time, was further improved upon. The matériel adopted in 1827 consisted of 12-pounder and 8-pounder guns, and 6-inch and 24-pounder howitzers. A six gun battery was composed of either four 12-pounders and two G-inch howitzers, or four 8-pounders and two 24-pounder howitzers. The carriages and ammunition waggons were also improved, so that the detachments could be mounted on them, and the mobility thus much increased. A new mountain artillery equipment was also adopted; a powerful 12-pounder howitzer, but weighing only 220 Ibs., was introduced, the carriage and ammunition boxes being carried on mules ; and this equipment proved very service able in the Algerian campaigns. In 1852 Napoleon III., when president of the Republic, did much to simplify the matériel, and introduced a 12-pounder shell gun, intended to fire solid shot or shrapnel shell. Louis Napoleon had always made artillery a special subject of study ; and the great work on artillery commenced and mainly carried out by him is a standard work on the subject. In 1858 rifled guns, 12-pounders and 4-pounders, were adopted in the French service, and used with great effect against the Austrians in the Italian campaign of the following year. Since the war of 1 870-71, where the French artillery proved itself markedly inferior both in numbers, power, and hand ling to that of their adversaries, the French have been actively engaged in carrying on experiments, with a view to the introduction of a superior weapon, and have further increased their force of artillery by 120 batteries.

At the commencement of the 19th century the Prussian artillery was rather powerful than mobile, the field artil lery counting 216 12-pounders, 96 heavy 6 -pounders, and only 120 light 6-pounders. After the disasters of 1806-7 this defect was remedied; and in 1816, when a further reorganisation took place, the ninety-six guns allotted to each army corps were in the proportion of three heavy to eight light. The horse artillery numbered twenty batteries in 1809, and twenty-seven in 1816, and for many years formed the bulk of the reserve artillery. The personnel of the Prussian artillery has developed enormously during the 19th century. In 1808 it formed three brigades, each consisting of six field and two horse artillery batteries. In 1814 it was increased to nine brigades, each composed of twelve field and three horse artillery batteries, besides a proportion of garrison artillery and artificers, and corre sponding to one of the permanent army corps of the Prus sian army. It was with this organisation but slightly modified that Prussia undertook the wars of 1864 and 1866. In the latter war the Prussian artillery did not shine so much as its Austrian adversary ; and deficiencies were brought to light which were carefully remedied in the few years of peace which followed. In 1867 an addition was made of three Prussian and one Saxon regiment of field artillery, with four divisions of garrison artillery, conse quent on the incorporation of Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover, Nassau, &c., and the formation of three new army corps from these provinces. It was with this establishment that the war of 1870-71 commenced. The South German forces contributed four regiments of Bavarian artillery and twenty-eight batteries of Wlirtemberg, Baden, and Hes sian artillery ; and altogether seventeen regiments of field and nine of garrison artillery took part, or were effective for service, in that war. In 1872 the German artillery was reorganised, the field artillery of each army corps being augmented to seventeen batteries, and divided into two regiments.

Similar progress was made by the other great European powers during this century. The Austrian artillery has always been pre-eminent both in the excellence of its matériel'' and in tactical handling on the field. In 1859 rifled guns were introduced; and in 1861 gun-cotton was substituted for gunpowder, but was soon afterwards abandoned. In the unsuccessful war of 1866 her artillery especially distinguished itself by its gallantry and devotion, and showed itself decidedly superior to that of her adver sary. A considerable development of her artillery has taken place within the last few years, which will be treated of further on. Russia, which specially distinguished itself in the Napoleonic wars by the power and good service of her artillery, has continued to devote the same attention to it. In 1861 she adopted the French system of rifled guns, but after the German war of 1866 she abandoned it for the breech-loading system of Prussia, and has armed her field artillery mainly from the manufactory of Krupp at Essen. Of late years Russia has shown the greatest activity in all matters connected with artillery ; the re- equipment of her siege, garrison, and coast artillery has been energetically proceeded with, and her fortresses re armed; more than 1000 rifled guns having been supplied and mounted in the years 1869-70. Her field artillery has also been increased from three to four batteries per division, and thirty-eight batteries of mitrailleuses added.

To complete this historical portion of the subject some Indian brief notice is necessary of the Indian artillery, which artillery, springing from the Royal Artillery in 1748 returned to it again in 1862, after a varied but glorious career. The company of Royal Artillery sent to the East Indies in 1748 formed the nucleus from which three companies of regular artillery, one for each presidency, were raised in 1749. Five more companies were sent out between that and 1756; and on the reorganisation of the Indian army by Clive in 1765, the greater part of the Royal Artillery then serving there volunteered for, and was incorporated with, the Indian army, thus forming the basis upon which were formed the three corps of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay artillery. Its early days were passed in difficulties and com parative obscurity; it was recruited largely from the navy or merchant service, and many of the terms still in use, such as &quot;lascar&quot; (native assistant-gunner), were drawn from that service. Its officers, as a rule, were utterly without technical training. By degrees, however, educated officers were obtained from the Royal Artillery, and both matériel