Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/724

662 field artillery in organisation, but will be found treated of under their own titles. Rockets were applied to warlike purposes by Sir W. Congreve about 1804. They were used in 1809 in the Walcheren expedition, and with great success at Leipsic in 18J3, but have since fallen somewhat into discredit on account of the danger of the service and their inaccuracy of flight. They are, however, still used for mountain and forest warfare against savage tribes, as in Abyssinia, in 1868, and in Ashantee, in 1874; and are very valuable for this purpose, from their extreme porta bility and their moral effect. The rockets now used are Hale s ; they have no stick. They are carried in special rocket carriages when required. The rocket troop of horse artillery did excellent service in its day, but has long been abolished ; for some time a rocket section was attached to every battery, but this has also been done away with. Mitrailleurs are extensively used by some of the Continental powers, especially the French and Russians, but have not yet been adopted as part of the British field artillery. The Germans oppose them on the ground that they are not equal to the guns, which they to a certain extent supersede. A Russian infantry division has one, and a French division one battery of mitrailleurs attached to it.

Siege and Garrison Artillery.—Siege and garrison artillery have not usually the complete and permanent organisation that distinguishes field artillery. In India and some other countries permanent siege trains are maintained ; but usually the matériel is kept in store, and the personnel and transport are supplied from other sources according to requirement. In garrison artillery, the guns mounted on fortresses and batteries, or stored in arsenals for the pur pose, furnish the matériel, and the battalions or companies of garrison artillery the personnel.|1}}

In giving a brief account of the artillery services of different nations at the present time, we begin with that of Great Britain.

(a.) Mountain Batteries have for many years past been batteries, used in India, where the details have from time to time been changed by the light of experience. In England no batteries of this kind are maintained, though the matériel would be forthcoming and the personnel would be supplied from the garrison artillery. In 1868 two batteries were organised for the Abyssinian expedition, each composed of six 7-pounder M.L.R. guns, with steel carriages, ammunition boxes, rockets, forge, &c. The gun now adopted is a 7-pounder steel M.L.R. gun, of 3 in. calibre and 200 Ib weight. The carriages are entirely of iron, the axletree consisting of a stout bar of wrought-iron, the brackets, of single plate, being housed directly across it. The projec tiles are common shell, double shell, sharpnel, and case ; the double shell is fired at high angles, with a reduced charge, and a modified form of vertical fire is thus secured, which is very useful in hill campaigns. In Abyssinia the guns were carried on the backs of mules, transversely sup ported on iron saddles or cradles. It is generally considered more expedient, however, to carry the guns lengthwise. The carriage is distributed between two mules, one carrying the bed and trail, and the other the wheels. The ammuni tion is carried in boxes, a pair to each mule. Mules are also provided for a small forge, tools, stores, &c. In India mountain batteries are of two kinds, European and native, both officered from the Royal Artillery. There are two European batteries stationed in the Himalayas. The detail of each is 6 officers, 23 non-commissioned officers and trumpeters, 1 collar maker, 70 gunners; total, 100 Europeans, with 119 native drivers, besides a native establishment of muleteers for baggage mules, grass cutters, artificers, &c., and 182 mules. There are two native mountain batteries in Bengal, and two in Scinde; and it is intended to increase the mountain batteries of India by turning certain native field batteries attached to the local Panjab Frontier Force into mountain batteries.

(b.) Horse Batteries.—Horse artillery batteries differ from field batteries in possessing a lighter equipment, and in having the detachments of gunners to serve the guns mounted on horses. They are armed with six 9-pounder M.L.R. guns of wrought-iron, with tempered steel tube weighing G cwt. 2 The personnel of a horse artillery battery at home is as follows:— Peace Estab- War Estab- lishment. lishmect. Officers 5 5 N.-C. Officers and Trumpeters 20 22 Artificers 7 10 Gunners 70 70 Drivers 56 70 Horses (exclusive of officers | riding 54 62 chargers) } draught... 78 102 In India a battery has, further, a large non-combatant native establishment, as 23 subordinate medical and hospital attendants, and no less than 339 artificers and followers of various kinds. The detail of guns and carriages is as follows, G guns and carriages, 6 ammunition waggons, 1 forge, 1 store, 1 general service Avaggon, and 1 store cart. The construction of our carriages is A r ery solid, excessively so in the opinion of many, as mobility is sacrificed to gain strength ; but this is partly caused by the fact that English carriages must be so constructed as to endure all extremes of climate. The gun-carriage for horse (and field) artillery is of wrought-iron. The ammunition waggons are built on a framework of wrought-iron, Avith wrought-iron perches and wooden ammunition boxes. The projectiles are common and shrapnel shell, and case shot. Each limber has tAvo boxes, and the body of the ammunition waggon four ; each box contains a centre compartment, with 18 filled cartridges, two compartments front and rear, each with G shrapnel shells, and two side compartments containing 3 common shells and fuses in proportion. The ammunition carried is 4 case shot in the axletree boxes of the gun-carriage, 12 common shell, 24 shrapnel in the limber of the gun, and 36 common shell and 72 shrapnel in the ammunition waggons. A total of 148 rounds is thus carried by each gun with its ammunition waggon. The stores for horse and field batteries are numerous, consisting of camp equipment, entrenching tools, harness and saddlery, artificers tools, ordnance stores, and miscel laneous articles, the details of which will be found in the regulation hand-books and equipment tables. These are packed and carried on the different carriages of the battery. Thus the gun-limber carries drag-ropes and axe in front, and other implements, such as spade, shovel, pick-axe, at the side of the boxes, or underneath. A centre box on the limber contains time and percussion fuzes and friction tubes. On the lids of the boxes inside are carried various fuze implements, and a camp kettle and two leather buckets are carried under the limber-boxes. Traversing handspikes and sponges are carried on the gun-carriage itself, and in the axletree boxes, besides the case shot, linch-pins, drag-washers, gun-spikes, &c. The waggon is packed much in the same Avay, but two camp kettles are carried under the body, and a spare wheel in front, three picket posts are carried on each side of the body, and under each alternate waggon of the battery a spare shaft or axletree. The tents are packed between the 