Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/923

* TACTICS. 80'J TACTICS. The principal duty of the horse artillery at- tached to the cavalry is to support the hitler, since it can clear out the enemy from positions which a cavalry force would have har<l work to take. In the attack of cavalry against cavalry horse artillery cannot always find apjdication, but it can aitl when its cavalry is deploying from a defile. Wliile the opposed cavalries are still mananivring the artillery takes the enemy's cav- alry as its target, and pays no attention to its artillery unless its fire is masked by its own cavalry or to facilitate the deployment of its own cavalry. The artillery should be massed, but artillAy duels to prepare the action would be absurd. There will probably be no time for any change of position until after the cavalry attack is decided, when the artillery takes part in the pursuit. In case of defeat it will not have time to take up a new position, but must remain firing in its previous position. These are in outline the principles involved in cavalry tactics, though they are constantly un- dergoing modifications and the discussion of the true sphere and use of cavalry is a favorite topic for military authorities. In France more atten- tion is given to theoretical forms, and the French tactics prescribe three lines for the division, the third being a reserve in the hands of the division commander, which is put into action only by squadrons and never entirely, except as a last resort ; and the horse batteries are directed to form about 900 yards on the flank of the field of attack. TACTICS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. The artillery is the arm of destruction, and, on account of its great moral effect and the fact that it can reach troops in every part of the field, in all kinds of ground, and behind all artificial field cover, it is essentially the arm for prcparinj: for the attack, demoralizing the enemy, and facilitating the work of the other arras. The use of artillery in masses is the great feature of a modern battle, and this use results from the long range of the guns, which enables them to do in one position that which formerly required a number. Its mass action begins the battle, prepares it, supports the action of the other arms, and ends it, and as an arm of pur- suit artillery ranks with cavalry. The disad- vantages of artillery are that it is tied for a considerable period to a particular position, and cannot act alone, consequently it is always an auxiliary arm. Moreover, it is cumbersome in its movement and defenseless when moving. It is also expensive and difficult to train. Leaving out of consideration the artillery of the seacoast and that used in the attack and defense of land fortifications, which have a tactics of their own, that is treated elsewhere (see Coast Defense and Fortifications, Attack and Defense of), the artillery taken along by the field army may be divided into light artillery and heavy artillery, the former comprising field, horse, and mountain batteries, the latter guns of position. The field batteries include howitzer and mortar batteries for curved or high-angle fire. The formations of the artillery of practical use in the field are simply a formation for going into battery, and the formation in battery, ready for firing. To train the cannoneer for his arduous work under enormous strain, the greatest precision in accu- racy in drill must be insisted upon, for the numerous duties of a cannoneer (selling the fuze accurately, also the sight for the range as well as deviation ordered, and the use of the trail in pointing), under a fire, which may burst shells near the battery as often as one a second from each of the enemy's batteries, require the high- est order of discipline. Moreover, to regulate the fire properly, each shot nuist lie observed, in order to correct fuze-setting and sight. . this demands a formation of the battery in a small space, so tluit the men may be directly under the eyes of their superiors, and the batteries must be able to move easily, under cover if pos- sible, to their positions. Beyond the range of firearms the artillery can move in column of platoons, but within that zone it apears only in the open order (in line at full intervals) or in colunm of sections. Firing artillery always stands in the open order (in battery), and this formation in open order is also the best for ad- vancing into position, where it can be used, but the column of sections will be more generally applicable in coming into position. s X' h A A A A A A h A i ARTILLERY BATTALION, Battalion Commander Jf' Battery Commander; cb • i a. ix d> JU A^ ^ ALIOS, Gun; 1 1 Caisson. Platoon Commander and Chief of Caisson; This illustrates the manner in which an artillery bat- talion of three batteries (of six pieces and four caissons each) comes into action. The rest of the caissons are concealed further to the rear. The greater range of artillery naturally makes it the arm to open the battle, and the desire to rapidly overpower the enemy's artillery, in order that it may take under fire the point selected for attack by the infantry, or, on the defensive, the enemy's infantry during the attack (the real duty of the artillery), as naturally leads to the accumulation of the artillery in masses. The support of the infantry attack is the true pur- pose and the real duty of the artillery, and everything else is only a means to this end. Consequently, the object which the commander- in-chief has in view determines the time, place, and strength in which the artillery is first placed in position, and he also must give the orders therefor. The artillery should, of course, en- deavor to utilize its long range, and if possible come into position beyond the range of the enemy's infantry fire, but since its main duty