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INSTRUCTION FOR FIELD ARTILLERY

PART I.

ORGANIZATION, MATERIAL, AND SERVICE.

ARTICLE FIRST.

ARTILLERY AND ITS DUTIES.

THE troops of the artillery are divided into two kinds, viz., Foot Artillery, and Light or Field Artillery.

To the Foot Artillery belongs the service of siege, sea-coast, garrison, and mountain artillery, rocket batteries, and the artillery duties of the park.

To the Field Artillery belongs the service of the batteries which manoeuvre with the troops on the field of battle. It is divided into two parts. Horse Artillery, which is generally attached to and manoeuvres with cavalry, the cannoneers being mounted on horseback; and Mounted Artillery, which is generally attached to and manoeuvres with infantry, the cannoneers marching at the sides of their pieces, or, when necessary, mounting the ammunition chests.

The Artillery Reserves are composed of horse and mounted batteries in such proportions as the nature of the service requires. The service of batteries assigned to brigades or divisions of cavalry and infantry is special, and, to a great extent, subordinate to the operations of the troops to which they are attached as auxiliaries. The artillery reserve is commanded by a superior officer of artillery, and constitutes a distinct arm of battle, under the immediate orders of the general commanding.

The employment of field artillery, according to the various conditions of service, is a subject of such extent and importance as precludes any attempt to treat of it in this work. It varies with the nature of the theatre of operations; the character of the enemy's defences; the composition of his forces, whether consisting of troops of a single arm or of combinations of the different arms, and according to the discipline, instruction, and numbers of the troops with which it is associated, their composition, and the proportions of the different arms.

FIELD ARTILLERY.

Field artillery is used to attack and defend the works of temporary fortification; to destroy or demolish material obstacles and means of cover, and thus prepare the way for the success of" other arms; to act upon the field of battle; to break an enemy's line or prevent him from forming; to crush his masses; to dismount his batteries; to follow and support in a pursuit, and to cover and protect a retreat.

The effect of field artillery is generally in proportion to the concentration of its fire. It has therefore for its object, not to strike down a few isolated men, and here and there to dismount a gun, but by a combined and concentrated fire to destroy an enemy's cover; to break up his squares and columns; to open his ranks; to arrest his attacks, and to support those which may be directed against him.

Mobility being a prime consideration, both upon the march and on the field of battle, the guns and carriages are made as light as is compatible with strength, and the nature of the service they are required to perform.

Pieces. The calibre and description of the pieces now in use in the service of the United States, are the 6-pounder and 12-pounder gun, the 12-pounder, 24-pounder, and 32-pounder howitzer, and the 12-pounder light gun, or, as it is sometimes called, gunhowitzer. These are assembled in batteries of six or of eight pieces, on the war establishment, of which four or six are guns, and two are howitzers, and of four pieces, on the peace establishment, of which three are guns and one a howitzer. The 12-pounder guns, and 24-pounder, or 32-pounder howitzer, are associated together in the same batteries, which are called 12-pounder batteries, and the 6-pounder guns and 12-pounder howitzers are associated together in like manner, and called 6-pounder batteries. The 12-pounder light guns are assembled in batteries by themselves. *

Carriages. Each piece is mounted on a carriage adapted both to the service of the gun and its transportation. Other carriages, called caissons, constructed for the transport of the ammunition, are attached to batteries at the rate of one to each piece in 6-pounder batteries, and two to each piece in 12-pounder batteries. Besides these carriages, a travelling forge, with smiths' and armorers' tools, and stores, for shoeing and ordinary repairs; and a battery wagon for stores, materiel, and the tools of the carriage-maker, wheelwright, saddler, and harness-maker, form parts of the battery. Other battery wagons, forges, spare gun-carriages, etc., required for more extensive and rapid repairs, and to replace injured carriages, accompany the general park. If there is no park, they should accompany the battery whenever it takes the field.

The battery of manoeuvre consists of the pieces belonging to the field battery, with an equal number of caissons, all properly equipped, horsed, and manned. Each caisson is permanently attached to a piece, and manoeuvres with it.

* This gun is still upon trial. It is not chambered, but can he used both as a gun and howitzer, thus greatly simplifying the ammunition required for a battery. In batteries composed of both guns and howitzers, the fire of one class is often more or less sacrificed to that of the other. This evil is obviated by the use of the light 12-pounder, which will probably be adopted for all mounted batteries, to the exclusion of the others, and be superseded in its turn by rifled cannon of great power and range.

Horses. On the war establishment, or when ordered to march, each carriage of the 6-pounder and light 12-pounder batteries is drawn by six horses. On the peace establishment, in garrison, four horses only are required. When 12-pounder batteries are in the field or on the road, each piece and caisson of the battery of manoeuvre requires eight horses, the other carriages six horses each.

Personnel. The number of men required for the service of a battery, including non-commissioned officers and artificers, varies from twenty to thirty per piece, according to circumstances: the number for field service should never be less than twenty-five, even in 6-pounder batteries. They should be intelligent, active, muscular, well-developed, and not less than five feet seven inches high; a large proportion should be mechanics. The number of officers varies from four to six, depending on the number of pieces in the battery.

PROPORTION OF FIELD ARTILLERY TO OTHER ARMS.

The proportion of field artillery to other arms varies generally between the limits of 1 and 4 pieces to 1000 men, according to the force of the army; the character of the troops of which it is composed; the force and character of the enemy; the nature of the country which is to be the theatre of the war, and the character and object of the war. Similar considerations must regulate the selection of the kinds of ordnance, and the proportions of the different kinds.

The value and importance of an efficient artillery increases in proportion as the troops with which it serves are undisciplined and uninstructed. The following principles may be observed in the American service, under ordinary circumstances:

distributed as follows:

For the infantry: 2 pieces to 1000 men-12-pounder, light, or 6-pounder guns, and 12-pounder howitzers in mounted batteries.

For the cavalry: 2 pieces to 1000 men-6 pounder guns, and 12-pounder howitzers in batteries of horse artillery.

For the reserves: 1 piece to 1000 men 1/3 to 1/2 in 6-pounder mounted batteries and horse artillery, 2/3 to 1/2 in 12-pounder mounted batteries.

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