Great Britain. Army. Royal Field Artillery
COLLECTIVE TRAINING. 7. Section training 17 8. Battery training 17 9. Brigade training 19 10. Annual practice 20 11. Divisional artillery training 21 12. Training of Special Reserve and Territorial artillery and of the artillery of the Overseas Dominions 22
COLLECTIVE TRAINING. 7. Section training 17 8. Battery training 17 9. Brigade training 19 10. Annual practice 20 11. Divisional artillery training 21 12. Training of Special Res...
2. CHAPTER II.3. CHAPTER III.RIDING. 33. General instructions 66 34. Hints to instructors 68 35. Preliminary training 71 36. First lessons to the recruit 71 37. Mounting and dismounting 73 38. The seat 75 3...
4. CHAPTER IV.96. General instructions 142 97. Gunnery terms 142 98. Natures of artillery fire 144 99. Gunnery 145 100. Rifling 147 101. Centring 147 102. Forces acting on a shell in the bore...
5. CHAPTER V.115. General instructions 172 116. Direct laying 173 117. Indirect laying 175 118. Angle of sight 176 119. Deflection 178 120. Aiming points 181 121. Clearing the crest 181 122....
6. CHAPTER VI.125. General instructions 191 126. Falling in for parade 194 127. Intervals and distances 195 128. Frontages and depths 196 129. Posts of officers, N.C.Os., etc. 197 130. Comman...
7. CHAPTER VII.ARTILLERY IN ATTACK. 154. Action of the advanced guard artillery 245 155. Opening phase of the attack 246 156. Second phase of the attack 247 157. Third phase of the attack 250
8. CHAPTER VIII.180. General instructions 280 181. Reconnaissance 280 182. Leading 283 183. Ground scouts 284 184. Occupation of a position 286 185. Intercommunication service 288 186. Allottin...
9. CHAPTER IX.190. General instructions 293 191. Preparation for action 294 192. Reconnaissance of a position 295 193. Methods of occupying a position 297 194. Orders 300 195. Advance for act...
10. CHAPTER X.232. General instructions 364 233. Ammunition supply within the battery 365 234. Replenishment of ammunition 366 235. Brigade ammunition columns 367 236. Divisional ammunition c...
11. CHAPTER XI.12. CHAPTER XII.13. CHAPTER XIII.Plate I.--Gunnery terms illustrated 144 Plate II.--Gunnery terms illustrated 144 Plate III.--Gunnery terms illustrated 144 Plate IV.--Protected observing station 376 Plate V.--G...
14. CHAPTER I.1. The object of training is to fit all ranks for the performance of their duties in war. This volume deals with the general principles which govern the training in peace and le...
15. ii. Interior economy and barrack duties, including the16. iii. Discipline: its object: punctuality, regularity and17. iv. Sanitation, its object and rules to follow: hints onLectures should be given under the most comfortable circumstances to the hearers and use should be made of models and the blackboard, in order to engage and hold their attention...
18. ii. Instruction of non-commissioned officers and menlikely to become non-commissioned officers in the duties which they may be called upon to perform. iii. Reconnaissance duties. (Secs. =240-244= and F.S. Regs., Part I.) iv. Rang...
19. xi. Semaphore signalling for captains, subalterns, and20. xii. Practice, so far as means are available, or can be improvised,21. i. The principles of artillery tactics, ammunition supply,22. ii. The care of horses, saddlery, and equipment and6. The instruction in signalling, range-finding and reconnaissance duties should be carried out under the direct instructions of the brigade commander, who will also supervise t...
23. iv. Fire tactics (the selection, occupation and preparation4. At first it will often be advisable to take out only the officers, senior non-commissioned officers and parties required for observation and communication. When these individ...
24. ii. The concentration and distribution of fire in accordance25. iii. Co-operation with the other arms, and intercommunication3. If arrangements cannot be made to carry out tactical training with the other arms (_see_ Sec. =2= and T. and Man. Regs. Secs. =40= and =42=) the action and effect of those ar...
26. i. To instruct all ranks in the application in the field of the27. ii. To accustom commanders to acquire the habit of appreciating2. The schemes on which the tactical practice is based should deal with problems such as would be likely to confront a commander in war. These schemes for batteries and brigades...
28. CHAPTER II.1. Instruction can be imparted most easily to a squad in single rank. A squad of recruits should, therefore, be placed in single rank at arm’s length apart; but if want of space...
29. CHAPTER III.1. The efficiency of horse and field artillery depends so largely on the riding of the men and on the training and condition of the horses that the maintenance of a high standar...
30. i. He should have a strong seat, quite independent of the reins;31. iii. He must be a good groom, have a practical knowledge of the care32. iv. He should be able to cover long distances on horsebackIf a driver, he should be able to drive a pair of horses in any position in a gun team and make them do even work, without distressing them. He should also be able to get a fall...
33. i. He must be a quiet ride, and capable of conveying a heavy34. iii. Steady both in and out of the ranks or team and capable of1. _General instructions._--The importance of being a good horsemaster should be impressed upon the mind of every recruit from the moment of his joining. He should understand th...
35. i. Walk 4 miles an hour, at which rate 117 yards are passed36. ii. Trot 8 miles an hour, at which rate 235 yards are passed37. iii. Gallop is 12 miles an hour, at which rate 352 yards are2. The canter, about 9 miles an hour, and the jog or slow trot, 6 miles an hour, should be constantly employed, both in teaching recruits to ride and in training young horses. E...
38. iv. The weight must not be put on the loins, but uponThe arch and seat should be clear of the spine. This is not always possible with horses possessing high withers, but it is desirable in order to ascertain the fit of the side bars.
39. vi. Without stirrups and with arms folded, making theiii and iv should be practised on the move when riding proper begins. Before commencing, the pupil must be placed well down in the saddle, and he must be taught to keep his knee...
40. i. Look at his shoulders and fore feet: the shoulder andfoot of the leading leg should be the most advanced. ii. Look at his hind legs. The leading one of these should be on the same side as the leading fore leg. The horse’s croup wi...
41. iii. By securing the bridoon rein to the girth on the nearside; this is done by taking the bridoon reins over in the usual way and passing them under the girth from front to rear. They should then be drawn sufficiently tight to bend th...
42. iii. Be able to do a figure of 8 correctly, passage, reinback, halt collectedly; change his legs when turning, so as to lead with the correct fore and hind leg, and when turned about do so actively on his hocks and not on his fore han...
43. vi. Go alone or in company, at any pace required of himThe remount should be harnessed with great care, and led about until the novelty has worn off. He should then be put into the hand centre in the following manner:--
44. iii. From the horse having been jobbed in the mouth orunintentionally spurred when jumping, thus receiving severe punishment for obeying the rider’s wishes. iv. Sickened by too much jumping, especially on hard ground. v. Seeing oth...
45. ii. Pass the other T through the off ring of the bit fromThe rein can now be used in the ordinary way; when, however, it is required to restrain a restive mule, or it is apprehended that mules may be frightened by coming under fire or...
46. CHAPTER IV.1. The subjects dealt with in this chapter are only divided into sections for purposes of reference. The contents of many of the sections are so closely connected that portions...
47. i. A longer and therefore heavier shell can be fired from a48. ii. Greater range and greater power at a given range are49. iii. By varying the length different kinds of shell for50. iv. The flight of the shell being regular, allowance can2. The aim of each system is to produce accuracy of fire, but it is also essential that it should be simple, that it should not seriously weaken the durability of the gun, and t...
51. i. Varying effect of the charge due to:--Incorrect weighing. Variation in strength. State of the atmosphere. Variation in space occupied by the cartridge in the bore (_Loading density_). ii. Force and direction of wind...
52. ii. External causes, such as wind, and varying densityErrors due to the charge can be reduced to a minimum by using explosive of the same lot throughout the experiment, and by giving each charge the same air space to secure uniform...
53. CHAPTER V.1. All guns are so mounted that two motions can be given to the axis of the gun, viz., motion in a vertical direction, termed elevation, and motion in a horizontal direction, te...
54. iii. An automatically actuated mechanism in the sight5. _Wind._--The wind, especially at long ranges, causes a shell to deviate to the right or left. Although the strength of a wind may vary at different points of the trajectory o...
55. CHAPTER VI.1. At drill or manœuvre, the sections of a battery are termed “right,” “centre” or “left,” and the subsections are numbered from 1 to 6 as they stand in line without reference t...
56. ii. Where the incline of subsections or carriages is orderedfor a field battery, the movement will be executed by the half wheel of subsections except for diminishing or increasing intervals in line. Where a formation into line or column...
57. i. By brigade and battery commanders to draw attention to a signal58. ii. To turn out troops from bivouac or camp to fall in or to occupy“Forward” _or_ “advance.” “Walk.” “Trot.” “Gallop.” “Charge.” “March.” “Halt.” “Annul,” _or_ “As you were.” “Troops, half-right.” “Troops, half-left.” “Form line.” “Retire” or “...
59. i. The formations of a battery are:--------------------+------------------------------------------------- 2. _From_ | The battery leader moves in the required _line to |direction. The battery guide follows preservi...
60. CHAPTER VII.1. F.S. Regs., Part I, lay down certain principles for the guidance of commanders in the combined employment of the various arms. A knowledge of these principles by artillery co...
61. iv. To destroy defended localities such as villages, farms,2. Their wide field of fire enables howitzers to cover a zone of considerable extent, and they are particularly adapted to the support of infantry in the later stages of an atta...
62. i. To be able to open fire on new objectives that become63. iii. To have guns available for any force detached to a(_a_) By bringing batteries into action in concealed positions, where they can remain in observation, their fire power being in hand till they are actually ordered to open fire....
64. i. A line of advance that is either protected from fire or65. ii. The possibility of reasonable protection from fireThese conditions may be found to obtain for small forces of artillery such as sections or single guns, when they do not obtain for a large number of batteries moving simultaneou...
66. ii. To prevent the hostile artillery obtaining the mastery67. iii. To combine with the infantry in the close defence ofeach defended locality so that if possible there is no line of approach by which the enemy can move without being subject to the fire of the two arms in combination.
68. iv. To support local counter-attacks and, if possible, the=The distribution of the artillery will be settled in accordance with the relative importance of each of the above tasks in the general plan of battle and with due regard to the...
69. iii. To take its place as part of the fighting machine in3. Cavalry is trained to fight either mounted or dismounted, and the power to combine shock with fire action, or to adopt either method at will, not only increases its independe...
70. iii. To cover the withdrawal of the guns if attacked by3. It is important that communication be maintained between the guns and their escort. For this purpose the escort commander will attach an officer or non-commissioned officer t...
71. ii. The correct timing of the attacks, so that the enemyThe nature of the country, the time available, the action of the enemy and the safety of the guns are factors to be considered when deciding to what extent the guns can be separ...
72. CHAPTER VIII.1. The brigade is the tactical unit. Its commander is responsible for reconnoitring and selecting positions for the batteries composing the brigade, for the method of occupying...
73. iii. If the position is under cover the shell must be able74. iv. The position, if not behind cover, should give a clear75. v. The approaches should facilitate the supply and1. Having due regard to the urgency of the tactical situation the leader’s aim is to bring the brigade to its position for action without being discovered by the enemy and with...
76. ii. The route should be marked where required by patches of white,77. iii. The actual gun positions should be carefully marked and the78. iv. The officers concerned should be furnished with orders in writing5. All ranks must understand that no lights or smoking are allowed, and that the occupation of the position as well as the entrenching must be carried out as silently as possible.
79. CHAPTER IX.1. The battery is the fire unit, except in heavy artillery, in which, each section being self-contained, the battery or the section is the fire unit according to circumstances....
80. i. The battery leader, or section commander who accompanied the batterycommander in his reconnaissance, sets up his director in line with the two aiming posts and as close to the battery or its intended position as possible, and selects an aiming p...
81. ii. The director is clamped at zero and laid in the line of the aimingposts with the foresight towards the target. The battery commander or battery leader then faces the battery and laying back over the director (namely, foresight--backsight) alig...
82. iii. If the line of fire cannot be marked by planting two aiming posts(_See_ para. 1) the procedure will be as follows, or as in method iv. below. From his observing station the battery commander, using his director as in ii., sends down the angle...
83. iv. From his observing station the battery commander, having fixed thecompass on the No. 3 director, measures the angle which the direction of the target makes with magnetic North, and after making the necessary correction for displacement sends t...
84. i. The best aiming points will be such as are within the capacity ofthe arc, right or left of the line of fire, either to the front or to the rear. Any angle can, however, be employed either by repeating the process of switching, or by using the...
85. ii. When the director is behind the battery the gun layer must lay backon the director. As the large angles cannot be read on the gun arc the officer laying out the lines of fire will, after clamping the director at zero on the target, align it bac...
86. i. By the director placed in the centre of where the battery will bewhen in action, pointing on the centre of the target or zone, with a N.C.O. in charge to inform the section commanders on their arrival as to its direction and extent, or--
87. ii. By the director placed as before, but pointing on the referenceIn both i. and ii. the section commanders will throw their guns on to the line themselves but the battery commander will frequently put the first gun on to the line himself.
88. ii. The aeroplane returns along the line target-battery, and89. iii. An enlargement of the map or in certain cases a written1. For observation of fire from aeroplanes a different system to that ordinarily employed for ranging must be adopted. It is generally necessary to correct for line, range and f...
90. i. Concealment from the enemy of the winch and carrier kite91. iii. Sufficient room in a straight line to haul down 600or 1,000 yards. This should be measured out down wind and must be free from obstructions. It is possible to haul down in a smaller space, but this involves much preparation and...
92. iii. To delay its advance, bring it to a standstill,These objects are not likely to be fulfilled unless the fire of the artillery is sufficiently accurate to cause the infantry loss. The losses inflicted should, however, be looke...
93. ii. If it is proposed to advance with the firing batterywagons the battery commander orders “WITH FIRING BATTERY WAGONS PREPARE TO ADVANCE.” Procedure is similar to that in i., except that the teams (or limbers, if wagons have been u...
94. ii. If, when the battery commander becomes a casualty, the captain isIn cases where the battery commander only leaves the battery temporarily (as, for instance, when he is the senior battery commander, and takes command of the brigade while its c...
95. iii. Men sent up to replace casualties will report themselves to thesection commanders who should order such changes of duties in their detachments as they consider necessary. Section commanders must remember that the layer will probably not sho...
96. iv. Wounded will be sent back to the line of wagons, if it can be done2. Ammunition wagons may be ignited on being struck either by projectiles or bullets, the liability increasing with the amount of wood used in the construction of the wagons or...
97. CHAPTER X.2. The object to be kept in view therefore is that the various échelons should be so situated on the march that when an engagement takes place it may be possible to arrange for...
98. ii. Units on the line of communication, working under the1. The supply of ammunition will be, as a rule, first from the wagon body and next from the wagon limber. When the ammunition in the wagon body is exhausted it will be unlimbere...
99. CHAPTER XI.1. The importance of concealment, both in attack and defence, has increased with the destructive effect of quick firing artillery, but is valuable only so long as its employment...
100. ii. By sinking pits close to the front crest of a feature12. In some circumstances guns may have to be entrenched under cover of darkness in readiness to open fire at daylight. Careful preliminary reconnaissance is the chief essential...
101. CHAPTER XII.1. The primary object of artillery reconnaissance is to collect and transmit information, which is important from an artillery point of view, to the commander who orders the rec...
102. iii. Reconnoitring and watching ground in the vicinity ofThese duties cannot all be performed simultaneously with the number of men available. A commander must, therefore, husband his resources so as to have one or more of his headqua...
103. ii. Ascertain the exact range of certain objects visible from thedrill ground or barracks and teach him to note from these places the appearance of the objects under varying atmospheric conditions. When he has got the measured distances and t...
104. iv. At 2,000 yards infantry presents a thick line, cavalry a4. In estimating long distances, the time taken in going over them should form a very fair guide. A man should know his own normal pace and the various rates at which his horse...
105. i. The approaches, whether concealed or exposed: and thenature of the ground, whether hard or boggy. ii. What formation batteries can advance in. iii. Positions of readiness in their vicinity. iv. Suitability for direct or indirect l...
106. ix. Description and position of any natural screen in front107. xiii. Obstacles to movement, such as streams with high banksIf time admits a rough map on a scale of about 4 inches to 1 mile, showing the proposed positions of the guns and 1st line wagons, the approaches to them and the position of any...
108. i. A line, if possible in red, drawn to the most prominent object nearthe centre of the field of view. (_See_ P.T., Plate X.) The object so selected is called the reference point. In drawing this line the card should be set so that its longer edge...
109. ii. The range to and the angle of sight of these features which should4. The above instructions apply to officers, but in order that N.C.Os. and men employed on reconnaissance work may be of use to them, they will require training in the following...
110. ii. External communications, which are those formed as a temporary3. The signalling personnel allowed is laid down in War Establishments. This establishment is based on the principle that signalling personnel is required for the purpose of pro...
111. CHAPTER XIII.1. March discipline includes everything that affects the efficiency of man and horse during a march. On it depends not only the comfort of a column of troops as a whole, but als...
112. ii. Brigade signallers and range-takers should ride three113. iii. Batteries should always march in column of route onthe left of the road. The regulation distance between carriages should be strictly preserved, and care must be taken that, when a halt is ordered, each carriage is drawn up on t...
114. iv. Dismounted detachments should keep on the inner flankof the column, but if this is not possible they should march in fours behind their respective guns and wagons. They should never march on the off side of the carriages.