CHAPTER VI.

MOUNTED DRILL.

=125.= _General instructions._

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 to any number or letter in use for administrative purposes. In column they are termed “leading,” “centre,” and “rear.”

A four-gun battery is organized on similar lines.

At brigade drill batteries are termed “right,” “centre,” and “left,” or “leading,” “centre,” and “rear,” according to their position in line or column respectively.

2. The object of drill is to acquire accuracy and flexibility in carrying out movements necessary for manœuvre.

These movements should be as few and simple as possible, and the brigade or battery should be trained to execute them with precision and rapidity in any direction passing over as little ground as possible.

3. When a general order is not distinctly heard by a part of the line, each commander (when the intention is obvious) will conform as quickly as possible to this movement.

4. Numbering in line is from right to left; in column from the right of the head of the column.

The relative position of batteries within a brigade, of sections within a battery, or of subsections within a section, may be changed at any time, but sections must not be broken up.

The battery or the section on the right of the line is always, for the time being, the right battery or section. Line is to be formed in any required direction with the utmost rapidity possible, without regard to the original positions which batteries or sections or subsections within sections, occupied when they were last told off.

5. The command “MARCH,” unless preceded by some other command, means “Trot.” This does not refer to heavy batteries.

When moving at any pace exceeding a walk, the command “WALK” will precede by a few seconds the command “HALT.”

Movements and formations will be made on the move unless the order “to the halt” is given; in the case of formations “to the halt” the base body advances its own depth before halting.

If a formation be ordered when a battery is on the move the original pace will be preserved by the base body, while that of each portion of the remainder will be increased or diminished as may be necessary, until the formation is completed; but in field and heavy batteries, if moving at the trot, and the formation is to the head of the column, the pace of the base body will be reduced to the walk until the formation is completed, when the trot will be resumed.

6. Horse and field artillery cannot be reversed on its own ground; when acting with other troops, the battery interval should be allowed on each flank to enable the subsections to wheel outwards if required. It is generally advisable in parade movements to remain in rear of any intended alignment until the other troops are finally formed.

7. When it is intended to increase the front the formation may be to either or both flanks. If no special order is given the formation will be outwards, the body which is immediately in rear of the head going to the right. If it is intended to form on the right or left it must be so stated.

To pass obstacles, and to facilitate movement, the batteries may increase or decrease the battery intervals.

_Mountain Artillery._

8. Mountain batteries are organized in two lines for drill and manœuvre, the firing battery, and 1st line.

The relief mules which form part of the firing battery should be taken one from each subsection.

At drill and manœuvre the firing battery moves independently of the 1st line, which, if present, follows some distance in rear and conforms generally to the movements of the firing battery.

9. Mountain batteries move usually at the walk, and the command “MARCH” means walk, unless some other pace is ordered. A pace of four miles an hour should be maintained on level ground.

A distance of one yard between mules, measured from nose to croup, is always maintained on a good road.

Batteries should also be able to move some distance at a slow trot and should be trained accordingly.

10. To reverse or take ground.--Every animal is at once turned about, or to the right or left, as ordered, the gun detachments moving round with the mules and maintaining their position relative to them. As a general rule mules are reversed to the left.

In executing a movement to a flank, the half wheel of subsections is to be preferred.

11. In the detail of drill movements contained in sections, the instructions are generally applicable to mountain batteries with the following modifications:--