STANDING DRILL.
Section. 1. Telling off the Detachments.[14]
Section 2. Posts of the Detachment.
Art. 1.—In Action.
No. 1. At the handspike.Nos. 2, 3. Outside the wheels: with Howitzers rather in rear of the muzzle; with Guns in line with the front of the wheels.Nos. 4, 5. In line with the breech.No. 6. Five yards in rear of the left wheel.No. 7. In rear of the Limber.No. 8. Ten yards in rear of No. 6.No. 9. Four yards in rear of the Limber.
No. 1. At the handspike.
Nos. 2, 3. Outside the wheels: with Howitzers rather in rear of the muzzle; with Guns in line with the front of the wheels.
Nos. 4, 5. In line with the breech.
No. 6. Five yards in rear of the left wheel.
No. 7. In rear of the Limber.
No. 8. Ten yards in rear of No. 6.
No. 9. Four yards in rear of the Limber.
Art. 2.—In Order of March.
No. 1. On the off-side at the wheel horses’ heads.Nos. 2, 3. In line with the muzzle.Nos. 4, 5. In line with the breech.Nos. 6, 7. In line with the axletree of the Limber.Nos. 8, 9. In line with the splinter bar.
No. 1. On the off-side at the wheel horses’ heads.
Nos. 2, 3. In line with the muzzle.
Nos. 4, 5. In line with the breech.
Nos. 6, 7. In line with the axletree of the Limber.
Nos. 8, 9. In line with the splinter bar.
Art. 3.—In Front.
In line, ten yards in front of the leading horses.
Art. 4.—In Rear.
In line, two yards in rear of the muzzle of the Gun.
Art. 5.—In line with the gun axletree, one yard to the right or left of the wheel.
Art. 6.—Mounted.
Section 3. Change of Position of Detachments.
Section 4. Detail of Duties in the service of Ordnance.
No. 1 Commands, and lays the Gun.No. 2 Sponges.No. 3 Loads, and serves ammunition.No. 4 Serves the vent, and primes. After the discharge he clears the vent with the drift, previous to reloading.No. 5 Fires.[15]No. 6 Serves ammunition.No. 7 Attends the Limber, and serves ammunition to No. 8.No. 8 Assists No. 7.No. 9 Attends the ammunition Waggon.
No. 1 Commands, and lays the Gun.
No. 2 Sponges.
No. 3 Loads, and serves ammunition.
No. 4 Serves the vent, and primes. After the discharge he clears the vent with the drift, previous to reloading.
No. 5 Fires.[15]
No. 6 Serves ammunition.
No. 7 Attends the Limber, and serves ammunition to No. 8.
No. 8 Assists No. 7.
No. 9 Attends the ammunition Waggon.
CHANGING ROUND.
DISTANCES REQUIRED
A Gun, or Waggon, with 4 Horses covers 11 yards of ground, from front to rear.
For every additional pair of Horses 4 yards should be added.
A Battery of 6 Guns, when limbered up at full intervals, occupies from
Right to left78 yards.Front to rear26 yards.
On each flank, 22 additional yards should be allowed.
A battery of 6 Guns, when unlimbered for Action, at full intervals, occupies from
Right to left78 yards.Front to rear37 yards.
The space required for reversing a Gun with 4 Horses is 9 yards, and for a Waggon about 8 yards.
Elevation of a 9 PRBrass Field Carriage.
Side view of a field gun
NAMES OF THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF A FIELD GUN CARRIAGE.
Plan of a 9 PRBrass Field Carriage.
Top view of a field gun carriage
Section 5. Method of performing the duties of serving ordnance.
Section 6. Ranges.
Section 7. Method of laying a piece of ordnance.
Section 8. Limbering up.
Front (rear, right, or left) limber up.| Halt: Limber up.
Section 9. Unlimbering, or coming into action.
To the front, rear, right or left. The reverse of limbering up.
Section 10. Moving with the Prolonge.
Section 11. Mounting field ordnance, with the materials belonging to the battery.
Section 12. Dismounting field ordnance, with the materials belonging to the battery.
Section 13. Shifting shafts.
Section 14. Disengaging a shaft horse, when he falls, or is disabled in action.
Section 15. Changing wheels, when the lifting jack is not at hand.
Section 16. Shifting the medium 12 pounder.
Section 17. To remove disabled field artillery.
Section 18. Exercise with Drag-ropes.
1. A light 6 pounder with its limber requires 15 men, six of whom are told off entirely for the drag-ropes, the other men at the gun also assisting in manning them: No. 9 is always in the shafts, and No. 8 at the point of the shaft, near side. A 9 pounder requires additional men, and a double set of drag-ropes.
2. The drag-rope men are numbered off from 10 upward. Nos. 10, 12, 14, are with the left drag-rope; 11, 13, 15, with the right; 10, 11, carry the drag-ropes.
3. The gun being limbered up, and the detachment and drag-rope men in the order of march, at the word “Hook on,” Nos. 8 and 9 get into their places; 10 and 11 move outside the gun detachmentsto the rear, and hook on to the gun drag-washers, passing the end of the drag-ropes at once to the front.
The Nos. then man the drag-ropes as follows:—Nos. 10 and 11 outside, close to the drag-washer; 2, 12, 3, and 13 the centre of the drag-rope; 4, 14, 5, and 15 the front; 6 and 7 the ends. The gun detachments inside, and the drag-rope men outside. No. 1 at the point of the shafts, off-side. At the word “Unhook,” Nos. 10 and 11 unhook, coil up the drag-ropes; and the whole then form the order of march.
4. At the word “Action,” whether to the “FRONT,” “REAR,” “RIGHT,” or “LEFT,” the drag-ropes are at once quitted; Nos. 10 and 11 unhook, and coil them up; and the whole of the drag-rope men retire with the limber, forming in front of it two deep, as they were numbered off. In limbering up, the drag-rope men form the order of march, and wait for the word to hook on.
A battery of Artillery is generally composed of six pieces of ordnance, to which a Company of Artillery is attached. The number of ammunition, forge, and store waggons varies according to the nature of the ordnance.
Section 19. Fitting of saddles, bridles, harness, &c.
Section 20. Harnessing.
Section 21. Carrying forage.
Section 22. Instruction for Drivers.
Section 23. Parade, and inspection.
The Battery, limbered up, is told off by sub-divisions, divisions, and half batteries.
The battery is numbered from right to left by sub-divisions. It is then told off into three divisions. No. 1 the right; No. 2 the centre; No. 3 the left. Sub-divisions Nos. 1, 3, and 5 are also distinguished as right sub-divisions of divisions; and Nos. 2, 4, and 6 the left; the two centre sub-divisions are also to be named. It is also told off into half batteries, and these are distinguished by right, centre, and left sub-divisions of half batteries. The gun of direction should always be named. A flank gun is generally named with a battery of four guns, and the right centre gun with a battery of six guns.
Spare carriages, with the battery, form a third, and, if necessary, a fourth line, in rear. The forge and store-waggon always in the centre, and the ammunition waggons on the flanks, covering those in the front line.
Section 24. Posts, and duties of Officers, and mounted Non-commissioned officers, &c., at exercise.
Second Captain.
In line, limbered up.—One horse’s length in rear of the centre.
In column.—Two horses’ length from the centre on the reverse flank.
In action.—He assists the Captain in general superintendence.
He dresses all points of formation, gives the word “Steady,” when they have been correctly taken up, and the formation completed. When required he commands a division.
Subalterns.
In line, limbered up.—The senior on the right of the right division; the second on the left of the left division; the junior on the right of the centre division.
In column of route.—On the pivot flanks of their leading sub-divisions.
In column of divisions.—On the pivot flanks of their respective divisions.
In column of half-batteries.—The subaltern of the centre division, on the pivot flank of the leading half battery. The others continue on the same flank of their sub-divisions as when in line.
In action.—Between the guns of their divisions, a little in rear.
They command the divisions to which they are attached, dressing in line with, and close to the leaders, and always with the guns.
In shifting from one flank to the other.—It is always along the front, and at a canter; and in joining the new sub-division, the officer always turns his horse’s head inwards.
Staff Serjeants.
In line, limbered up.—The senior on the right of the marker of the right division. The junior on the left of the marker of the left division.
In column of route.—One on the reverse flank of the leading gun; the other on the pivot flank of the rear carriage.
In column of divisions.—One between the guns of the leading, the other between the guns of the rear division.
In column of half-batteries.—On the reverse flank of the waggons of each half battery.
They take up points in changes of position. In line formations, 10 yards from the flank sub-divisions; in column formations, 10 yards in front and rear. They dress the markers when there is no staff officer; and the limbers and waggons in action.
Markers.
In line, limbered up.—In line with the leaders of the waggons, and covering their officers.
In column of route.—With their leading waggons covering their officers. (Without waggons, covering their officers, and in line with the centre horses of the gun.)
In column of divisions, and half-batteries.—They cover theirofficers. (Without waggons, on the reverse flank of their divisions.)
In action.—Those of the right, and centre divisions on the right of the leaders of the limbers of their right sub-divisions. The marker of the left division, on the left of the leaders of the limber of the left sub-division.
They take up points in changes of position; in line formations, for the sub-division nearest the one of formation; in column formations, for the pivot sub-division.
Farriers, and Artificers.
The farrier is generally attached to the forge; but when the battery is limbered up he is in the centre, in rear of the second captain. The other artificers are told off in the gun detachments when not mounted.
Trumpeters.
In line, limbered up.—On the right of the battery, in line with it, one horse’s length distant.
In column.—One horse’s length in front.
During manœuvres.—One with the commander; the other in rear of the battery.
Section 25.Battery in line.
Third method.To the right(or left)on a central sub-division, one flank thrown forward, the other back. This is a combination of the First and Second methods.
Note.—A battery may change its front, Half right, or Half left, on the same principle as already detailed. The commanding officer’s word would be “Change front, Half right (or Half left) on—Sub-division.”
These manœuvres can be executed on the same principle, by divisions, or half batteries.
A Battery can also change front on a moveable pivot by a simple wheel.
An echellon of Half batteriesis formed in the same manner as that of divisions; the rear half battery must, however, keep its wheeling distance from the leading one. When in action, if the front is to be changed, it is better to do it on a centre gun.
Retirements in echellon, are done on the same principle as the advance.
18. To retire from the centre in a double column of sub-divisions.
In order to perform this manœuvre, the battery should be reversed, and then (with waggons leading) it is performed in the same manner as the advance from the centre, in a double column.
19. To retire from a flank by alternate Half batteries, in action.
When a battery in line, in action, is ordered to retire from a flank by alternate Half batteries, the named half battery at once limbers up to the rear, retires to its distance in echellon, and comes into action. As soon as this half battery is in action, the other limbers up to the rear, retires, passes the half battery in action, and so on. The senior officer of each half battery gives the word of command.
Note.—This manœuvre would generally be practised with the prolonge.
Breaking into Column to the Leftcan be done on the same principle.
A Column of Half batteriescan be formed in the same manner; thepivot sub-divisions wheeling as before, but the others after taking ground, must incline away to gain their required intervals.
Note.—This movement would generally be employed in breaking into column from line, to march past with other troops; and with half batteries it would be done at reduced intervals.
INSPECTION, AND REVIEW.
A single Battery.
The Battery is formed in line limbered up; the detachments in the order of march.
The waggons at order—viz., ten yards in rear of their guns.
The Officers at order—viz., the Subalterns one horse’s length in front of, and in the centre of their divisions.
The second Captain on the right of the battery, in line with the Subalterns.
The Staff serjeants on the outer flanks of the waggons.
The Markers move up into the places of their officers.
The Commanding officer in the centre of the battery, one horse’s length in front of the Subalterns.
As the Inspecting Officer arrives, the Officers draw swords and salute; taking the time from the Commanding officer, whose word of command is “General salute, draw swords.” The officers then recover their swords in like manner. As soon as the inspection has been made, the Commanding officer gives the word, “Take close order—March,” when the officers and markers return to their places in line, the officers sloping their swords; and the waggons move up.
Marching past.
This may be done either by Divisions, or by Half batteries; in the latter case usually at half intervals.
At thirty yards from the Inspecting officer, the Subaltern officers in command of divisions, or half batteries, give the word, “Take order—Eyes Right,” and move out one horse’s length in the front of, and in the centre of their divisions. In Half batteries, the two officers of the leading half battery between the guns of it; the officer of the rear half battery in front of his centre gun. The Commanding Officer two horses’ length in front of the battery, and the Second Captain in rear of the battery. The officers salute at six yards distance from the Inspecting officer, and recover their swords at ten yards past him. At twenty yards past, the Subaltern officers in command of divisions (or half batteries) give the word, “Take close order.”
In trotting pastthe detachments are mounted; the officers remain on the flanks, and carry swords as they pass the Inspecting officer, giving the word, “Eyes right.”
Should a battery be required torank past, it wheels as before, until it arrives on the line of the Inspecting officer, when it halts.
The battery will rank past—March.
The battery advances in a column of route, the officers in front of the guns, the markers, staff-serjeants, and farrier in front of the waggons. The officers and drivers salute, as before. The spare carriages in rear of the divisions to which they belong: the second Captain in rear of the whole.