FOREIGN FIELD-ARTILLERY.
GERMANY.
There is practically only one gun, viz., the 3.46-inch. The horse-artillery gun, carriage, and limber, are all lighter than in the field-artillery. Model 1891 weighs 970 lbs. The weights behind the teams are: H. A. gun, 3996 lbs.; F. A. gun, 4276 lbs.; caisson, 5036 lbs. No cannoneers are carried on the carriages in horse-artillery. Muzzle velocity, 1400 ft.-sec.
The Common Shell weighs 15½ lbs. (bursting-charge, 6 oz.), and splinters into about 170 pieces. A proportion of the shells are filled with wet guncotton, having a dry guncotton primer, to be used, as a rule, against men under cover.
The Shrapnel contains 262 bullets with bursting-charge down the centre, weighs 17.7 lbs., and can be burst up to 3500 yards range. The number of rounds carried per gun in a battery is 135. The percussion-shell has been abandoned, and shrapnel, high explosive shell, and canister only are used. The fuze is a combination time, and percussion-fuze.
There are 20 carriages in a battery—6 guns, 9 caissons, 4 store-wagons, 1 forge-wagon. A battery carries 9 shovels and 2 pickaxes.
FRANCE.
The Horse-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.14 in.; weight, 8.4 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1600 ft.-sec.; shrapnel with 2-oz. bursting-charge in head, 13.8 lbs. Weights behind the teams, including men carried: gun, 4251 lbs.; caisson, 4424 lbs.
The ammunition per gun with battery is 142 rounds.
The Field-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.54 in.; weight, 8.4 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1500 ft.-sec.; shrapnel with bursting-charge in head, 19 lbs. Weights behind teams, including the men carried: gun, 5248 lbs.; caisson, 5404 lbs.
There are 142 rounds of ammunition per gun with battery.
A steel shell filled with 3 lbs. of cresylite is contemplated, of which about 75 will be carried with the battery.
There are 6 guns, 9 caissons, 1 store, 1 forge, and 1 forge-wagon in a battery.
The field-artillery gun now being introduced has a calibre of 2.95 inches, and fires a projectile weighing in the vicinity of 12 pounds.
AUSTRIA.
The Horse-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.14 in.; weight, 5.9 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1365 ft.-sec.; ring-shell, 9½ lbs.; shrapnel, 10.27 lbs. Weights behind the teams: gun, 3440 lbs.; caisson, 4287 lbs.
No detachments are carried on the carriages.
Ammunition carried per gun with battery: ring-shell, 84; shrapnel, 54; canister, 8; incendiary shell, 6; a total of 152 rounds.
There are 18 carriages in a battery, 6 guns.
The Field-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.54 in.; weight, 9.5 cwt., muzzle velocity, 1440 ft.-sec.; ring-shell, 14.1 lbs.; shrapnel, 15.6 lbs. Weights behind the teams: gun, 5040 lbs.; caisson, 4124 lbs.
Ammunition per gun with battery: ring-shell, 70; shrapnel, 45; canister, 8; incendiary shell, 5; total, 128.
There are 22 carriages in a battery, 8 guns.
RUSSIA.
The Horse-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.4 in.; weight, 7 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1350 ft.-sec.; common shell, 14 lbs.; shrapnel with bursting-charge in base, 15 lbs. Weights behind the teams: gun, 3635 lbs.; caisson, 3543 lbs. No cannoneers on carriages.
Ammunition per gun with battery: common shell, 61; shrapnel, 60; canister, 9; total, 130 rounds.
The Light Field-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.4 in.; weight, 8.6 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1450 ft.-sec.; common shell, 14 lbs.; shrapnel with bursting-charge in base, 15 lbs. Weights behind the teams same as in horse-artillery.
Ammunition per gun with battery, 150 rounds.
The Heavy Field-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 4.2 in.; weight, 12 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1223 ft.-sec.; common shell, 25.9 lbs.; shrapnel, 27.5 lbs. Weights behind the teams, including detachments: gun, 4268 lbs.; caisson, 4686.
Ammunition per gun with battery, 108 rounds.
Horse-batteries consist of 6 guns, field-batteries generally of 8 guns, 24 carriages to each battery of 6 guns. Russia has 5 regiments, 4 batteries each, of field-mortar batteries. Calibre of piece, 6 in.; weight of shell, 60 lbs. Each battery consists of 6 mortars, 18 carriages, and 6 carts.
ITALY.
Horse-and Light Field-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 2.75 in.; weight, 5.8 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1400 ft.-sec.; common shell, 9.4 lbs.; shrapnel with bursting-charge in base, 9.8 lbs. Weights behind the teams: gun, 3498 lbs.; caisson, 3650 lbs. No detachments are carried.
Ammunition per gun with battery: common shell, 24; shrapnel, 112; canister, 6; total, 142 rounds.
Heavy Field-artillery Gun.—Calibre, 3.5 in.; weight, 9.2 cwt.; muzzle velocity, 1480 ft.-sec.; common shell, 14.7 lbs.; shrapnel, 15.3 lbs. Weights behind the teams, including detachments carried: gun, 4268 lbs.; caisson, 4686 lbs.
Ammunition per gun with battery: common shell, 28; shrapnel, 96; canister, 6; total, 130 rounds.
All batteries have 6 guns and 15 carriages, viz., 6 gun-carriages, 6 caissons, 1 forge, 1 baggage-wagon, 1 forage-wagon.
GREAT BRITAIN.
The 9-pdr. and 13-pdr. M. L. Guns.—Horse and light artillery are being replaced by the 12-pdr. B. L., the weight behind teams of horse-artillery being a little less than that of field-artillery.
Calibre of 12-pdr. B. L., 3.0 in.; weight of piece, 784 lbs.; muzzle velocity, 1710 ft.-sec.; common shell and shrapnel, 12½ lbs. Weight behind teams: guns, 3684 lbs.; caissons, 3796 lbs.
Ammunition per gun with battery: common shell, 20; shrapnel, 80; canister, 8; total, 108. Besides these there are 2 star-shell per gun. All batteries have 6 guns and 19 carriages all told.
CHAPTER IV.
Wheel. Carriage. Limber. Caisson. Battery-wagon and Forge. Artillery-wagon. Harness. Water-cart. Revolvers. Hunting-knife.