For the maintenance of discipline the Corps had three Military Courts of its own, whose powers extended from detention to death. They differed in no way from similar tribunals in the British army save in one respect, that convicted prisoners had a right of appeal from a lower Court to that above it. Drill was on the German model, but the language was Dutch. The Boer gunners were ready pupils, having much the same natural aptitude for the handling of ordnance as is observable in British recruits. Only 20 rounds per gun were allowed for the yearly target practice.
Artillery divisions.
The State Artillery was divided into the following principal departments:—[71]
- (a) Field Artillery.
- (b) Fortress Artillery.
- (c) Field Telegraph.
Artillery weapons.
At the date of the outbreak of hostilities the modern armament of the field artillery was as follows:—
- 6 Creusot Q.F. 75 m/m (about 3 inches), supplied with 11,009[72] rounds.
- 4 Krupp Howitzers 120 m/m (4·7-in.), supplied with 3,978 rounds.
- 8 Krupp Guns Q.F. 75 m/m, supplied with 5,600 rounds.
- 21 Vickers-Maxim (pom-pom) 37·5 m/m (about 1-½ inches), supplied with 72,000 rounds (14,000 pointed steel, 58,000 common).
- 4 Vickers Mountain Guns 75 m/m. Ammunition not known.
- 4 Nordenfeldts 75 m/m, supplied with 2,483 rounds,
- 1 Armstrong 15-pr. Ammunition not known,
- 1 Armstrong 12-pr. Ammunition not known.
In addition to this the field artillery possessed 12 Maxims for ·303 rifle ammunition, and 10 for the ·450 Martini-Henry. For the latter 1,871,176 rounds of nickel-covered ammunition were in store. The total modern armament of the field artillery, therefore, capable of service in the field, was—excluding the 22 Maxims—49 pieces. The following more or less obsolete weapons were also in charge of the Corps:—
- 4 Krupp Mountain Guns, 65 m/m.
- 6 7-pr. Mountain Guns.
- 3 5-pr. Armstrong Guns.
Manning of artillery.