III. The Brigade
6. Training of Leaders.—Our present squadron leaders, our future brigade and divisional leaders, must be brought up to regard this forming to the flank as the only plan, as second nature; they must believe that if they act otherwise they are voluntarily tying one hand behind their back. Otherwise the maintenance of horse artillery with a view to co-operation with cavalry is almost useless.
7. Co-operation of R.H.A.—In the cavalry fight horse artillery is the only factor which has assumed totally different proportions in the last ten years (i.e. since Q.F. guns were introduced) to those which formerly obtained. Von Schmidt, p. 163, writing in the middle of last century, says:
The co-operation of horse artillery with the shock of the cavalry must be a very exceptional occurrence, as when the circumstances of the ground are very favourable, allowing it to act and at the same time protecting it.
Nor does it appear that any instance of ideal co-operation between the two arms occurred in the War of 1870. With the old guns the help which horse artillery could give was not great; and consequently co-operation was not practised in peace nor attempted in war.
Strange as it may appear, our cavalry officers still find it hard not to deserve the reproach cast upon them by the Duke of Wellington, who, writing after the battle of Salamanca, remarks: “The trick our officers of cavalry have acquired of galloping at everything; they never think of manœuvring before an enemy.”
8. The Two Forms of Attack.—A brigade of cavalry which moves in mass with its guns alongside it and attacks straight to its front, masking its guns by means of its squadrons’ extensions, voluntarily throws away at least ¼ of its power, i.e. its guns. It will be beaten every time by the brigade which sends its guns to one of the flanks and goes to the other itself. By this last method both gun fire and charging power are fully applied. Further, it is probable the guns will be able to enfilade the enemy’s lines before they attack. A very short experience of fighting a cavalry brigade shows this conclusively, and both sides will learn to drop their guns’ trails at a favourable opportunity and move their squadrons away from them or, vice versa, the guns moving from the squadrons. The latter may be an excellent plan, and it certainly entails less wear and tear on the squadrons. Directly the guns come into action the horses can rest.
Diagram II.