Diagram V.
“B” squadron Dragoons pushes on past their inner flank and gets into the next likely position half a mile farther on, and so on, each moving as soon as, or perhaps a little before, the other dismounts and gets ready to use rifle fire on all scouting parties, bodies of the enemy, etc. These parties are considerably disconcerted in their work by this mode of advance.
It is a point of honour, that these squadrons should if possible get up in time for the general encounter (unless detained as escort to horse artillery, a very likely contingency for one of them). But this bounden duty to be up in the fight, if possible, is a maxim with cavalry, against whom Inaction is the greatest reproach which can be levelled, next to cowardice, for which it is liable, and justly so, to be mistaken.
Having thus got a choice of artillery positions, and having determined the position of the enemy’s cavalry, our first care is to select the best position for the horse artillery.
(a) It must have a good field of fire over the ground where the encounter is likely to take place.
(b) We do not want the enemy to locate it; therefore it may be advantageous to unlimber under cover and then manhandle the guns up, or down into action; or it may remain behind cover and come into action when it is à propos. It is quite possible that in order to bring an effective fire on the enemy’s squadrons it may have to come into action on forward slopes.
(c) It is preferable for the guns to be defiladed from the enemy’s artillery.
(d) The teams should be near the guns but under cover.
(e) The escort should be under cover from view, mounted or ready to mount, prepared to charge attacking squadrons in flank. Rifle fire against squadrons, who have nerve enough to charge a battery of Q.F. guns, is not likely to stop them.[30]
Whether we take all our squadrons away to a flank, whether we use one regiment, or wing of a regiment, as a feint or bait, how far we go to a flank, in what formation, and the hundred other possibilities, we must leave to be settled at the time. Only the broad principles can then be focussed, viz.:—