Ricochet-Battery, so called by its inventor M. Vauban, and first used at the siege of Aeth in 1697. It is a method of firing with a very small quantity of powder, and a little elevation of the gun, so as just to fire over the parapet, and then the shot will roll along the opposite rampart, dismounting the cannon, and driving or destroying the troops. In a siege they are generally placed at about 300 feet before the first parallel, perpendicular to the faces produced, which they are to enfilade. Ricochet practice is not confined to cannon alone; small mortars and howitzers may effectually be used for the same purpose. They are of singular use in action to enfilade an enemy’s ranks; for when the men perceive the shells rolling and bouncing about with their fuzes burning, expecting them to burst every moment, the bravest among them will hardly have courage to await their approach and face the havoc of their explosion.
Horizontal Batteries are such as have only a parapet and ditch; the platform being only the surface of the horizon made level.
Breach or Sunk Batteries are such as are sunk upon the glacis, with a design to make an accessible breach in the faces or saliant angles of the bastion and ravelin.
Cross Batteries are such as play athwart each other against the same object, forming an angle at the point of contact; whence greater destruction follows, because what one shot shakes, the other beats down.
Oblique Batteries or Batteries en Echarpe, are those which play on any work obliquely, making an obtuse angle with the line of range, after striking the object.
Enfilading Batteries are those that sweep or scour the whole length of a strait line, or the face or flank of any work.
Sweeping Batteries. See [Enfilading-Batteries].
Redan Batteries are such as flank each other at the saliant and rentrant angles of a fortification.
Direct Batteries are those situated opposite to the place intended to be battered, so that the balls strike the works nearly at right angles.
Reverse Batteries are those which play on the rear of the troops appointed to defend the place.