About 12-pdr and howitzer batteries

ABOUT 12-POUNDER AND HOWITZER BATTERIES

("Ueber zwölfpfündige und Haubitz-Batterien")

A treatise of a Prussian artillery officer about the 12-pdr cannon and 10-pdr howitzer batteries in the artillery reserve

Translated by Geert van Uythoven

Source:

- Anonymous: " Ueber zwölfpfündige und Haubitz-Batterien ", in ‘Militair-Wochenblatt’ 5. Jahrgang (Berlin 1820) pp.1562-1564

"The use of the separate arms of the armies of our times, as well as their composition deriving of this, were developed during the latest campaigns against France. Resulting in basics which caused essential changes in all sorts of units. The artillery was completely reformed because of this, with many faulty aspects already corrected, while more of these faults will be corrected soon. To this subject belong my opinions about especially the existing composition of 12-pdr batteries consisting of six 12-pdr cannon and two 6-pdr howitzers.

One should first answer the following questions: “What should 6-pdr, and what 12-pdr batteries achieve? What should cannon, and what should howitzers achieve?” Having answered these questions, one will be able to make a correct judgement about the present-day composition of a 12-pdr battery. Because of their greater manoeuvrability, which even with foot batteries can be greatly improved by seating the crew on the vehicles when moving into battle, the 6-pdr batteries have a much more comprehensive use as the 12-pdr batteries. The horse artillery is usually able to follow the movement of cavalry, the foot artillery to follow the infantry. Therefore, both are perfectly suited to support both main arms.

With these batteries, it is necessary to add two howitzers which have the same manoeuvrability. Partially, to engage an enemy behind cover or especially its masses already at long ranges; partially to prepare, or support, or defend against attacks on defiles, entrenchments and other defensible points with their grenade fire without any delay. The reserve artillery, in which the howitzer and heavy batteries are included, will often still be at a great distance when one will encounter such obstacles. Before these howitzers would arrive the important element of surprise will be lost.

Of an even more definite profit as for the direct attack or defence are the howitzers of the light batteries during the pursuit of the enemy, who on such an occasion will do his best to evade direct fire; grenades will be the only mean to alarm and to damage the enemy. Although during such operations the cannon seems to be of no use at all, these are the only ones able to oppose the enemy in the open, and the only ones able to defeat a serious enemy attack, which would leave howitzers very vulnerable when supported by only a weak covering force. During defence, the 6-pdr cannon should fire at the enemy as powerful as possible, efficiently combining musketry with canister. This will grant the heavy guns and other troops the time to retreat, to reach a new position, or to reform the dispersed troops for new resistance. Because these 6-pdrs are manoeuvrable enough, when covered by light troops, to inflict serious damage to an enemy pressing forward, while still able to escape.

When more power is needed instead of manoeuvrability; or when it is necessary to fire at they enemy effectively at greater ranges (1,500 to 1,800 paces); to destroy strong, artificial obstacles that hamper our attack, one will need the 12-pdr batteries. Such deployment of power will need more time though; the 12-pdr batteries need more time, compared with the 6-pdrs to reach their position to engage the enemy.

Power and calmness is their character. When nothing is able to endure the enemy batteries, the 12-pdr batteries will deploy calmly, engaging the enemy. And when these are not able to destroy them as well, at least they will attract the fire which is hampering our advance, and often pave the road to victory in this way.

For what purpose are two howitzers attached to these batteries? Cannon need open terrain for their use, howitzers need terrain covering them completely. To engage an enemy standing behind cover, light howitzers will always be at hand, being just as effective. But will the enemy evade the direct fire of our 12-pdr batteries when shot at by these, by using defiles and heights, when the howitzers would be absent?

The battery commander is not able, nor is he allowed, to expose his howitzers to enemy cannon fire (except when in great need, because of the lack of cannon or the necessity to bring as much fire to bear at the enemy as possible; so that he is forced to do this). Therefore, basically, he will have to deploy his howitzers separated from his battery. Or he will have to leave them behind when time lacks to do this. When it comes down to counter-battery fire, howitzers deployed in the open will never be able to stand a fight for long. because the still unreliable grenade shot will have only a minor effect on the spaced cannon of the battery, while the howitzers will suffer from the much better aimed roundshot of the enemy.

The author speaks about this from his own experience. Because on 13 February 1814 he opposed with a 7-pdr howitzer battery of eight pieces, about as many cannon of the enemy, which within two hours decided the event at our disadvantage, forcing us to give up.

In this lies the disadvantage of the organisation of the 12-pdr batteries. In most cases, the howitzers will have to be detached from the 12-pdr cannon, forcing the commander to divide his attention. Something that will have a disadvantageous effect; when not on both kinds of guns, then at least on the smaller amount.

The latest campaigns have proved this sufficiently as well. When one wants to achieve something efficiently with the heavy howitzers, one should merge the sections of two batteries. And the question if these will be missed by both batteries, has to be answered with a certain “no”.

But how much would a 12-pdr battery gain in power, when both howitzers would be replaced by 12-pdrs? The use of such a battery, now consisting of eight 12-pdr cannon, has become much easier. Their abilities during the attack and defence in open terrain is improved because of the enhanced probability of hits, compared with that of both howitzers. When the battery is divided into two equal parts to provide for detachments, both halves will be strong enough to be utilised with great effect, while otherwise both single howitzers would become completely useless.

It still remains to threat the argument, that one when necessary could merge two equal sections of 10-pdr howitzers taken from two 12-pdr batteries, to give these howitzers complete independence and a representative effect. However, when everything would favour such a combination it would be executed only moments before the use of this arm, and as such the results will never be outstanding. The oldest officer would resume command – provided no hard feelings will derive out of this, what regrettably enough is often the case. What demands could the commanding officer make on his comrades, and what are his crews, horse teams, and guns able to achieve? Finally, without any supplies such a combination cannot exist in the long term, and only a few days of march will cause its complete dissolution.

So what should be the best way to organise the10-pdr howitzer batteries? Every one of these guns, with a horse team of eight horses, is accompanied by two grenade caissons with a horse team of six horses. For a complete battery, one would need two supply wagons with a horse team of six horses, and a field forge. If one would create a 10-pdr howitzer battery of four guns, the complete battery would consist of fifteen vehicles, about 130 men and 110 horses. All together a force which is still manageable, and which as a battery under a capable commander would have enough power to fulfil all that is expected from it. If with a battery organised this way a detachment of a single section would be necessary, this could be done without any disadvantage for the battery as a whole, as every section could have its own supply wagon attached to it. These batteries should become part of the reserve artillery as well, under the overall command of the commanding staff officer, from were they could easily be assigned to support any serious attack, for which a preparation would be necessary in all cases.

Now however, the 10-pdr howitzer batteries would make the present-day 7-pdr howitzer batteries unnecessary. Even more because of the fact that a 10-pdr howitzer grenade is far more precise as a 7-pdr grenade, so that at a distance of 1,400 paces, a half 10-pdr battery will have the same effect as a whole 7-pdr battery, when the space between the objects which is the target will not be over 100 paces. In addition, one has began to devise the 10-pdr howitzers for a smaller powder charge, resulting in a gun with a much lesser weight, which could be reduced even more without any disadvantage according to the opinion of many experienced artillerymen. So that the 10-pdr howitzer can be pulled by a horse team of six horses, as easy as the 6-pdr cannon. In such a case, the introduction of 10-pdr howitzer batteries would be even more useful, so that this kind of weapon which until now was treated very stepmotherly, would have great independence and a free use. And because of their lesser amount, instead of the 7-pdr howitzer batteries necessary now, this would mean substantial savings."