Monhaupt’s ‘About the use of
horse artillery’
(‘Ueber den gebrauch der reitenden Artillerie’)
part 8: The use of horse artillery during winter, with sieges, and in the ‘little wars’
Translated by Geert van Uythoven
Source: "Ueber den Gebrauch der reitenden Artillerie" (Berlin, 1836) pp. 110-113
At winter postings, the use of horse artillery is the same as in positions. It is held ‘at hand’, to be able to support the troops at the posts as quick as possible.
Winter 1794, the Prussian army stood on both banks of the Mainz, on posts along the Rhine. The Corps of the then Major General von Rüchel stood near Bieberich, and in the direction of Kassel. The foot artillery had its guns in position near Bieberich; men and horses were partially in Bieberich, partially in other neighbouring villages.
The horse artillery however, which was with this Corps, was placed in and around Wallau, together with the cavalry. It had orders to be saddled every morning at 4 o’clock, and to march to the heights near Hochheim at the first alarm, to stay ‘at hand’ there.
a. Inside fortresses
One needs the horse artillery before the siege is commenced, to keep the enemy away from the fortress, and during the siege with the sorties.
b. In front of fortresses
One covers the labour with it, and throw back sorties.
Never should one use the horse artillery on the walls or inside entrenchments; because by this it will be ruined, and in no state to be used in the open field when the fortress has been relieved, or when the besieging force should be used in any other way. While the artillerymen find themselves on the walls or inside the entrenchments, the horses lose there care and will suffer; without good horses, horse artillery is only as good as no horse artillery at all. The artillerymen are being shot, or at least exhausted. One would have to educate the horse artillerymen in siege craft and fortress service during peace time; they would also have to be teached in three kinds of service, would be badly trained in all three and remain bunglers [‘Stümper’]. As such, they would not be able to meet the standards of their service, which deserve so much practice.
The horse artillery is in this role also an outstanding arm in all cases (while marching behind the enemy, to destroy a magazine, to capture convoys, or to disperse, etc.), because such undertakings demand great speed while the enemy always will try overtake and to cut off such detachments. The horse artillery is also needed at every undertaking of this kind, for which the execution demands great speed, and in which cases it always will be able to fulfil the task in cooperation with cavalry alone; for example to disperse a convoy, or to defeat a wagon fort. Indeed, with every big undertaking belongs horse artillery, to become master of something quickly, to cover the retreat, or to be used to break through the enemy lines.
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© Geert van Uythoven