The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-04
U. S. SIEGE BATTERIES
IMPORTANT OUTGROWTH OF THE
RECENT WAR WITH SPAIN.
Types of Guns Used in the Organiza-
uOns-SchOoIs of Instruction for
the Officers and Men.

Lieut.. A. P. S. Hyde. in Kansas City Star.
One Of the outgrowths of the Spanish
war in the reorganization and enlargement
of our regular army is the organization and
equipment Of two siege batteries TO serve
as schools of instruction for both officers
and men in this important branch of field
artillery.
The war in South Africa has shown the
world the inefficiency of light field guns
of three inches caliber or Whereabouts
against a foe strongly intrenched and armed
with heavier guns. The British early real
lied this fact for to it are largely due their
many reverses during the early part of the
war. This defect in their artillery was only
remedied by the use of the naval six-inch
and eight-inch guns of the quick-firing
type mounted on improvised carriages.
The types of siege artillery which were
adopted by the ordnance department Of our
army several years ago included the five
inch rifled siege gun, the seven-inch rified
siege howitzer and the siege mortar of the
same caliber. Right here it might be wise
TO explain for the benefit of the layman
the difference between these three types
of cannon.
y gun, as it is called, is very long in COM
parison to its calber, or diameter, some
times being fifty times this latter dimen-
sion. Thus a six-inch gun 800 inches, or
twenty-five feet in length is known as 4
siX-inch fifty-caliber gun. This, however, is
an excessive length, the usual length being
forty calibers. y gun fires a large charge
of powder, giving the projectile a high
initial velocity, consequently giving great
rar aot fro
to what is called technically direct fire."
that is, with small elevation and the target
being attacked directly in front.
y howitzer is much shorter than gun
in comparison 10 its caliber and fires a
small charge of powder. The result is lin
direct or curved, fire. The range is conse-
quently shorter and the target is attacked
at an angle and usually at moderate ranges
with more destructive effect than with di-
rect fire.
y mortar is even shorter in comparison
to its caliber than a howitzer and fires a
smaller charge, the result being high
angle fire, the object obtained being the
destruction of head cover and in general
destruction and Generalization behind the
enemys parapet.
Quite a number of siege guns of these
types were built during the few years pre-
ceding the Spanish war, but none were
when the army was preparing for the adj
vance on Havana. Then several of the sea-
coast batteries We're reorganized as siege
batteries and given six each of the siege
guns or siege howitzers.
The organization, however, was very
faulty. There were no horses provided for
hauling the guns, ammunition wagons and
platform wagons belonging TO the battery,
nor were there any trained drivers among
the enlisted men of the battery. In fact.
the battery was essentially a foot batte~y
armed with siege guns, and the quarter
masters department was to furnish the
transportation with horses and mules
driven by civilian teamsters-a retrogreS
sion of more than a hundred years in the
| organization of field artillery. Fortunate
ly, the war ended before these so-called
siege batteries could take the field and the
disastrous consequences which undoubtedly
would have ensued from their faulty
ganization were thus avoided.
At the close of the war all these bat
! teries were returned to their former status
except Battery X, of the Fifth Artillery
and Battery L. of the Sixth, which still re-
tanned. the former its siege guns and the
| latter its siege howitzers, though little ad-
| vance was made in their organization and
| equipment until early in 1899
When the Sixth Artillery was ordered to
/ the Philippine Islands, there being no need
| OF siege guns there Battery Z was ordered
| to turn its howitzers to the newly
! organized Battery o, OF the Seventh Artil-
! lery.
PRACTICAL ORGANIZATION
The first advance made was the abolition
! of the civilian teamsters of the quarter
masters department for the guns and the
training and employment of regularly en-
/ listed members of the battery as drivers,
| thus bringing the battery closer to its
proper status field battery. Still,
! however, it was the intention to have the
! platforms and ammunition transported by
the quartermaster's department. This, too,
/ was a faulty arrangement as it might
/ easily occur that the guns would reach the
] " 70 t,,tA
and the train transporting the platforms
and ammunition would be far in the rear
| 1t was matter of several months be-
/ fore this defect was remedied. Ordinary
army wagons were supplied at first but
! these proving very unsatisfactory. COM
mercial wagons were purchased and
/ form wagons until the ordnance DEPART
! ment was able to design, build and thor
oughiy test regular wagons for these pur-
! poses
! Another important change was the reduc-
| ton of the material of the battery from six
/ TO four guns, with a corresponding decrease
IN platform wagons 1t was found that the
SIX gun battery was too unwieldy for one
I captain to handle and the present arrange
ment has so far been found to be much
more satisfactory.
The battery was then organized as fol-
! lows: There were two platoons, each COM
/ manded by lieutenant Each platoon con-
sisted OF two sections, each commanded by
q sergeant. Each section comprised a gun
/ and platform, and each drawn by eight
horses, with the necessary noncommissOn-
i ed officers, drivers and cannoneers. In ad-
I uit.On to the above there was the usual
+ battery wagon and forge drawn by six
7 horses, the artillery store wagon drawn by
four horses and the train. The train was
commanded by a noncOmmissiOned officer,
/ and comprised the four ammunition wag-
ons and three army wagons for carrying
I supplies and tentage, each being drawn by
/ six mules driven by jerk-line.
This arrangement not considered
I satisfactory by the officers on duty with
the siege batteries, the principal objection
being that the ammunition was with one
train instead of with the guns Another
objection was that the mules which drew
the ammunition wagons were unable to
keep up with the horses or the battery on
the march and it is a we'll known fact that
mules are more easily stampeded under fire
than horses.
Due TO the earnest recommendations OF
Captain George w. Van Deusen TO the
War Department, the mules have now been
ordered replaced by horses, and the am
munition wagons, drawn by eight-horse
teams, now form part OF the battery proper
one being assigned 20 each section.
The personnel of a siege battery includes
one captain, two first IieutenantS, chiefs OF
platoons, one second lieutenant chief OF
caissons, one first sergeant, one quarter
master sergeant, one stable sergeant, six
sergeants, four Of whom are chiefs of sec.
tions. four artifcers, including two black.
smiths, one saddler and one wheelwright
two trumpeterS, two cooks and one hundred
and thirty-one priVates making a total OF
four officers and one hundred and sixty
enlisted men.
Including the team horses mentioned
above and the necessary saddle horses fol