What a Siege Train is.

Manawatu Herald, 27 January 1900, Page 2

What a Siege Train is.

A siege train is the name appliecl to the complement of guns, ammunition, and store waggons, and meti employed to conduct a siege. Aooording to the Siege Artillery Manual,, ■ * siege train may consist of any number of divisions, heavy, medium., or light, according to the requirements of the service.

A division, as a rale, consists cffij, sixteen Tri«o««j of ordnance, exclusive of machine guns. Each division requires a personnel consisting of tout companies of garrison artillery, with the .following staff : — One lieutenant' colonel, one adjutant, one quartermaster, two staff non-oommissioß&d officers, and two staff clerks, in addition to a total of 596 officers, non-commissioned officers, and men.

In the present instance the arxna- j ment consists of the new 6-iiieh j breech-loading howitzers throwing lyddite shell. , s All siege guns and howitzers am l fitted with special sights known m "French's sights," which enabh them them to be laid on anobf&Qt that is invisible to the gunner. Witt this advantage it is possible to place the battery behind a hill totally obscured from the enemy's view, * im; to pound away until either all W guns are dismounted or the fort breached so as to enable the infantry : ■ to carry the place by assault. ' Siege gunnery has now arrived •$; | ■' such a pitch of perfection that there \ ia abflototely. notiring fesfe can wifti ' stand tte littaok of a wdfcorganiiiei and siege train. This ! shell fire is so accurate and search- Jf ing, and the high explosives bb ij' destructive, that it is only a question* of time in demolishing any defenoa that can possibly be erected. I By means of an observing instrument, invented by Captain Tancwti, each shot can be accurately observwi as bursting so many yards short or J over the object, thuß enabling tfaei j' | necessary correction to be made to I ;■■; the next round to strike the exadi :.,■; spot desired, and ensuring extrenMi accuracy of fire. ■