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the obstacles should be placed nearer together, and more importance should be given to the fortification of localities (villages, farms, woods, &c.), as well as to auxiliary defences.

The principal disadvantage of closed works (giving the enemy decisive tactical points when he has made himself master of them) disappears when there are heights in rear of them on which batteries may be placed to fire down into them.

As the use of rapidly-firing rifles increases the importance of intrenchments, we can diminish the strength of the exterior reserves, and even content ourselves with one reserve for several works. In the latter case, however, the one reserve must be composed of mounted troops, whose action is quicker and more decisive.

There is no fixed rule to determine the dimensions of the works, nor the distance they should be apart. The essential points are to sweep the ground well, and to occupy the decisive points strongly.

The following would be a good arrangement :-Small advanced works (flèches or lunettes) sweeping the principal approaches; within rifle range in rear, the principal line of obstacles, composed of shelter-trenches, epaulm ents, abatis, net'works of wire, rifle-pits, and closed works; sometimes in second line batteries and redoubts to cover a retreat or a change of front.

All these works must be executed quickly and, as far as possible, without the knowledge of the enemy.

A wood, the border of which is strongly occupied, and defended by a line of abatis, may be of great use in concealing part of our lines and movements from the enemy's sight, in giving him wrong impressions as to our strength, and in forcing him to make a great display of his troops in order to take it. Nevertheless, if the wood be too large it loses these advantages, because the watching over it becomes too difficult and its defence too weak, in consequence of the scattering about of the supports and reserves.

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Brialment Hasty Intrenchments

N.B. The Contours are shown in Metres (each 3 F

Henry S. King & Co. 65 Cornhill. London.

In order to flank the principal borders, light guns, covered by epaulments, are posted in the salient parts of the wood.

If there be no such salient parts, the flanking is ensured by means of redoubts or flèches.

On the offensive front woods are, as a rule, prejudicial, because it is difficult to issue from them with strong columns, and more difficult still to cross them in good order when these columns are repulsed. Almost always in the latter case the troops disband when they reach the edge of the wood, which changes the retreat into a thorough rout.

On the other hand, the groups of trees are very useful for concealing part of the supporting troops, and for giving the enemy wrong impressions as to our strength and our plans.

The same remark applies to intrenched villages.

On the offensive front they impede our movements and separate our columns, which is particularly dangerous when the enemy is within range of Artillery; they require a large number of troops, and are sometimes commanded by the ground occupied by the enemy.

In order to apply these general principles to a definite case, let us suppose that we have to fortify a field of battle for an Army of 100,000 men, composed of 16 brigades of 6 battalions each, 18 Cavalry regiments of 4 squadrons each, 8 Horse Artillery and 24 Field Batteries of 6 guns each. (See Pl. 4.)

The position chosen for this Army is a hill, the outer ridge of which forms an angle of about 45° with the line of retreat A B. The left rests on a marsh, the right on a small wood. Behind this wing is a large wood, which must be looked upon as prejudicial to the defence, because it is favourable to a flanking

movement.

By attacking the right of our position the enemy may hope to cut us off from our line of retreat, and thus obtain a decisive

success.

It is, then, on this side that we must concentrate the bulk

of our forces, and oppose the assailant with all the resources of defensive art.

The most certain way of fortifying a salient which the enemy can surround and outflank is to construct defences which take this salient in reverse, and others which enable the ground in rear to be disputed foot by foot.

This double object will be attained-1st. By intrenching the village D in the centre of the line of battle, and by posting a battery, x, in front of the large wood on the right wing. 2nd. By constructing to the right and left of the little wood the redoubts numbered 1 and 2, in the interval between which is posted the battery f, which is wanted for sweeping the ground outside, and especially the road I K. 3rd. By constructing the redoubts 10, II, and 12 in rear of the right wing, to form a second line of defence.

A flank attack may be prevented by occupying the large wood, by constructing a battery, y, to flank its outer border, and by forming a line of abatis under the protection of the redoubts I and 10 and of the battery z, posted in the interval between these redoubts. This battery and the redoubt 10 are opposite to the principal outlets from the wood.

It is important that between the line of abatis and the inner edge of the large wood there should be an open space at least 320 yards wide, to give play to musketry fire.

That part of the front which is comprised between the extreme right and the village D forms the defensive, and the remainder the offensive front. By attacking from the latter we can cut off the enemy from his line of retreat A C, and force him back on to the roads H G and I K, which remove him further from his base of operations.

The defensive front, projecting beyond the offensive, ensures a very effectual protection to the latter. An attack on this side. would not have even a chance of success as long as the village D, and the redoubts 10, II, and 12 were in our power.

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