136

BATTERY.

to 9, 10, and 11, forming the exterior line to be excavated, to picket No. 4; theremake fast, having previously taken one turn around each, keeping the Hambro’ lineas tight as possible, without drawing the pickets out of the ground: a short line isrequired to make good the trace of the battery not yet marked out from 1 to 12, andfrom 12 to 7.

Diagram 3.—Tracing of a Gun or Howitzer Battery for five pieces of Ordnance.

1

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9 i

/

/

/ -r

/ •

*r -1-

/ / :

/ /

/ / i

sC / i

s **„ / •

/' / ' ' ill J

/ ! g!

A reduced thickness may be allowed for the epaulement if it much exceeds such alength as given above.

When the tracing is completed, the line of fire (or centre of each embrasure) mustbe carefully marked by fixing the cross pickets at/yin the diagram, and with suf-ficient length out of the ground just above the genouillere, so that there should be nomistake when the cheeks of the embrasure are laid out and require to be constructed.When the tracing is completed, a Non-Commissioned Officer should be left in chargeto prevent the pickets being disturbed, in the event of any time elapsing between thecompletion of the tracing and the arrival of the working party. The tracing of themagazine will he done next morning..—See Section xi.

Mortar Batteries constructed on the level of the ground will be executed preciselyin the same manner, omitting the marking of the embrasures.

SECTION VI.

CONSTRUCTION OP BATTERIES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF DEFENCES.

Previous to the tracing, the Senior Engineer of the Brigade will make his arrange-ments at the depot for his tools and materials, having them ready according to theEstimate provided in Table II., and the number of pieces of ordnance of which thebattery is to consist; he will leave his Second Officer then to take down the workingparty towards dusk to the trenches with such articles as will he required in the firstrelief;—the second relief taking the remainder (or platforms and magazine framing)next morning: this will prevent much confusion. It will be found convenient todivide the first party into three portions,—the excavators to he employed in the ditch,—those to he employed on the parapet,—and the revetters, and those to be employedon the communications to the rear,—and set the first portion to work as soon as it issufficiently dark, by leading them from the trenches, between the tracing lines and