BATTERY.

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sleepers have good firm bearings, with a slope of \ an inch to the foot, and (trans-versely) laid on a perfectly dead level.

The last Engineer operation for the completion of the Battery will require a reliefof about 72 men, to cut through the screen , which masked the work, for the embra-sures, revetting them, and filling in the merlons: this should be commenced at darkof the second evening.

SECTION VII.

BREACHING AND COUNTER BATTERIES.

The construction of a Breaching Battery may either be effected as already explainedin Section iv., and similar to all other batteries executed at a distance from the placeattacked, when forming one of the early works of the siege;—

Or, by converting a lodgement into a Breaching Battery.

The first description being already disposed of,— #

The conversion of the lodgement only has now to be explained. This operation isof two different kinds. One may be performed on the reduction of an outwork,from whence the escarp of the place can be breached,—the lodgement converted intoa battery,—and the earth taken from the inside, instead of the ditch, as is usual inother batteries.

The second, the conversion of the crowning of the glacis into a Breaching or aCounter Battery by Sap.

First—The execution of a Breaching Battery, when a lodgement is secured in anoutwork, is not difficult, although dangerous, inasmuch as the fire of the place canhardly be expected to be entirely overcome. The first operation will be giving a fullthickness of 18 feet to the parapet, and revetting the interior slope; the revetting,for expedition, may have the lower part made of gabions or casks, which will serveto the height of the genouillere, and leave the merlons to be revetted after darkwith fascines or sand-bags, when the embrasures are cut. The next work will be thewidening the space for the platforms, and making the communication to the rear, asthe earth must be taken from a considerable breadth, little depth having been pre-viously obtained. Sand-bags and ballast baskets will come into requisition for clear-ing, filling the gabions, and giving sufficient bulk for the parapet of the battery.

This description of Breaching Battery will probably be commenced the morningafter the lodgement is effected in the work (having reference more possibly to whenthe guns are required to open their fire), and as it will be done by daylight, theminimum number of men should be employed.—See Table III.

At mid-day the Battery , if commenced early in the morning, should be ready forlaying the platforms, and for the construction of the magazine; it would be so ifgiven as a task to the men.

The party for laying the platforms and magazine will be regulated by Tables IV. toVIII., and the work executed according to Sections vm. ix., and before dark wouldbe ready for the artillery.*

The last operation—of opening the embrasures and revetting the merlons—may beperformed at some convenient opportunity during the night, when the battery is clearfrom other workmen, and the artillery of the place has perhaps slackened its fire.When the openings of the embrasures are cut, a sap roller should be rolled into theextreme opening. A few of the most skilful revetters should be employed, and fas-cines used in preference, as they stand longer, and would last, if well done, until theplace is reduced. The merlons could be revetted with fascines, and filled in properlyin 3 or 4 hours, if not under a very heavy fire.

* The slope of the platform may be increased to one inch to a foot, and when travelling carriagesare used, the part for the trail still more. See figs. 1 and 2, Plate III.—G. G. L.