the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

CONCEALMENT AND PROTECTION FROM ARTILLERY FIRE
wheels should be concealed. Movements within the battery
should not be within view of the enemy observers. Nothing
about the battery must be allowed to reflect the sunlight. Sky
lines must be avoided. Dust must be suppressed. The shields
must be painted according to the background. These things are
mentioned in the drill regulations and have been long practiced
in our service.
While concealment is of first importance it now has become
necessary to provide for actual protection again shell fire. In
trench warfare protection against shrapnel fire is soon obtained.
The shields alone are excellent protection against shrapnel
bullets. For various reasons shrapnel is not much used in
modern trench warfare, some of which reasons are as follows:
The combatants burrow into the ground out of reach of
shrapnel bullets so that there are no shrapnel targets.
Shell are cheaper and more quickly made and require less
skill to handle by new batteries.
Artillery fire is used in such volume that shell cover the
ground as well as shrapnel against troops in the open and serve
better for attack of trenches and matériel.
Calibres and hence shell power have been greatly increased.
If the position of a battery becomes known to the enemy
there can be very little protection for it when it comes under
shell fire. The cannoneers must retire to bomb proofs and await
with what patience they can the destruction of their matériel.
On the other hand they can secure much immunity from
accidental shell bursts in the position or from a general beating
of the terrain by an enemy who has been unable to observe
their exact position. This is accomplished by digging deep pits
for howitzers or by building up for each section a parapet
which covers it in front and on both flanks.
Protection from a burst just in rear of the section may be
secured by a low parados or sometimes by placing caissons in
rear of the gun.
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