Bengal Artillery

“ Every augmentation of native troops in India should be accompanied by a due augmentation of the European force, artillery as well as infantry.
“The Company’s European artillery are everywhere extremely weak. The fixed establishment of this corps is defective at all the presidencies, and the numbers wanting to complete even that defective establishment are now so considerable that I intend without delay to reduce one of the Company’s European regiments in Bengal for the purpose of augmenting the artillery of this presidency. ”

“ With these views it is not to be wondered at that the Home Government should have directed the golundaz to be reduced; but Indian experience might even then have taught that no more dangerous ally can be found for a native army than a large and imperfectly-equipped artillery. A native power will hardly bear the heavy continued expense required to keep it efficient ”

“ The horse-batteries being thus extinguished, for many years there was not a foot field-battery that could be considered efficient for service; fortunately it was a period of profound peace, or the twelve troops of horse artillery would have proved but a “broken reed” to rest upon as the whole effective field-artillery of an army mustering, perhaps, 80,000 men, and scattered over a country twelve hundred miles in length, with hostile powers bordering on it in all directions. ”

“ But that in “the event of a general transfer of the Bengal army to the King’s service, the three battalions of artillery on that establishment should be completed, agreeably to seniority, to a full complement of officers of all ranks above that of lieutenant-fireworker, and established to the same number of battalions of artillery, supposing each battalion in the two services to contain the same number of companies, if not in proportion to the number of companies in the King’s service in the time of war ”

“ On the morning of that day, the army advanced upon the village of Maharajpore. It was believed that the enemy were some miles distant; but, as the British troops ascended the rising ground, the Mahratta batteries opened suddenly upon our advancing columns; and as our own heavy artillery was in the rear, it was no easy matter to silence the destructive fire kept up by the enemy, with a spirit and a precision which could scarcely be excelled by the best gunners in the service of any European state. ”

“ Among the reinforcements, were a troop of horse artillery and half the rocket-troop, “corps which excited great hopes, and never disappointed them.”
But, leaving the force at this point, let us trace the steps of the other divisions, and then return to the Rangoon column, on which the chief exertions of the war fell.
The small advanced party at Ramoo, unsupported by the force at Chittygong, fell an easy prey to Bundoola’s force, which gradually closed on and cut it up; a detail of artillery, with two 6–pounders under Lieutenant J. W. Scott, formed part. ”

“ On the 25th of May this tremendous march—one of which it has been rightly said, that it “reflects everlasting credit on the artillery”—had been successfully accomplished. Preparations were commenced for the erection of batteries and the planting of the guns in position; but siege operations were rendered unnecessary by the unconditional surrender of the fortress. A portion of the artillery force, including the heavy guns, remained at Kote Kangra throughout the greater part of the year, being finally withdrawn in December. ”

“ Hence the bombardment was futile, so that at last the issue was to be staked on mounting a breach and fighting hand to hand with a soldiery skilful as well as gallant, in defending the prepared intrenchments. This was not the oversight of the Bengal Artillery officers, for no men can be better instructed in the theory, or more careful in the practice of their profession than they are ”

“ The officers with the horse artillery were Captain C. Brown, Lieutenants H. Starke and J. Young. The wounded were 1 European, 1 Indian, and 4 horses; the killed 1 lascar and 7 horses.
The main body of the army, which had been left at Delhi on the 1st November, moved in the direction of Govindhur, and on the 13th attacked the Mahratta army under the walls of Deig, gained a complete victory, and captured 87 guns, all mounted on field-carriages, and fitted with elevating screws and every apparatus ”

“ In these engagements on the 29th of December, the artillery lost at Maharajpore, 1 2nd lieutenant, 1 serjeant, 1 gunner, killed; and 1 serjeant, and 46221 gunners, wounded; besides syces, ordnance-drivers, and a considerable number of horses. At Punniah, the loss was much smaller, only one man and one horse having been killed. The officer who fell at Maharajpore, was Lieutenant Leathes. He was posted with the rear-guard, and had ridden forward, it would seem, to watch the progress of the action, when coming too close to the Mahratta batteries, a round shot carried off his head. ”

“ The action now became general with the artillery on both sides. The roar of the ordnance was tremendous. The British had 65 pieces in action—but, with the exception of two heavy howitzers, all light guns. The enemy had upwards of 100 guns in battery, and most of them of large calibre; whilst even those of smaller dimensions, being of much heavier metal than our own field-pieces, were fired with increased charges and carried greater distances. ”

“ The artillery being found numerically insufficient for the duties required from it, in October, 1798, it was increased by an addition of two non-com. officers, two gunners, and [38] four matrosses per company, and a detail of golundaz of one jemadar, three havildars, three naiks, and forty privates to each of the eleven companies in Bengal (the other four companies were at Ceylon and Madras, and they were added to these early next year) ; thus adding upwards of nine hundred men. ”

“ The artillery galloped up and delivered their fire within 300 yards of the enemy’s batteries, and the infantry charged home with the bayonet, and carried the outworks without firing a single round.”—“a forbearance,” says the Governor-General, “much to be commended, and most worthy of constant imitation.” As it was the finest attack, so also did it meet with the most determined hand-to-hand resistance which the Khalsa soldiers had yet opposed to the British. Like lightning, the real plan of the attack seemed to flash on the minds of all the desperate men in that intrenchment ”

“ On the 2nd December, Sir Archibald Campbell attacked and defeated them, following up his success the next day. The horse artillery were pushed on in advance through nullahs and over rocks, to obtain a position bearing well on the enemy at Nassadee, and during the cannonade an howitzer missing fire twice, Captain Lumsden directed the shell to be withdrawn; this was done, but the fuze having ignited, the shell burst, just as it reached the muzzle, killing a lascar, wounding a gunner and Captain Lumsden ”

“ The army commenced its march on the 10th December, and met with no difficulties until the 16th March, 1839, when they entered the Bolan pass, a pass as terrible to the Indian, as that of Avernus to the classical, imagination. Here the toils of the campaign began, and, as usual in such cases, a double share fell to the artillery. The horses, overweighted and ill-fed, with difficulty dragged the carriages through its stony lengths ”

“ The personnel consisted of five and a-half troops of European, and two of native horse artillery, nine companies of European, and five of native foot artillery, [81] forming a total of about 1,200 Europeans, and 700 native artillerymen, with 500 lascars, but of these only 1,100 were foot artillery, barely sufficient to man the guns, even when augmented by a body of horse artillery recruits, who, just drafted into that branch on the augmentation, were not qualified for the duties of mounted artillerymen. ”

“ Owing to the paucity of artillerymen, men had been taken from the horse-artillery to serve the heavy guns in the field; and the troops—three if not four—to which they belonged, were left behind in camp. The services of these troops would have been lost to the army on the 10th February, had not Sir Henry Hardinge, while the battle was yet raging, ascertained that the ammunition of the heavy guns was nearly expended, and deduced, from this misfortune, the more than fortunate conclusion, that the horse-artillerymen would soon be again available for their proper duties. ”

“ The ammunition running short, the fire was slack until the 16th, when a fresh supply arrived from Bangalore.
The breach being now practicable, on the 18th the army moved up, and on that evening the assault took place. An artillery officer, with a party of men and a small mortar, to be used as a petard for blowing open the gate of the inner wall, accompanied 144the storming party. The resistance, though great at first, was not continued, and the place was won without a heavy loss. ”

“ Active measures were taken to collect troops, and on the 3rd September a party was sent out to surprise the enemy’s camp, which was formed at Pateeta (about seven miles from Chunar) , but being retarded by the bad bullocks and drivers with the two 6–pounders which accompanied it, at daylight it found the enemy, to the number of 4,000 infantry and 400 cavalry and six guns, drawn up; the fire of our artillery and infantry was, however, so quick and effective, that the enemy fled, leaving four guns, among which was the one left by Captain Mayaffre at Ramnagur, in our possession. ”

“ The enemy retarded this movement by cutting a bund and flooding the road, and availed themselves of the time gained to form their line, the right resting on Laswaree and the left on Mohalpoor, the front covered by the guns, and, as at Delhi, the country around covered with long grass. The cavalry charged boldly through the guns several times, the gunners falling down as they passed and reopening on their return, while the infantry plied them with musketry from behind an intrenchment formed of the baggage-hackeries: the guns could not be secured from want of infantry. ”

“ Our proportion of musket ammunition is 120 rounds per man, and that for the small-arms of the cavalry is 40; with this, I certainly would not venture to stir a step from the Ganges, and how we are to gut up more, in the time in which I think it is probable that it may be requisite for us to do so, I know not: I have written in strong terms to the Commander-in-Chief on the subject. For our artillery, we have 300 rounds; but that is, if possible, still less equal to what we ought to have, at least, in a depôt to which we could have a much more ready access than we have to 213Chunar or Allahabad. ”

“ At the same time the two troops of horse-artillery under Major Brind, being exposed to an enfilading fire from some heavy guns of the enemy, were obliged to retire upon the village where the supports were posted. About this period, Colonel Geddes, after sustaining a very heavy fire, finding his ammunition expended and that he was entirely unsupported, was compelled to fall back upon the hollow square which, in the mean time, had been formed by the infantry on the right front of the village. The greater number of the guns were now placed on the prolongation of one of the sides of the square. ”

“ Transporting the guns and stores over these deep and rapid streams required no small exertions from the artillery, as also in traversing the swampy delta of the Koladine river, leading to the capital. No opposition was offered until the army reached the Padhna pass, on the 25th March, 1825; there the advanced guard was fired upon, and it became necessary to drive the enemy from 375the heights. On the 28th, the army debouched into an open plain, under a line of hills, covering the town of Arracan. ”

“ The want of artillerymen was therefore supplied by a detail from the Madras company under Lieutenant Jennings. The actual strength is not known; but as in February 1757, in the attack on the Nawab’s troops near Omichund’s garden, we find from Orme that Clive mustered about 100 artillerymen, and as not more than 20 or 30 of the old company can be supposed to have escaped, it must have been at least half a company. ”

“ It is probable that men were allowed to volunteer from the European regiments for the artillery at once, for the returns of the regiment shew that 277 men joined “from other corps” in the months of July, August, and September, 1801, but the 2nd European regiment was not reduced until the February following. At the same time, two companies were added to each battalion of artillery, and the strength raised to 1 captain, 1 captain-lieutenant, 2 lieutenants, 2 lieutenant-fireworkers, 5 sergeants, 5 corporals, 2 drummers, 10 gunners, and 80 matrosses ”

“ A junction took place with the main army on the 10th November, and both armies followed Tippoo, to relieve Trichinopoly, and after some desultory operations, the campaign concluded.
In November and December Lieutenants Jones and Nash, of the artillery, died, and Lieutenants T. Green, Exshaw, McLeod, Drummond, and Buchan came round from Bengal to join the battalion. ”

“ Here the troops became partially broken and entangled; nothing could be distinguished clearly amidst the smoke and obscurity. It was difficult to ascertain in which direction lay friend or foe. Shots were falling thick on all sides, and even 487now the troops of horse-artillery, halting unemployed before the Sikh position, suffered material loss. Two waggons of Captain Mills’ troop exploded simultaneously—giving at first a momentary impression that the mines extended even so far from the enemy’s batteries. ”