Guns Sentence Examples
The competition included both men and women, and all were having a great time dousing the watchers—and even the paraders passing in the opposite direction—with water guns.
She doesn't believe in guns.
In the course of 1551 one of the factions of Kazan offered the whole khanate to the young tsar, and on the 20th of August 1552 he stood before its walls with an army of 150,000 men and 50 guns.
In it are mounted some modern guns.
Any guns acquired by gift or by will have to be registered.
AdvertisementA greater volume of fire can thus be obtained, but the great height of the cavalier makes it an easy target for a besieger's guns.
It is a military town, with provision stores, an arsenal and an arms workshop. Its walls are armed with steel guns.
Pointers are employed to mark game for guns, and are especially' useful in low cover such as that afforded by turnip fields.
The Somali are a fighting race and all go armed with spear, shield and short sword (and guns when they can get them).
But the buccaneers or pirates who had made their retreat here offered heavy opposition; in 1680 there was an attack by the Spaniards, and in July 1703 the French and Spaniards made a descent on New Providence, blew up the fort, spiked the guns, burnt the church and carried off the governor, with the principal inhabitants, to Havana.
AdvertisementOn principle an ordu would have with it 30 batteries of field artillery, 3 batteries of horse artillery and 3 batteries of mountain artillery, or in all 36 batteries with 216 guns, all batteries being 6 guns strong.
The guns are of various Krupp types.
Tradition avers that but forty days were needed for the completion of the work, six thousand men being employed night and day; guns and troops were hurriedly put in, and all navigation of the Bosporus was stopped.
With Sebastiani's encouragement the Porte resisted these demands; in one day a thousand guns were ranged along both sides of the Bosporus; and after a stay of ten days the British fleet was ordered to leave, and was considerably damaged by the fire of the forts while passing down.
The arsenal of Vienna was ransacked for guns, stores and appliances, and preparations in the island pushed on as fast as possible.
AdvertisementThe enemy's escape annoyed him greatly, the absence of captured guns and prisoners reminded him too much of his Russian experiences, and he redoubled his.
Blucher did not succeed in overtaking the French, but the latter, near Hanau, found their way barred by Wrede with 50,000 men and over loo guns in a strong position.
Wellesley began to land his troops, unopposed, near Figueira da Foz at the mouth of the Mondego; and the Spanish victory of Baylen having relieved Cadiz from danger, Spencer now joined him, and, without waiting for Moore the army, under 15,000 in all (which included some Portuguese)"with 18 guns, advanced towards Lisbon.
Campaign in Portugal, 1808.--The first skirmish took place at Obidos on the 15th of August 1808, against Delaborde's division (5000 men with 5 guns), which fell back to Roleia (Rorica or Roliga).
For these reasons he marched by land; and as the roads north of the Tagus were deemed impassable for guns, while transport and supplies for a large force were also difficult to procure, he sent Sir John Hope, with the artillery, cavalry and reserve ammunition column, south of the river, through Badajoz to Almaraz, to move thence through Talavera, Madrid and the Escurial Pass, involving a considerable detour; while he himself with the infantry, marching by successive divisions, took the shorter roads north of the Tagus through Coimbra and Almeida, and also by Alcantara and Coria to Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca.
AdvertisementNapoleon, directly he realized Moore's proximity, had ordered Soult to Astorga to cut him off from Galicia; recalled his other troops from their march towards Lisbon and Andalusia, and, with 50,000 men and 150 guns, had left Madrid himself (Dec. 22).
Battle of In this battle the French numbered about 20,000 with Corunna, 4 o guns; the British 15,000 with 9 very light guns.
The Portuguese being in his rear, and Wellesley closing with him, the only good road of retreat available lay through Amarante, but he now learned that Beresford had taken this important point from Silveira; so he was then compelled, abandoning his guns and much baggage, to escape, with a loss of some s000 men, over the mountains of the Sierra Catalina to Salamonde, and thence to Orense.
As they neared Barrosa, Victor attacked them, the Allies numbering in the battle about 13,000 with 24 guns, 4000 being British; the French 9000, actually engaged, with 14 guns; but with 5000 more a few miles off and others in the French lines.
The British loss was about 1200; the French 2000, 6 guns and an eagle.
AdvertisementThe Allies numbered Battle of about 33,000, with 42 guns; the French 45,000 with 30 guns.
The battle is chiefly notable for the steadi- donor, ness with which the allied right, covered by the Light Division in squares, changed position in presence of the French cavalry; and for the extraordinary feat of arms of Captain Norman Ramsay, R.H.A., in charging through the French cavalry with his guns.
In the meantime Soult (with 23,000 men and 50 guns), advancing to relieve Badajoz, compelled Beresford to suspend of the siege, and to take up a position with about 30,000 Battle Albuera, men (of whom 7000 were British) and 38 guns May behind the river Albuhera (or Albuera).
At one time the right appeared to be broken, and 6 guns were lost, when a gallant advance of Sir Lowry Cole's division restored the day, Soult then falling back towards Seville.
The Ciudad gallantry of the troops made it successful, though with Rodrigo, the loss of Generals Craufurd and McKinnon, and 1300 ulfrary s men, and Marmont's battering train of 150 guns here fell into the allied hands.
Wellington had insufficient siege equipment and transport for heavy guns; five assaults failed, and Soult (having left Suchet in Valencia) and also the Army of Portugal were both approaching, so Wellington withdrew on the night of the Retreat 21st of October, and, directing the evacuation of from Madrid, commenced the "Retreat from Burgos."
Each army had with it about 100 guns; and, during a heavy cannonade, Wellington on the 10th of November 1813 attacked this extended Passage of position of 16 m.
The allied loss was about 2700; that of the French 4000, 51 guns, and all their magazines.
On the morning of the 10th of December he fell, with 60,000 men and 40 guns, upon Hope, who with 30,000 men and 24 guns held a position from the sea, 3 m.
The allied loss was about 2000; the French 4000 and 6 guns.
In the battle of Toulouse the French numbered about 40,000 (exclusive of the local National Guards) with 80 guns; the Allies under 52,000 with 64 of guns.
For the siege of Burgos heavy guns were available in store on the coast; but he neither had, nor could procure, the transport to bring them up. By resource and dogged determination Wellington rose superior to almost every difficulty, but he could not overcome all; and the main teaching of the Peninsular War turns upon the value of an army that is completely organized in its various branches before hostilities break out.
Among the manufactures are cut glass, stoves and ranges, kitchen furniture, guns, thread-cutting machines, brooms and agricultural implements.
It is pleasantly situated in the valley of the Guns, and is dominated towards the west by the peaks of Altenhaus (2000 ft.) and of the Geschriebene Stein (2900 ft.).
A considerable part of the armament is old, but the more modern vessels are armed with Armstrong rifled guns.
In March 1897 a body of 1500 troops, with four guns, was despatched to bring the Jaguncoes to reason, but was totally defeated.
Durban harbour is defended by batteries with heavy modern guns.
On the night of the 23rd of May Smith made an unsuccessful attack on the Boer camp, losing his guns and fifty men killed and wounded.
Later the rating was by guns.
Gradually growing more or less ruinous it was acquired by government in 1855, repaired, strengthened and converted into a Tay defence, mounting several heavy guns.
From that day the role of the Natal Field Force was changed from that of a mobile field army into that of a garrison, and two days later it was completely isolated, but not before General French had succeeded in escaping south by train, and the naval authorities had been induced by Sir George White's urgent appeals to send into the town a naval brigade with a few guns of sufficient range and calibre to cope with the heavy position artillery which Joubert was now able to bring into action against the town.
But the flank attack became entangled in mass in a loop of the river and suffered heavily, and two batteries that formed part of the frontal attack came into action within a few hundred yards of unsuspected Boer trenches, with the result that ten guns were lost, as well as in all some r roo men.
On the 6th of November he was severely handled and his guns and wagons captured at Bothaville.
On the 10th of February De Wet, with five guns and 3000 men, carried out his promised invasion of Cape Colony.
By judicious use of the railway Kitchener concentrated sufficient troops in the colony to cope with the attempt, and, after being hunted for eighteen days, De Wet escaped back into the Orange River Colony with the loss of all his guns, munitions of war and half his force.
In March Babington, pursuing De la Rey after the latter's Lichtenburg misadventure, captured three guns and six maxims near Ventersdorp. In April Plumer occupied Pietersburg, the last remaining seat of government open to the enemy.
In the south-eastern Transvaal Botha made a new effort to invade Natal, but, although he captured 300 men and three guns in an action on the 17th of September at Blood River Poort near Vryheid, his plans were rendered abortive by his failure to reduce the posts of Mount Prospect and Fort Itala in Zululand, which he attacked on the 26th, and he only escaped with difficulty from the converging columns sent against him.
The number of field battalions was nearly doubled, two-thirds of the artillery received breech-loading rifled guns, the infantry had for some years had the breech-loading "needlegun," and steps were initiated to train an adequate number of staff officers to a uniform appreciation of strategical problems, based on Moltke's personal interpretation of Clausewitz's Vom Kriege.
In about two hours the t2 Prussian battalions and 3 batteries found themselves assailed by upwards of 40 Austrian battalions and zoo guns, and against such swarms of enemies each man felt that retreat from the wood across the open meant annihilation.
The advantage of the breech-loader now began to assert itself, for the Austrian skirmishers who covered the front of the guns could only load when standing up, while the Prussians lay down or fired from cover.
The defenders were therefore steadily driven up the hill, and then cleared the front to give the guns room to act.
Occurring about 2.30, and almost simultaneously with the withdrawal of the Austrian guns on their left already alluded to, this may be said to have decided the battle, for although the Saxons still stood firm against the attacks of the Elbe army, and the reserves, both cavalry and infantry, attempted a series of counterstrokes, the advantage of position and moral was all on the side of the Prussians.
The noise of the ship's guns, as the company sails off, wakes the poet to the real pleasures of a May morning.
In consequence of the breakdown of some of his guns he imprudently halted at Turnham Green.
If the batteries and their artillery were somewhat out of date, the fact remained that warships steaming up the defile would be compelled to pass these fortifications at very close quarters, when the lack of range of their guns would cease to tell.
It had always been assumed during previous discussions on the question that warships adventuring the passage would try a rush, that they would endeavour to steam by the, batteries and drive the `defending gunners from their guns by concentrated fire.
Any Turkish battery that was chosen for target generally ceased firing before long; and the assailants were disposed to assume that the work was definitely put out of action, whereas all that had happened in reality was that the hostile gunners had been driven from their guns.
The enemy's light guns, aided by effective searchlights, were offering a strenuous opposition to the small craft engaged on the all-important duty of clearing the channel of submerged defences.
It is true that Hamilton was expecting the arrival of the 42nd Division and of the 2nd French Division within a few days; but his losses had been extremely heavy, there were no depots at hand from which these losses could promptly be made good, and he was inferior to ` the Turks in artillery both as regards calibre of guns and as regards ammunition.
Ottoman guns dominated the entire territory which the invaders had succeeded in the course of two months in conquering, as well as " V " and " W " beaches which were the landing-places chiefly used by them.
The very few Ottoman guns which had been causing the freshly disembarked troops a good deal of annoyance during the 7th had been withdrawn for fear of capture, the defenders fully expecting a forward move by the Allies.
Although sustained by a fair number of guns and with the moral support of the 53rd Division, which had disembarked during the night, the 10th and 11th Divisions could make no headway.
Large bodies of infantry with a fair proportion of guns still remained on shore on the 17th, but of these roughly half - about io,000 men and a number of guns in each area - were removed that night, so that on the 18th only a meagre force, composed almost wholly of infantry and disposed almost entirely in the trenches, was holding a long front face to face with a numerically far stronger enemy.
At nightfall the very few guns still to go were hurried off to the jetties.
At Anzac, where conditions favoured the retreating troops less, it had been necessary to destroy some valuable war material at the last moment, and a few worn-out guns had purposely been abandoned.
They moreover enjoyed an even more marked superiority in respect to artillery, and this the Ottoman commander-in-chief hastened to turn to account; the heavier guns which had been sweeping the Anzac and Suvla areas for months past were promptly transferred to the high ground overlooking the extremity of the peninsula or to positions on the Asiatic side of the Straits from which the extremity of the peninsula could be effectively taken in flank.
The enemy's guns gave a good deal of trouble at the beaches, and caused many casualties.
A large number of guns had been retained ashore in view of the danger of a determined attack by the Turks on the 8th, when the lines were thinly held; it had been decided to abandon several of these, worn-out ordnance being earmarked for the purpose.
The signory, at last realizing that Malatesta was a traitor, dismissed him; but it was too late, and he now behaved as though he were governor of Florence; when the troops attempted to enforce the dismissal he turned his guns on them.
The strong resistance offered by these three guns seems to have led to the conclusion that towers of this description were specially formidable, and Martello towers were built in large numbers, and at heavy expense, along the shores of England, especially on the southern and eastern coasts, which in certain parts are lined with these towers at short intervals.
They are structures of solid masonry, containing vaulted rooms for the garrison, and providing a platform at the top for two or three guns, which fire over a low masonry parapet.
In 1770 Captain Cook here beached his ship the "Endeavour," to repair the damage caused by her striking a reef in the neighbourhood of the estuary, which he could only clear by throwing his guns overboard.
During February 1905 reinforcements were sent up which raised the garrison of Sana to a strength of eight battalions, and in March a further reinforcement of about the same strength arrived, and fought its way into the capital with the loss of almost all its guns and train.
This led to a material reduction in the army, which, as reorganized, consists of 4000 officers and men, divided into seven battalions of infantry of 300 men each, seven squadrons of cavalry of 125 men each, and one regiment of mountain artillery of 590 men, with six batteries of mountain guns.
Hong-Kong or Victoria harbour constantly presents an animated appearance, as many as 240 guns having been fired as salutes in a single day.
In June the Confederates set to work to raise one of these abandoned vessels, the frigate "Merrimac" of 3500 tons and 40 guns, and to rebuild it as an iron-clad.
Accordingly, the vessel was built so low in the water that the waves glided easily over its deck except at the middle, where was constructed a revolving turret 1 for the guns, and though the vessel's iron armour had a thickness of 1 in.
Dahlgren guns; her crew numbered 58, while that of the "Merrimac" numbered about 300.
The French horsemen, gallantly led, drove off the guns, rode round Hohenzollern's infantry squares, and routed the cavalry of Lichtenstein, but they were unable to do more, and in the end they retired to their old position.
Yedo, the shOLiterature guns capital, displaced KiOto as the centre of literary of the activity.
Among the manufactures of Derby are pianos and organs, woollen goods, pins, keys, dress stays, combs, typewriters, corsets, hosiery, guns and ammunition, and foundry and machine-shop products.
It has important iron and steel works and iron foundries, at which armour-plates, guns and projectiles are made for the Italian navy, also steel castings, machinery and rails, a royal arms factory, and lignite mining.
No resistance was at first offered to the annexation; but, suddenly, in January 1865, the Bhutias surprised the English garrison at Dewangiri, and the post was abandoned with the loss of two mountain guns.
Fortunately for the Prussians, Bazaine had issued similar orders to his subordinates, who, having their men better in hand, were able to obey; and as night began to close in the French broke off the action and retired under the guns of the Metz forts, convinced that at last they had "broken the spell" of German success.
In this action the Germans brought 30,500 rifles and 150 guns on to the battlefield only out of more than 10o,000 with 300 guns which could have been engaged before darkness.
Bazaine actually deployed 50,700 rifles and 206 guns to oppose them.
Their fire threw the latter into serious confusion and he had already decided to attack with his nearest division (de Cissey) in the direction of the steeple of Vionville, when his attention was caught by the outbreak of heavy firing in the copses below him, and the entry of fresh Prussian guns into action.
Guns, cavalry, infantry, everything that could still stand were to take part in it.
At noon, just as the French infantry were falling in for midday roll-call, sufficient guns were in position, and suddenly opened fire.
From the south also came the thunder of guns and no encouraging news from that quarter had as yet reached the prince's headquarters.
Corps was standing massed about Rezonville when von Manstein's guns opposite Amanvillers suddenly made themselves heard.
Therefore about noon a general retirement under the guns of the forts took place, and the last serious hope of the French army had vanished.
Some 120,000 men with 528 guns had been engaged against 60,000 Germans with 222 guns, and had been beaten off with a loss of 3500 men.
Some 45 tanks were available, and owing to the absence of some of the corps artillery only 600 guns covered the advance.
The first few days of the British advance passed with little resistance from the enemy, who fell back rapidly under cover of the fire of light machine-guns and isolated field guns.
Twenty-three tanks joined in the attack, which was preceded by no bombardment but was covered by the fire of 978 guns.
The corps lost heavily, though some prisoners and guns were taken.
The captures of the corps came to over 4,000 prisoners and 87 guns; the attacking strength of the Australians was less than 6,000 and the casualties were just over r,000 in all.
The 18th was checked after capturing Ronssoy and the 12th and 58th after taking Epehy; 2,300 prisoners were taken and io guns.
In the series of operations, described above, the Third and Fourth British Armies had engaged 15 divisions against 29 of the German Second and Seventeenth Armies, and had taken from them close on 12,000 prisoners and 100 guns.
The Third Army will assist the Fourth Army with counter battery work on the enemy's guns in the region La Terriere-Villers Outreaux.
It was hoped that the assembly of the attacking troops in the restricted zone opposite the crossing point, the rapid bridging of the dry canal, and the pushing forward of guns to cover the farther advance, and of reinforcements, ammunition and supplies to support it, could all be carried out with the necessary speed and security, although the difficulties to be faced were very great and the possible causes of contretemps numerous.
Four thousand prisoners and roo guns had been taken in this day's advance of some 7,000 yd.
During its course the First Army's line had been advanced close on eight miles; its four divisions had driven back the 13 German divisions engaged by the Seventeenth Army on their front, and taken from them over 7,000 prisoners, 205 guns and 950 machine-guns, besides inflicting losses in killed and wounded which certainly far outweighed their own casualties.
Thirteen German divisions had been forced to give ground before 12 British, and had left behind them many prisoners and guns during the five days' fighting.
Despite the comparative failure of the Composite Corps the attack had on the whole been a brilliant success, seven Allied divisions having defeated nine enemy divisions ensconced in immensely powerful works, capturing from them 5,300 prisoners and ioo guns and effecting such a wide breach in the last German line of defence that its complete capture in a few days was assured.
In the heavy weather prevailing at the time the " Good Hope " and " Monmouth " could not fight their main-deck guns, and their broadside discharge (including " Glasgow ") was reduced to 2 9.2-in.
There can be little doubt that neither in guns nor in gunnery was the British squadron capable of meeting the enemy, and long before the fatal day it should have been reinforced by at least two cruisers of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, all of which were ships in long commission with good armament.
The " Otranto " asked if she was to keep out of range, and not getting a clear reply drew out of line on the " Glasgow's " starboard quarter, a potent reminder that a ship that has no guns to fight and no speed to run away is a delusion and a snare.
The " Monmouth " was listing so badly that she could not use her port guns.
The squadron was weak in guns and gunnery.
Hancock's superb presence and power over men never shone more clearly than when, as the 150 guns of the Confederate army opened the attack he calmly rode along the front of his line to show his soldiers that he shared the dangers of the cannonade with them.
On the 2nd-13th of August 1704 Eugene and Marlborough set their forces in motion towards the hostile camps; several streams had to be crossed on the march, and it was seven o'clock (five hours after moving off) when the British of Marlborough's left wing, next the Danube, deployed opposite Blenheim, which Tallard thereupon garrisoned with a large force of his best infantry, aided by a battery of 24-pounder guns.
Of the French and Bavarians 11,000 men, roo guns and 200 colours and standards were taken; besides the killed and wounded, the numbers of which were large but uncertain - many were drowned in the Danube.
It is defended by several batteries armed with modern heavy guns.
The king was accorded the title of " His Highness the Kabaka of Buganda," and his special salute was fixed at eleven guns.
In front, near the centre, were the heavy guns and each infantry battalion had its own light artillery.
On the extreme left, meanwhile, the " Green " brigade had come to close quarters with Wallenstein's infantry and guns about Liitzen, and the heavy artillery had gone forward to close range between the " Green " and the " Yellow " infantry.
Wallenstein advanced in his turn, recaptured his guns and drove the Swedes over the road.
Again the Imperialists were driven in and their guns recaptured, this time all along the line.
Fighting cautiously at first with his leading line to gain time for his second to come up, he then charged and broke up the hostile right wing of cavalry, while some battalions of infantry scaled the hill and captured the Bavarian guns.
Unlike Weert the marshal kept his troops in hand, and swung round upon the Bavarian infantry behind Allerheim, who were at the same time cannonaded by their lost guns.
In particular, it was rendered practicable on board ship, and its application to the manipulation of heavy naval guns and other purposes on warships was not the least important of Armstrong's achievements.
The guns constructed on this principle yielded such excellent results, both in range and accuracy, that they were adopted by the British government in 1859, Armstrong himself being appointed engineer of rifled ordnance and receiving the honour of knighthood.
At the same time the Elswick Ordnance Company was formed to manufacture the guns under the supervision of Armstrong, who, however, had no financial interest in the concern; it was merged in the Elswick Engineering Works four years later.
But while there was no doubt as to the shooting capacities of these guns, defects in the breech mechanism soon became equally patent, and in a few years caused a reversion to muzzle-loading.
Armstrong resigned his position in 1863, and for seventeen years the government adhered to the older method of loading, in spite of the improvements which experiment and research at Elswick and elsewhere had during that period produced in the mechanism and performance of heavy guns.
But at last Armstrong's results could no longer be ignored; and wire-wound breechloading guns were received back into the service in 1880.
The use of steel wire for the construction of guns was one of Armstrong's early ideas.
In replying to the guns of Fort Elsinore no execution was done, as the long range made it impossible to lay the guns (Lloyd and Hadcock, P. 33).
Owing to the conical shape of the early muzzle-loading guns, if one trunnion were higher than the other, the " line of metal " would no longer be in the same vertical plane as the axis; in consequence of this, if a gun with, say, one wheel higher than the other were layed by this line, the axis would point off the target to the side of the lower wheel.
Guns without dispart sights cannot be layed at elevations below the clearance angle.
In the case of most guns it was used in conjunction with the dispart sight above referred to.
This was of wood; the third sight, also of wood, was for guns without a dispart patch, which consequently could not be layed at elevations below the dispart.
Such were the sights in use with smooth-bore guns in the first half of the last century.
Since the early days of rifled guns tangent sights have been improved in details, but the principles remain the same.
Except for some minor differences the tangent sights were the same for all natures of guns, and for all services, but the development of the modern sight has followed different lines according to the nature and use of the gun, and must be treated under separate heads.
Tilt of sights in field guns owing to the sinking of one wheel had long been recognized as a source of error, and allowed for by a rule-of-thumb correction, depending on the fact that the track of the wheels of British field artillery gun-carriages is 60", so that, for every inch one wheel is lower than the other, the whole system is turned through one degree - a_ hXl ?
Scott's sight, though no longer used with quick-firing guns, is the precursor of all modern sights.
In coast defence artillery, owing to the fact that the guns are on fixed mountings at a constant height (except for rise and fall of tide) above the horizontal plane on which their targets move, and that consequently the angle of sight and quadrant elevation for every range can be calculated, developments in sights, in a measure, gave way to improved means of giving quadrant elevation.
The introduction of trunnionless guns recoiling axially through a fixed cradle enabled sights to be attached to the non-recoil parts of the mounting, so that the necessity of removing a delicate telescopic sight every round disappeared, and Q?'
Special sights were introduced to overcome the difficulties of dis appearing guns, large guns firing through small ports, &c. Such were \ the Moncrieff reflecting sights, and the " chase sights " for the 10-in.
As in mobile artillery, the introduction of trunnionless guns brought about a revolution in laying and sights.
Although it is mentioned in the 16th century, and coal was discovered there at the time of Peter the Great, it was not until 1 795 that an Englishman, Gascoyne or Gaskoin, established its first iron-works for supplying the Black Sea fleet and the southern fortresses with guns and shot.
On February 27, 1815, Napoleon set sail from Elba with his force of l,000 men and 4 guns, determined to reconquer the throne of France.
Vandamme's exhausted troops were unnerved at the sight of this fresh foe, and an incipient panic was only quelled by turning guns on the fugitives.
Some delay was occasioned by a thunderstorm; but, as this passed over, the guns opened and the Old Guard and Milhaud's cuirassiers proceeded to form up opposite to Ligny.
The Prussians lost about 12,000 men and 21 guns, and the French 850o; in Ligny more than 4000 dead lay on an area of about 400 sq.
Of his 156 guns, 78 belonged to the British artillery; but of his 67,600 men only 29,800 were British or King's German Legion troops, whereas all Napoleon's were Frenchmen and veterans.
Napoleon drew up his army of 74,000 men and 246 guns in three lines, fully in view of the allies.
As D'Erlon's troops advanced the Dutch-Belgian brigade in front of the ridge, which had been subjected to an overwhelming fire from the 80 French guns at close range, turned about and retired in disorder through the main position.
As the horsemen closed they were received with volleys of case from the guns, and the infantry formed into squares.
The victors captured many guns, but were too exhausted to pursue the Russians, whose retirement was not made in the best order.
Some of these had been prepared with interior parapets and platforms of concrete for medium guns.
The Russians, with the resources of the fleet at their disposal (just as at Sevastopol), used great numbers of machine guns and electric lights, and the available garrison at first was probably, including sailors, 47,000 men.
Small sorties, partial attacks' and duels between the Japanese guns and the generally more powerful ordnance of the fortress continued.
At Pan-Lung the machine guns on the Wall prevented them from leaving the parallel.
At Chi-Kuan Fort the terreplein of the fort had been covered with entanglements defended by machine guns on the gorge parapets, and the Japanese could make no way.
Thirty-six guns swept the ground with shrapnel.
But the fate of his predecessor had filled him with a lively terror of Kanaris and his fire-ships; he contented himself with a cruise round the coasts of Greece, and was happy Campaign to return to safety under the guns of the Dardanelles of 1823.
The English officers, who in vain tried to rally them, themselves only just escaped by scrambling into their boats and putting off to the war-vessels, whose guns checked the pursuit and enabled a remnant of the fugitives to escape.
The navy, many of the officers of which are Danes and Norwegians, comprises a steel twin-screw cruiser of 2500 tons which serves as the royal yacht, four steel gunboats of between 500 and 700 tons all armed with modern quick-firing guns, two torpedo-boat destroyers and three torpedo boats, with other craft for river and coast work.
They bought practically all of what is now Essex county from the Indians for "fifty double hands of powder, one hundred bars of lead, twenty axes, twenty coats, ten guns, twenty pistols, ten kettles, ten swords, four blankets, four barrels of beer, ten pairs of breeches, fifty knives, twenty horses, eighteen hundred and fifty fathoms of wampum, six ankers of liquor (or something equivalent), and three troopers' coats."
Meanwhile the Polish army, 40,000 strong, with ioo guns, was assembling on the frontier.
The fact that the Poles possessed a well-drilled army of 23,800 foot, 6800 horFe and 108 guns, which they were able to recruit to a total strength of 80,821 men with 158 guns, gave solidity to the rising.
But hardly had this alliance been formed when a secret arrangement was come to between the two Indian powers, the result of which was that Colonel Smith's small force was met with a united army of 80,000 men and 100 guns.
The siege corps was commanded by General von Tresckow and numbered at first io,000 men with twenty-four field guns - a force which appeared adequate for the reduction of the antiquated works of Vauban.
These were planned in the days of short-range guns, and were therefore in 1870 open to an overwhelming bombardment by the rifled cannon of the attack.
His general plan was to maintain as advanced a line as possible, to manoeuvre against the investing troops, and to support his own by the long range fire of his rifled guns.
The German batteries, as more guns arrived, were extended from left to right, and on the 13th of December the Bosmont was captured, ground being also gained in front of Bellevue.
Still, the guns of the attack were now steadily gaining the upper hand, and at last on the 8th of February the Germans entered the two Perches redoubts.
The Perches ridge was crowned with a parallel and numerous batteries, which in the end mounted ninety-seven guns.
At the base of the monument are muskets used by United States soldiers in that war and guns captured at Cerro Gordo.
By means of a well-chosen value of n, determined by a few experiments, it is possible, pending further experiment, with the most recent design, to utilize Bashforth's experimental results carried out with old-fashioned projectiles fired from muzzle-loading guns.
To the south of the town stands a modern palace, defended by earthworks and Krupp guns.
In a battle such as Chancellorsville or the Wilderness guns were almost valueless, since there was little open space in which they might be used.
Mississippi river steamers were armed with heavy guns and protected by armour, boiler-plates, cotton bales, &c., and some fast cruisers were constructed for ocean work, one of them actually reaching the high speed of 17.75 m.
On the 13th, 6000 men were landed, covered by the guns of the fleet, and, after Porter had subjected the works to a terrific bombardment, Fisher was brilliantly carried by storm on the 15th.
Five heavy accurate shots from the Federal's turret guns crushed the enemy in a few minutes.
During his eleven years' ministry (1876-1878 with Depretis, 1884-1891 with Depretis and Crispi, 1896-1898 with Rudini), he succeeded in creating large private shipyards, engine works and metallurgical works for the production of armour, steel plates and guns.
Mauser rifles (1901 model) and carbines are used by the infantry and cavalry, and Schneider Canet quick-firing guns by the field and horse artillery.
In the hope of relieving his financial difficulties, the king erected a mint, where money was coined of the "worst kind of old brass, guns and the refuse of metals, melted down together," of the nominal value of £1,568,800, with which his troops were paid, and tradesmen were compelled to receive it under penalty of being hanged in case of refusal.
The city has an important trade in fruit, and has various manufactures, including paper, fruit packages, baskets, motor boats, gasolene launches, automobile supplies, hosiery and knit goods, air guns and sashes and blinds.
All these modern fortifications are low and thickly armoured earthworks, powerfully armed with heavy Krupp guns in turrets.
There is a powerful lighthouse, and since its cession by Great Britain to Germany, the main island has been strongly fortified, the old English batteries being replaced by armoured turrets mounting guns of heavy calibre.
As captain of the brig "Norfolk" of 18 guns, he was employed in cruising against the French, who were as aggressive against American commerce as the English.
The Pindaris were surrounded on all sides by a great army, consisting of 120,000 men and 300 guns, which converged upon them from Bengal, the Deccan and Gujarat under the supreme command of Lord Hastings in person.
Weighing the dangers of delay, of retreat, and of an attack with his single division of 4500 men, supported only by 5000 native levies of doubtful quality, Wellesley convinced himself that an immediate attack, though against greatly superior forces (30,000 horse, io,000 European-drilled infantry and loo well-served guns) in a strong position, was the wisest course.
Three hundred guns covered the assault, and Dresden was set on fire in places by the cannonade, while the French columns marched unceasingly over the bridges and through the Altstadt.
A very heavy rainstorm during the night seriously affected the movements of troops on the following day, but all to Napoleon's advantage, for his more mobile artillery, reinforced by every horse available in and about Dresden, was still able to move where the Allied guns sank in mud.
The tsar, the king of Prussia, Schwarzenberg and a very large headquarter staff watched the fighting from a hill near Racknitz and offered an easy mark to the French guns.
They lost also 15 colours and 26 guns.
Only two guns and such of Mercy's wagons that were unable to keep up fell into the hands of the French.
The coast positively bristled with guns.
The "Vindictive's" guns had suffered heavily.
Rigby had kept up a continuous fire with their pompoms and Lewis guns till two heavy shells got home on it, killing or disabling everyone there except Sergt.
The "Intrepid" astern had come under heavy shrapnel fire from the guns as she approached the mole, but after rounding it escaped their attention.
The "Vindictive" steered for it and the guns found her at once.
When it began two small squadrons were getting ready for sea at New York; the frigate "President" (44) and sloop "Hornet" (18), under Commodore John Rodgers, who had also the general command; and the frigates "United States" (44) and "Congress" (38), with the brig "Argus" (16) to which two guns were afterwards added, under Captain Stephen Decatur.
The "Pelican's" guns were heavier than those of the "Argus."
By the close of the war Yeo had constructed a ship of 102 guns which gave him the superiority, and the British became masters of Lake Ontario.
The town is well situated for defence, its walls are in fair condition, and it has ten forts, all supplied with old-fashioned guns.
In 1883, owing to the treachery of this chief, Muscat was besieged by a rebel army, and disaster was only averted by the guns of H.M.S.
He entered Edinburgh with his forces, but failed to hold the town against the guns of the castle, and fell back upon Dumfries before the advance of the royal army, which was now joined by James Hepburn, earl of Bothwell, on his return from a three years' outlawed exile in France.
Terry, who had succeeded General Butler in command, stormed the fort with the help of the marines and sailors, and took 2000 prisoners and 169 guns.
Even in late historic time it was employed in some of the old wheel-lock guns.
There are two distinct ways of making the steel objects actually used in the arts, such as rails, gear wheels, guns, beams, &c., out of the molten steel made by the Bessemer, open hearth, or crucible process, or in an electric furnace.
The demand for very large forgings, especially for guns and armour plate, led to the building of enormous steam hammers.
The relieving force that marched into Kumasi consisted of moo fighting men (all West Africans), with 60 white officers and non-commissioned officers, two 75-millimetre guns, four seven-pounder guns and six Maxims.
The Danes could bring into action 375 guns in all.
Nelson disposed of a greater number of guns, 1058 in all, but some did not come into action.
An armistice was made for fourteen weeks, which left the British fleet free to proceed up the Baltic. On the 12th of April, after lightening the three-deckers of their guns, the fleet passed over the shallows.
At 8 o'clock the frontal attack began by a vigorous artillery engagement, in which the French, though greatly outnumbered in guns, held their own, and three hours later Waldeck, whose attention had been absorbed by events on the front, found a long line of the enemy already formed up in his rear.
He at once brought his second line back to oppose them, but while he was doing so the French leader filled up the gap between himself and the frontal assailants by posting infantry around Wagnelee, and also guns on the neighbouring hill whence their fire enfiladed both halves of the enemy's army up to the limit of their ranging power.
They had lost some 2 500 killed, amongst them Gournay and Berbier du Metz, the chief of artillery, the Allies twice as many, as well as 48 guns, and Luxemburg was able to send 150 colours and standards to decorate NotreDame.
In the great gale of 1799 seventy sail, including the "York," 74 guns, were wrecked off the reef, and this disaster compelled the authorities to take steps to protect shipping.
The heaviest of the seven bells (Kaiserglocke), cast in 1874 from the metal of French guns, weighs 543 cwt., and is the largest and heaviest bell that is rung.
Many states have been for a considerable time supplied by Krupp with steel guns and battleship plates.
It is calculated that the field army would consist, in the third week of a great war, of 633 battalions, 410 squadrons and 574 batteries, with technical, departmental and medical troops (say 630,000 bayonets, 60,000 sabres and 3444 guns, or 750,000 men), and that these could be reinforced in three or four weeks by 350 fresh battalions.
Afterwards it was decided to form additional small groups of two guns each, less fully horsed, to assist the infantry, and a certain number of these were created in 1906-1908.
In 1851 it consisted of 51 vessels, including 36 small gunboats of 2 guns each.
To save himself from the consequences of his double marriage, which had provided him with powerful enemies, Philip in June 1541 came to terms with the emperor, who thus managed to spike the guns of the league of Schmalkalden, although the strength of this confederation did not fail until after the campaign against Henry of Brunswick.
It is still maintained as an arsenal, and mounted with heavy guns.
In 1875 he was given an important command in the expedition against Khokand under General Kaufmann, showing great capacity in the action of Makram, where he out-manoeuvred a greatly superior force and captured 58 guns, and in a brilliant night attack in the retreat from Andijan, when he routed a large force with a handful of cavalry.
In January 1878 he crossed the Balkans in a severe snowstorm, defeating the Turks at Senova, near Schipka, and capturing 36,000 men and go guns.
In the centre of the city, marking the spot where Washington planted his guns at the battle of Trenton, stands the Battle monument, a RomanDoric column of granite, 150 ft.
They made a gallant resistance, but the Russians quickly cleared the ridge, capturing several guns, and their first line was followed by a heavy mass of cavalry which crossed the ridge and descended into the Balaklava plain.
The Russians were at this juncture reinforced by a mixed force on the Fedukhine heights; Liprandi's infantry occupied the captured ridge, and manned the guns taken from the Turks.
The cavalry defeated by the Heavy Brigade was re-formed in the northern valley behind the field guns, and infantry, cavalry and artillery were on both the Fedukhine and the Vorontsov heights.
Thus, in front of the Light Brigade was a valley over a mile long, at the end of which was the enemy's cavalry and twelve guns, and on the ridges on either side there were in all twenty-two guns, with cavalry and infantry.
Lucan, seeing no attempt on the part of the enemy to move guns, questioned Nolan, who is said to have pointed down the valley to the artillery on the plain; whereupon Lucan rode to Lord Cardigan, the commander of the Light Brigade, and repeated Lord Raglan's order and Nolan's explanation.
The Light Brigade then advanced straight to its front, and soon came under fire from the guns on both flanks.
Five minutes later the guns in front began to fire with telling effect.
The pace was increased, though the "charge" was not sounded, and Cardigan and those of his men who remained mounted, rode up to and through the Russian line of guns.
The two infantry divisions which now approached the field were again halted, and Liprandi was left undisturbed on the Vorontsov ridge and in possession of the captured guns.
Before the end of 1817 the preparations of Lord Hastings were completed, when the peshwa suddenly broke into war, and the British were opposed at once to the Mahratta and Pindari powers, estimated at 200,000 men and 500 guns.
He sent 10,000 men to help to suppress a rebellion in Crete, and conquered the greater part of the (Nile) Sudan; but an expedition of 11,000 men, sent to Abyssinia under Prince Hasan and Rateb Pasha, well equipped with guns and all essentials, was, in two successive disasters (1875 and 1876), practically destroyed.
He was attacked by 1200 tribesmen and utterly routed, losing 4 Krupp guns, 2 machine guns and 3000 rifles.
Thir, the commander of the Albanians, then repaired to the citadel, gained admittance through an embrasure, and, having obtained possession of it, began to cannonade the pasha over the roofs of the intervening houses, and then descended with guns to the Ezbekia and laid close siege to the palace.
While the guns of the citadel, those at Old Cairo, and even those of the palace of al-Bardisi, were thrice fired in honor of al-AlfI, preparations were immediately begun to oppose him.
This warning was amply justified by the massacres of the 11th of June, during which more than one hundred persons, including an officer and two seamen, were killed in the streets of Bombard- Alexandria, almost under the guns of the ships in ment of harbour.
Fort Silsileh was an old work at the extreme east of the defences of Alexandria, and its guns do not bear on the harbour.
The fleet prepared for action, and the bearer of the reply, signed by the president of the council, and offering to dismount three guns in the batteries named, only succeeded in finding the flagship late at night.
Meks fort was silenced by about 52.45 P.M., and a party from the Invincible landed and disabled the guns.
After the works were silenced, the ships moved in closer, with a view to dismount the Egyptian guns.
These guns were disposed over a coast-line of about JO sea miles, and were in many cases indifferently mounted.
Of seventy-five hits on the hulls of the ships only five can with certainty be ascribed to projectiles from rifled guns, and thirty were unquestionably due to the old smoothbores, which were not provided with sights.
About 8 rifled guns and 19 smoothbores were dismounted or disabled and 4 and 1 temporarily put out of action respectively.
As many as twenty-eight rifled guns and 140 smoothbores would havg opened fire on the following day.
The Egyptians made quite as good a stand as could be expected, but were driven from their guns, which they were unable to use with adequate effect; and the bombardment of Alexandria confirms previous experience that the fire of ships cannot really compete with that of well-mounted and well-handled guns on shore.
The enemy showed in force, estimated at 7000 with 12 guns, and a somewhat desultory action ensued.
At night the troops, now reinforced by the Guards Brigade, an infantry battalion, 2 cavalry regiments and 10 guns, bivouacked on the ground.
On the 9th of September the Egyptians again attacked Kassassin, but were completely repulsed by 9 A.M., with a loss of 4 guns, and were pursued to within extreme range of the guns of Tell-elKebir.
The three following days were occupied in concentrating troops at Kassassin for the attack on Tell-el-Kebir, held by about 38,000 men with 60 guns.
The year I883 brought a great accession of power to the mahdi, who had captured about 20,000 rifles, 19 guns and large stores of ammunition.
The brigade was forced back in disorder, and the naval guns, which had been left behind, were temporarily captured.
This was an ancient trade route with the Sudan, and had been used without difficulty by the reinforcements sent to Hicks Pasha in 1883, whic,h were accompanied by guns on wheels.
On the 2nd of April a force exceeding 7000 men, with 14 guns and 1600 transport animals, started from Suakin at 430 A.M., and bivouacked twelve hours later at Tesela Hill.
Kitchener, who was at the time governor of the Red Sea littoral, judiciously arranged a combination of them to overthrow Osman Digna, with the result that his stronghold at Tamai was captured on the 7th of October, 200 of his men killed, and 5o prisoners, 17 guns and a vast store of rifles and ammunition captured.
In January 1884 Zogal, the new dervish amir of the province, attacked El Fasher, where Said Bey Guma and an Egyptian garrison 1000 strong with 10 guns was still holding out, and captured it.
Guns, small arms and ammunition, with large stores of grain and dates, were captured, many prisoners taken, while hundreds surrendered voluntarily, among them a brother of the amir Wad en Nejumi.
Lyttelton (1st Northumberlands and Grenadier Guards, 2nd Lancashire and Rifle Brigade); Egyptian division, under Major-General Hunter, consisting of four brigades, commanded by Colonels MacDonald, Maxwell, Lewis and, Collinson; mounted troops2Ist Lancers, camel corps, and Egyptian cavalry; artillery, under Colonel Long, 2 British batteries, 5 Egyptian batteries, and 20 machine guns; detachment of Royal Engineers.
A flying column, comprising a squadron of cavalry, a field battery, 6 machine guns, 6 companies of the camel corps, and a brigade of infantry and details, in all 3700 men, under Wingate, left Faki Kohi on the 21st of November.
Roxburgh castle was in English hands; James besieged it, and on the 3rd of August 1460 was slain by the bursting of one of his own huge siege guns.
The guns and some r 200 men were taken; many men were drowned.
Their force was not more than s000 men; and they were wholly unskilled in the use of the guns which they had captured at Prestonpans.
Hawley's guns were never in action, the Macdonalds charged and scattered his cavalry on the right wing, but pursued too far, and as the pipers had gone in sword in hand, they could not be recalled.
Charles had some s000 men, Cumberland had nearly 9000 and eighteen well-served guns.
Though outflanked, enfiladed and met by heavy musketry fire in front, the right wing broke Barrel's regiment and passed the guns, but the attack was checked by the bayonets of the second line and a rapid retreat became general.
It is strongly fortified by forts and guns of modern type upon which large sums have been expended by the imperial government, aided by a heavy annual military contribution payable by the colony and fixed at 20% of its gross revenue.
In this post he applied himself to the improvement of the guns of the U.S. navy.
Dahlgren's guns were first mounted in a vessel named the "Experiment," which cruised under his command from 1857 till 1859.
Barisal has given its name to a curious physical phenomenon, known as the "Barisal guns," the cause of which has not been satisfactorily explained.
The revenue is £670,000; tribute, f80,000; military force, 1360 infantry, 61 cavalry and 30 artillery with 6 guns.
This attack was to have, beside its own field artillery, the support of fifty-four heavy guns, and the Russian left wing on the Balaklava battleground was to keep Bosquet occupied.
The heavy guns that had been brought from the fortress were placed in position on this hill, and opened fire (7 A.M.) on the knoll, 1400 yds.
The Russian infantry halted for the guns to prepare the way, and the heavy projectiles both swept the crest of the British knoll and destroyed the camp in rear.
The first attack made by Pavlov's advanced guard, aided by parts of Soimonov's corps, was relatively slight, but General Dannenberg now arrived on the field, and arranged for an assault on the British centre and right, to be delivered by ro,000 men (half his intact forces) chiefly by way of the Quarry Ravine, the attack to be prepared by the guns on Shell Hill.
Not the least extraordinary feature of the battle that followed is the part played by a sangar of stones at the head of Quarry Ravine and a small battery, called the Sandbag Battery, made as a temporary emplacement for two heavy guns a few days before.
The guns had done their work and been sent back whence they came.
As it was, supported by the heavy guns on Shell Hill, the assailants, though no longer more than slightly superior in numbers, carried not only the sangar, but part of the crest line of the allied position.
Last of all, the dominant guns on Shell Hill thus silenced, the resolute advance of a handful of British infantry decided the day, and the Russians retreated.
The short iron guns of large calibre designed by General Robert Melville, and first cast in 1779, were called carronades from this their place of manufacture.
Hawley retreated to Linlithgow, leaving all his baggage, 700 prisoners and seven guns in the enemy's hands.
Wars are declared by special messengers; the exchange of sticks or guns renders an armistice inviolable.
The amir's factories at Kabul for arms and ammunition are said to turn out about 20,000 cartridges and 15 rifles daily, with 2 guns per week; but-the arms thus produced are very heterogeneous, and the different varieties of cartridge used would cause endless complications.
It is armed with naval quick-firing guns, Krupp,Hotchkiss, Nordenfeld and Maxim.
He marched rapidly from Kabul at the head of a force, with which he encountered Ayub Khan under the walls of Kandahar, and routed his army on 22nd September, taking all his guns and equipage.
The nawab, faithful to his policy of impartiality, marched with 10,000 men to drive the French out of Madras, but he was signally defeated by a French force of only four hundred men and two guns.
This was quelled by Major (afterwards Sir Hector) Munro, who ordered twenty-four of the ringleaders to be blown from guns, an old Mogul punishment.
In 1845 the khalsa, or Sikh army, numbering 60,000 men with 150 guns, crossed the Sutlej and invaded British territory.
On the fatal field of Chillianwalla, which patriotism prefers to call a drawn battle, the British lost 2400 officers and men, besides four guns and the colours of three regiments.
But on the 28th Nelson received despatches from the court (in reply to his own), in consequence of which he had the vessels brought under the guns of his ships, and many of the Republicans were arrested.
The Sardinian Admiral Persano's salute of nineteen guns on the occasion of Garibaldi's official call constituted a practical recognition of his dictatorship by the Sardinian (Piedmontese) government.
For the protection of the base, a monitor was stationed in Pegwell Bay, and searchlights and heavy and anti-aircraft guns were mounted at many points.
It is difficult for anyone who knows the Trentino in winter to admit his contention that this hard snow would resist the passage of troops in mass, not to speak of guns, even if one were to accept his idea of basing the operation on drives through the valleys, on the west of Lake Garda as well as on the east.
Although Cadorna was still sceptical in regard to an offensive in force, he increased Brusati's artillery strength by 18 batteries of middle-calibre guns and gave special orders for the supply and transport of ammunition.
Between the Val Lagarina and the Vallarsa and along the Val Terragnolo the Italian lines formed a dangerously exposed salient, running down from the high slopes and completely dominated by the Austrian guns on Monte Biaena, Monte Ghello, Monte Finonchio and the Folgaria plateau.
The bulk of the heavy guns were withdrawn to the second line and the work of preparation was hastened on; but the enemy attack seemed imminent, and it was impossible to set about a complete reorganization under the immediate threat.
It was close under the Austrian guns and it had no depth.
The artillery strength consisted of 851 guns, of which 348 were of heavy or medium calibre and 259 were light guns of position.
Between the Val Lagarina and the Val Sugana were concentrated some 2,000 guns, of which nearly half were of heavy or medium calibre, including 40 305-mm.
Army, commanded by the Archduke Charles, supported not only by its own artillery but by flanking fire from the massed guns on the Lavarone plateau.
The line had been insufficiently prepared, and was being methodically knocked to bits by the very heavy fire of the Austrian big guns.
Corps (Archduke Charles) for waiting till the guns could be brought up to support a new attack instead of driving through at once to Arsiero with all available troops.
Farther north the Archduke Charles was waiting for his guns and for reserves, and between him and the III.
The left wing of the division was not attacked in force and Bertotti was able to assist Ricci Armani with his guns.
The guns never ceased, and a long succession of attacks broke in vain upon the Italian lines.
A number of prisoners and guns were lost, and prospects looked black for the Italians, though the 28th Div.
Here were the shortest routes to the plain, and here the Austrians had been able to bring up their guns in sufficient numbers.
The attack failed completely, thanks to the heroic defence of the Forli Bde., and the admirable work of the Italian field guns.
Army had lost over 400 guns, including over 120 heavy and medium calibre.
The troops between Asiago and the Val Canaglia had very few guns, and even when sufficient artillery reenforcements were available Cadorna preferred first to strengthen his wings for the counter-attack that he was already preparing.
In this office he continued for six years, till, in February 1801, he, a vice-admiral of 1799, hoisted his flag on board the "Neptune," of 98 guns, as third in command of the Channel Fleet under Admiral Cornwallis, where, however, he remained for but a year, when he was appointed governor of Newfoundland and commander-in-chief of the ships on that station.
The principal imports are cotton goods, of which 80% come from Great Britain, rice, kola nuts, chiefly from Liberia, spirits, tobacco, building material, and arms and ammunition, chiefly "trade guns."
The enemy believed that Cadorna had been deceived by demonstrations made in the Trentino, and their belief was fortified by news that he was sending guns westward.
But these were the French and British heavy guns (nearly 200 in number), which had been withdrawn when he stated that he could not renew his offensive, and a number of batteries now restored to the Trentino front, which had been stripped for the earlier fighting.
He had enough men, though a number of his units were below strength, while others were battle-worn and others again had suffered much from an intestinal disease that had been prevalent in the valleys of the Natisone and the Judrio; and he had enough guns, in spite of the withdrawal of the Allied artillery, though he would doubtless have been glad of a larger reserve.
Between Monte Rombon and Monte San Gabriele,, Capello had some 2,200 guns and nearly Boo trench mortars.
The attack from Tolmino was carried out with skill, speed and resolution, and by a capital error which has never been satisfactorily explained the Italian guns remained silent until too late.
The heavy mist, and the fact that the weight of the enemy bombardment had worked great destruction among the telephone wires, combined to prevent any effective reply on the part of the Italian guns.
When the guns began, their fire was fitful, uncertain, blind, and they were too late.
The enemy's attack had already developed when the Italian guns opened on his trenches.
Taken by surprise, puzzled by the comparative silence of their own guns and blinded by the mist, the troops of the 10th Div.
The occupation of Caporetto threatened to open another route nearly as short, but the possession of Monte Maggiore and the Stol, together with Monte Matajur, gave good hope that the advance of the enemy might be quickly brought to a halt when it had outrun the protecting fire of its own guns.
The danger of losing more men and guns on the retreat became still greater.