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As to the artillery history of the war, the Field Marshal gives the most amazing figures.  When in 1916, at the suggestion of Mr. Roosevelt, and by the wish of our Government, I went through some of our leading munition districts, with a view to reporting what was being done in them to England’s friends in America, the great development which started from the Munitions Act of 1915 was still only in its earlier stages.  Everywhere the Government factories were rising with what seemed incredible rapidity, and the older works were doubling and trebling their output.  But the output was still far behind the need.  By the date of the Somme Battle, indeed—­in the autumn, that is, of the same year—­it had risen enormously.  I may quote my own words in England’s Effort (October, 1916):  “The total amount of heavy guns and ammunition manufactured in Great Britain in the first ten months of the war would not have kept the British bombardment on the Somme going for a single day.”

And now?

On that first day of the Somme Battle, July, 1916, says the Despatch, “13,000 tons of ammunition were fired by us on the Western front.  On the 31st of July, 1917, in the Third Battle of Ypres, the British Armies used 23,000 tons of ammunition.” Last year, from August to November, 700,000 tons of ammunition were expended by the British Armies on the Western front.  On the days of most active fighting 20,000 tons a day was a common ration.  The supply never failed.  In the three months’ offensive of last autumn all the Army Commanders had to think of in the matter of artillery and ammunition was transport and distribution.  The amount was unlimited.  While in the matter of guns, the British Army, which on August 4th, 1914, possessed 486 pieces of different calibres, all told, at the tune of the Armistice was employing 6,437 guns and howitzers of all kinds, including the heaviest monsters of the battle-field.

And with this vast increase in material had gone perpetual advance in organisation.  Artillery commanders were introduced into all armies and corps, with staffs acting under them.  Hence a greater concentration of brain and energy on the special artillery problems—­very soon justified by results.  Science and experience had full play, and the continuous artillery battle begun on the Somme ended, as it deserved to end, “in the defeat of the enemy’s guns.”  To that defeat new inventions—­or the marvellous development of old ones—­were perpetually tending.  Take sound-ranging for instance, which, with flash-spotting and air photography, has enabled the gunner more and more certainly to locate his enemy’s gun while concealing the position of his own.  For “the object of a gun or howitzer is to throw a projectile to some spot the position of which is known.”  The older way of knowing was by registration—­throwing round after round, and by the help of aeroplane or other observation of the results, getting nearer and nearer to the target till the range was exactly found.  By this method, not only is the enemy warned, but your own position is revealed.  The newer method aims at surprise—­the supreme aim of modern war.