John Winn
Lt. Colonel
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2014
- Location
- State of Jefferson
So, another thread made me once again wonder about the often-repeated statistic that artillery only accounted for about ten percent of battlefield casualties. Frankly, I think that's underestimated. Nobody kept good records so I'd think it's based on guesswork to start with - likely just reflecting whatever scant notes were made by surgeons or mentioned in diaries and letters. It would also seem to me that if artillery wasn't any more effective than that there'd have been less use of it and more resources allocated to increased infantry strength.
Obviously, both sides thought field artillery worth allocating lots of resources to it and to maintaining and using a large number of batteries (which required a lot of resources - e.g. horses, wagons). One would think if it really didn't do the job that such would not have been the case.
So, what do y'all think about the ten percent issue - about right, overestimated, underestimated ? On what do you base your opinion ?
I have no evidence for my opinion other than gut feeling and the fact that a lot of resources were allocated to field artillery which doesn't seem right if it wasn't that effective (and I think that would have been keenly observed).
I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Your ob't &etc
JW
Obviously, both sides thought field artillery worth allocating lots of resources to it and to maintaining and using a large number of batteries (which required a lot of resources - e.g. horses, wagons). One would think if it really didn't do the job that such would not have been the case.
So, what do y'all think about the ten percent issue - about right, overestimated, underestimated ? On what do you base your opinion ?
I have no evidence for my opinion other than gut feeling and the fact that a lot of resources were allocated to field artillery which doesn't seem right if it wasn't that effective (and I think that would have been keenly observed).
I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Your ob't &etc
JW