Show n n r TRANS I But u Ordinary r RO Rolling I S O TI o e Real Moving Forts are aro Kept ept at not bo Used on Narrow Probably Prove Terrific Machines of Destruction if 11 Thai Thol Could bo be Put In Action It has been announced In the news newspapers newspapers papers of late Inte that among the troops leaving for tor South Africa have been no many men ot of the ammunition col column column This tells nothing to the aver average age ace reader however He has heard of th the lancers and the Dublin but the ammunition column Is a body of whose existence he has previously been I Ignorant and at whose work he can only guess cueS Briefly this ammunition Is says saS the Cincinnati Enquirer IL a branch of the army service corps n a body which acts ns as a sort of Universal Provider for tor the British army In time of war and Its duties are arc to keep well up with the firing lino during an engagement and see that It Is well supplied with ammunition When setting on off to nt at attack tack the foe the ammunition Is distributed as follows Every man or of the tho Infantry antI and cavalry has the magazine or of his rifle or carbine as the Ule case ma maI may I be filled and he carries 1110 spare rounds In his pouches A further sup supply I ply ot of rounds per man with IL a suitable ble allowance for the ma machine machine chine gun un which Is attached to each infantry battalion Is conveyed direct directly ly Iv In the tho roar ot of each r regiment Clment In n a wagon bearing o n a distinguishing mark to show to which corps It belongs and this forms the first reserve from the soldiers pouches arE replenished as fast all as thO they are emptied MIDST FLYING BULLETS A small detachment or of the ammunition tion column accompanies ever every regi regiment ment Into action netlon to convey the sup supplies supplies plies from the th wagon waon to the firing line The work which these men perform Is the bravest ot of any on the field fieldor or of battle but It Is s n a work or of which we hear little Their duty duly com compels them to keep keel well up with the firing line and yet the they take no port part In the tha firing though the bullets may bt be fall all fallIng allIng Ing round them In all directions Their business Is to hurry hurn forward the am ammunition ammunition and never mind what is hap In n front ot of them and to this they devote themselves As the battle rages however time the sup supply py ply ot of ammunition becomes depleted and It Is at al this stare stage that the real work ot of the main body ot of the then column commences This bod body has for tor some time previously been hanging J In the background well out ot of reach of the shells In charo or of n a nl tong l nE string ot of wagons filled with pro projectiles of every descrIption From those these the tho regimental wagons are re refilled Oiled filled Not only on does docs this column car carry carry ry the ammunition for tor time the small arms as S the rifles rines carbines anti machine guns are d described but the shells sheila for forthe the tho artillery II eu as well These shells are ale of many kInd such Ruch RS as common shell plugged shell shrapnel and canister and wherever the guns go these wagons must be close clORe them no matter what time the hazard for n a battery with without out ammunition In abundance Is In inthe the sAme state as as a modern battle ship with empty coal bunkers and with Jt the warships of the toe foe rapid rapidly ly Iy down upon It The Tho stock of these thele wagons a Is In turn replenished ns as soon lIOon as possible tram from the tho maIn supply which Is maintAined nt at atthe the tho h Je or of the ann army under R a strong strom guard I The ammunition column all as Is n a modern Innovation Formerly eer every regiment taking part partIn In the campaign so 80 man many ot of Its men to take charge of C the regimen regimental tal ammunition and to distribute It but this somewhat system has been abolished In nil all mod modern modern ern armies RR as It was found that one regiment might have ample amplo ammunition l I tion and yet ct the next one to It might be reduced to Its ut last cartridge e but the feeding ot of tIle the tiring line Une or of the British army has hns now been reduced to a 0 per fed t state and It should shoud be next to impossible nowadays for n a to tobe tobe be nut out or of action owing to the tho fail failure ure ot of the ammunition supply This was the case however with the two taro Brit BritIsh Ish regiments at Nek IL a afew few w weeks ks ago AiO but that was an abnor abnormal mat mal tance brought about b by bythe the dc ot of the mules which bore the I spare are lon thus thUM leaving th the themen men with only what cartridges they hI had hadin In their pouches antI and It Is unlikely In the extreme that such II a case will willever ever happen lI again In addition to feeding with lion the soldiers actually engaged ed In ht Inthe the fighting line the tho ammunition col column column hall duties such Ruch os as attach lug Ing the rUSH fusee to the shells and ond aiding the Ip In the repair ot of damaged guns or gun un carriages and during durIn the whole thole time It a war lasts one or of the hardest wonted bodies or of men are those I employed d In serving out the I tion |