The grand battery massed the guns of several French artillery batteries into one large temporary battery concentrating fire on a single point in the enemy line, trading accuracy for volume of fire, rate of fire and the shock of concentrated bombardment. Napoleon used it increasingly in his later campaigns as the quality of French artillery crews and horses declined, ordering a massed bombardment against the Pratzen Heights at Austerlitz in 1805, while a 112 gun grand battery halted an Austrian counterattack at Wagram in 1809. The tactic's most famous failure came at Waterloo in 1815, where the opening barrage failed to break Wellington's center because he had deployed most of his forces behind the reverse slope of the ridge.
Facts
Core ClaimConcentrate the fire of many guns on one point in the enemy line to break it open before the infantry assault, substituting mass and rate of fire for individual gun accuracy. 1 Origin Year1805 marks Austerlitz, the tactic's first major documented use under Napoleon; it was used more frequently in his post 1808 campaigns as artillery crew quality declined. Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Napoleon massed artillery fire against the Pratzen Heights at Austerlitz in 1805.
The Grand Battery opening barrage at Waterloo in 1815 failed to break Wellington's reverse-slope-sheltered center.
Developed By
Napoleon employed and expanded the grand battery tactic in his later campaigns.
Sources
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