The terrain survey weighs a valley field of fire against the need to reach a useful position quickly. Once the likely enemy approach is clear, the artillery receives the most careful placement. Its positioning is called "90 percent of the battle," with the remaining 10 percent left to luck. In this interpretation, armies had forgotten that lesson of siegecraft by World War I. The comparison is brief, but it explains why gun siting forms the basis of the planned defence.
Notable Point · 1:44:37-1:46:08
Artillery siting as a siegecraft lesson
A terrain survey treats artillery positioning as the decisive preparation for battle and links that habit to a judgment about forgotten siegecraft by World War I.