SIEGE AND SIEGE WORKS (OF. sege, siege, Fr. siege, from I,at. scderr, to sit ; connected with Gk. gecreat, hezrsthai, Slat. sad. OChurch Slay. Lith. sedeti,0110. si=an, Ger. sitzei?, Oath. sitar. AS. sittan, Eng. sit). In conducting a siege, the enemy, where possible, is surround ed and cut off from supplies or reinforce ments, in which case his position is said to be invested. The attacking army in doing this usually intrenches itself completely around and outside the works of the defender. With plenty of time and when there is no prospect of the arrival of relieving forces, an effective investment will cause the defender eventually to starve or surrender. In many cases, as in the siege of Stafeking and Ladysmith, the prospective ar rival of a relieving force must always be borne in mind, compelling the attacker to use every means at his command to force the issue. But assuming that a simple investment is im possible, that assault by open force has failed, or, in the opinion of the attacking commander, would surely fail, bombardment would be re sorted to and a continuous fire maintained. If the defenders are in a position to con struct bomb-proofs sufficient to enable them to hold out against bombardment, it then becomes necessary to resort to a regular siege. The method of procedure is then as follows: The artil lery having taken up a position best adapted to enable it to fire upon the artillery of the defense, the infantry is established in front of this in intrenchments, and continuous attempts are made to hold down the fire of the defenders and to push the infantry intrenchments as close as pos sible to t-he work. This is done where possible in large sections of intrenchments parallel to the main line of the defender. Probably the method best adapted to modern conditions is the construction of intrenchments by the method known as flying sap. In this process, as soon as darkness falls a large force of men moves into position, carrying gabions or boxes, picks, and shovels. When the line has been moved as far forward as is deemed advisable, the gabions are placed in position, and the men start to dig the earth from behind them, filling first the gabions and then throwing the earth in front of them.
\Viten this is not practicable the advance is made by pushing trenches forward obliquely by end work. These 'approaches' are so inclined that they cannot be enfiladed by the enemy. This process is known as sapping. A position having been once gained is fortified as strongly as necessary to enable it to be held. By these methods the attack is pushed as rapidly as pos sible to a position close to that held by the de fenders. If the latter are provided with suffi cient provisions and material to enable them to hold out without surrender on account of starva tion, an assault is delivered by the attacking force on one of the weakest points of the work. The assaulting party is provided with explosives to be used in demolishing the palisades and simi lar obstructions, and with ladders, planks, wire cutters, and other implements to enable it to surmount and cope with the obstacles it may find. From the nature of the case, if the de fender is prevented from receiving supplies, and the attacker can receive such reinforcements and supplies as he requires. the victory should normally be with the attacker. It may, how ever, be only necessary for the defender to hold out until a relieving force more formidable than the attackers can reach the place. It is there fore incumbent upon him to resort to other means to protract the defense. Having noted, for ex ample, that an attack will probably be success ful upon certain portions of his line, an addi tional line would be constructed in rear of this portion, and so fortified that it can be held even if the first falls. His fire is so directed as to delay the attacker's trench work. Ills force, while not large enough to defeat the attacker in open combat, may be large enough to threaten him so frequently as greatly to diminish his en durance. Sorties are frequently made at night, surprising the operations of the attacking force, destroying its material, its work, and generally lowering its morale.