French soldiers in motor tractor which is pulling a large gun along the road at the beginning of World War I. Siege artillery were heavy guns and other bombardment devices designed to bombard fortifications, cities, and other fixed targets. They were capable of firing heavy cannonballs or shells but required enormous transport and logistical support to operate. In January 1914, the French Army had 47 divisions, composed of 777,000 French soldiers and 47,000 colonial troops. Another 2.9 million men were mobilized in the summer of 1914, and heavy losses on the Western Front forced France to conscript men up to the age of 45. At the end of the war the French had called up 8,317,000 men, including 475,000 colonial troops, and suffered over 4.2 million casualties, with 1.3 million dead. Bain News Service circa 1914/15.
