Artillery support when firing at detached skirmishers

[viperofmilan]

An odd question occurred to me during our game yesterday.

Artillery fire is only effective (somewhat against detached skirmishers at short canister range. Artillery cannot shoot ball at detached skirmishers, or perhaps more accurately, doing so has zero effect. The question came up yesterday: can artillery provide fire support at effective range for another friendly unit engaged in skirmish or salvo fire against detached skirmishers. I can see it argued either way.Since artillery cannot itself shoot at the detached skirmishers, how can it provide fire support? On other hand, dodging fire from an infantry unit might make the skirmishers less alert to dodging incoming artillery fire.

Any thoughts?

[Viking709]

Page55 top left
“Artillery can not be used to support fire against skirmishers”

[viperofmilan]

Thanks.