Instruction for the employment of the artillery division

During the war against Serbia, in 1885, the organization of the Bulgarian artillery was very simple: the batteries were directly subordinated to the regiment, without any intermediate command. In fact, at that time the regiment was only an administrative unit, without tactical tasks. In wartime, the batteries were shared among the military units depending on the circumstances. Later the growth of the artillery regiments and their permanent assignment to the Infantry Division drastically changed their operational mode. The first step towards a modern employment of the artillery in combat was the introduction of artillery division (or detachment – отделение, like the German Army Abteilung), grouping two or three batteries already in peacetime.

In 1891 with the publication of the Инструкция за действие и стрелба от артилерийското отделение от две или три осеморъдейни батареи (Instructions for action and firing of artillery division with two or three eight-guns batteries), written by lt.col. Petar Tantilov, for the first time in Bulgaria the group of batteries was regarded as the tactical unit of the field artillery. This text, however, was only an attempt of regulating this complex issue: only rethinking entirely the field service regulation for the artillery the Bulgarian Army could accurately specify the duties and the role of the artillery division.

The head of the artillery division, not directly involved in the technical duties of the batteries, but informed in detail about the aims of the military action, is charged with the tactical direction of the division. He directs the batteries, reconnoitres the positions, controls the fire, distributes the targets among the batteries and orders the changes of positions.

He conducts and directs the batteries placed under his command only with verbal or written orders, dispatched by means of orderlies. He can also command when he is conducting the adjustment alone. However, the action and the fire of the artillery division can be really effective only when all the due measures are envisaged and taken opportunely and the battery commanders fell mutual solidarity. They must become accustomed to understand their duties and trust each other.

The instructions fixes accurately the duties of the head of the artillery division :

– he fixes the aims of the batteries under his command, showing the way to achieve them;

– he leads movements and manoeuvres;

– he reconnoitres the battlefield, selected the positions, distributed the batteries among them and conducted the batteries to their emplacements;

– he fixes the targets, determined and directed the fire;

– he takes care of the constant supply of the ammunitions from the park;

– during the combat he selects new positions and sets the echelonment of the batteries and the way to occupy the new emplacements;

– he chooses the battery that should accompany the attacking infantry.

In battle formation (бойния строй) the batteries of the division are deployed in fighting formation, along one line or by levels, in either case being placed at a distance of 60 – 100 paces, i.e. twice the distance between two guns. To reconnoitre the firing positions the head of the division goes out along with the battery commanders and the men requires tracing the emplacements. During the reconnaissance, the batteries stand close in preparatory position (подготвителен позиция), where they get ready to take up their emplacements.

If necessary, the head of the division orders to transfer or to mass fire. When the battery commander receives the order, he fulfils it with three sections (six guns), while the remaining section keeps on firing at the previous target. To observe the effect of the common fire the general staff of the division sends an orderly to the batteries.

While the batteries place in first and second positions must wait for the order of head of the division, the batteries chosen to accompany the infantry attack (придружаващи батареи), are under the direction of their commanders. The batteries remained in position must only take care of the ammunition supply of the advancing ones.

When the head of the division directs personally the fire for adjustment, he fires by half-battery salvos, reporting the battery commanders the most probable height of the sight, as soon as he obtains the 4 graduations bracket. But usually the fire for adjustment is directed according to the rules exposed in the “Red booklet” by the battery commanders themselves, who reports the data obtained to the head of the division.