The employment of the field artillery in
combat
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Fire control. The
direction emphasizes that the success of the action of the artillery depends
entirely on a good direction of the fire. Artillery fire should be chiefly
conducted with powerful, brief tempests or storms of fire (вихрове или ураганени),
shooting a fixed number of rounds as quickly as possible. This kind of fire
aims to break up the spirit and destroy the force of the enemy. The crushing
storm of fire (урагани
на поражение)
must be fired only after an accurate adjustment,
since incorrect firing data cannot be compensated for by increasing the
number of the rounds fired or lengthening the duration of the bombardment.
During the pause between two storms of fire artillery can carry out a slow
fire (бавен огън), in order to frighten the
enemy or obtain more complete firing data. The
artillery fire can be really timely and effective only by means of a constant
observation of the battlefield, a strict liaison between the artillery units
and between the artillery and the other branches of the army, and a careful
preparation of the fire, both technically and tactically, thanks to an
accurate adjustment on several points. A
great dispersion of the fire must be avoided, since
it does not permit to achieve a decisive success promptly and rapidly. The
best way to obtain a rapid defeat of the enemy is the concentration of the fire of several batteries, combining frontal
and oblique fire. The concentration of fire by large artillery units (many
divisions) involves coordinating, directing and producing heavy fire under
the control of the same commander, to carry out a common task. When our
artillery is not more numerous than the enemy’s,
concentration of fire can be achieved by shifting fire. Concentrated fire is
considerably more effective, when it is mixed,
namely when the same target is shelled at the same time by heavy and light
field artillery with percussion and time fire. The difficulty of controlling
fire increases as the number of artillery units operating together increases. When
opening fire for the first time, long distance shooting at
difficult-to-destroy must be avoided, as it does not
achieve significant results, but increases the waste of ammunition. To
strengthen the fire of an artillery unit, the batteries furthest from those
firing are designated, to make it difficult for the
enemy to adjust their fire. Fire support is particularly effective when
provided by batteries that can engage the enemy with oblique fire. Artillery
must open fire suddenly in order to take the enemy by surprise. Fire at a
specific target lasts until the task assigned to the batteries is performed, after that, it stops or is transferred to a
new target. The cessation of fire can also be due to the disappearance of the
target, the defeat of its troops or the opportunity not to waste ammunition
without obtaining results. When the fire stops, the gunners hide behind
shields, in trenches or behind nearby shelters in the area. The change of the
target entails a waste of time, since it usually needs a new adjustment.
Therefore, it must be avoided as much as possible. Once
its task has been accomplished and the fire has
stopped, the observation of the target continues, although weakened, because
if the enemy artillery is silent, it does not mean that it has been destroyed
and cannot resume fire later. During observation, the batteries can direct their
fire elsewhere, but must be ready, if necessary, to immediately transfer fire
to the previous target. It is also allowed to shoot at the target with salvos
(с редък огън), which, if necessary,
changes to short storms of fire. Since
a concentrated and heavy fire against the decisive attack point must make it
impossible for the enemy to maintain his position or bring his reserves
closer, the target must be shelled not only frontally, but also in depth. Sometimes
to carry out a certain task, it is enough to fire with one or two guns, but
they must not be subordinate to the battery commander. In exceptional cases,
the platoons of a battery can carry out autonomous tasks, but only for a
short time, unless this is essential for defence. The
main targets of the artillery are the enemy troops: infantry, artillery and
machine guns. Firing to destroy fortified buildings or local objects is
useful only to facilitate the action of the infantry. Only howitzers and
heavy artillery firing mine shells are effective against these targets.
Important targets are also observatories, scouts, headquarters, balloons and
aeroplanes. The Direction also
offers brief instructions on how to shoot specific targets (artillery,
infantry, building, fortification), summarizing what is contained the Direction for firing in field
artillery. The
choice of the targets is determined by the tactical
course of combat, which is directed by the troop commander, acting through
the artillery head. The latter also has the task of organizing the
concentrated fire of several divisions and regiments. As a rule, the division
commanders took charge of the tactical fire control, while the battery
commanders of the technical conduct of the fire. As
a rule, artillery fires even if our troops are under its trajectory, however,
for their safety, it must avoid doing so when the target is less than 1000 m
away. At longer distances, our troops must not be within 500 m of the
battery, but irregularities in the terrain can significantly change these
values. In any case, artillery must fire over the heads of attacking infantry,
only as a last resort. If it is impossible to continue firing over the heads
of our troops who have approached the enemy (on smooth terrain – with
shrapnel up to 200 m, with H.E.
explosive shell up to 100 m), the fire is shifted behind the target by
200-300 meters and on its flanks. To ensure a continuous connection with our
troops and direct fire to a greater distance without causing injuries, it is
advisable to send some artillery scouts among the ranks of the advancing
infantry. The
Direction examines the peculiarities
of the action of the various types of artillery, focusing in particular on
heavy field artillery. Observation
of the battlefield. Artillery commanders must ensure continuous,
effective and timely monitoring of the battlefield with all available means.
To warn of surprise attacks, careful observation of the terrain in front and
on the flanks of the fighting position is necessary, especially when firing
from covered positions.
Each flanking battery, unless otherwise specified, is responsible for
guarding the flank. Observation
of the battlefield and the progress of the battle must be
carried out with diligence and continuity. The data
and information obtained, even if fragmentary, if constantly collected and
systematized, provide very valuable material. They facilitate the
preparation of data for opening or transferring fire and constitute the most
reliable means of coordinating the action of various artillery units and
their communication with other troops. The
duty to observe the battlefield falls to all artillery commanders, assisted
by their adjutants, in charge of observing the battlefield with telescopes
and binoculars. Each artillery scout is required to observe the area assigned
to him, take note in time and report what he has seen to the artillery
commander and to nearby troops. When
it is difficult to observe certain enemy sectors or covered objectives from
our positions, the artillery commanders send an officer or a NCO to
reconnoitre the objective. Accompanied by the necessary number of scouts and
orderlies, he moves under the cover of the advancing infantry units, trying
to occupy an observation point from which to locate the target and fulfil his
task. Following
the lessons learned from the Balkan wars, the Direction focuses in particular on aerial observation. The plane
or balloon assigned to the artillery or the Army, when the troops approach
the enemy, must take off to see where the enemy artillery is most
concentrated and where it is already in position, as well as to determine the
number of enemy batteries. To facilitate observation from the aircraft, at
the appropriate moment, a shot is fired at a
pre-established point, so that the observer can indicate in relation to it
where the enemy targets are located. For this purpose, he marks their
position on a drawing or map and gives them to the artillery commander. Sometimes the plane or balloon can also
take photos of the enemy position. Night combat. Night artillery operations may be
necessary in the case of occupying a position under cover of darkness, with
the aim of opening fire at dawn, or in the case of night firing, after having
prepared the position and having collected the data for shooting the first
evening. The first case occurs mainly in the offensive combat, while the
second can also occur in defensive combat.
In a battle lasting several days, the artillery must always prepare
for a night battle, without waiting for a special order. Night operations
often require individual battery actions, because at night it is difficult to
organize the unitary direction of large artillery units. The night artillery fire during an
attack has the task of forming an effective barrier of fire in the rear of the
attacked point to isolate it from its supporting troops. In defence, it must
form a barrage of fire along roads and approaches where the enemy might move.
When firing at night it is useful, whenever possible, to use searchlights. When occupying the position it is
necessary to take all measures to maintain silence and avoid the accidental
opening of fire. At night, the flash of gunfire reveals a lot about the
position of the firing artillery. To deceive the enemy, false flashes are
useful, which should be placed far enough away from
the real position. As regards the occupation of
positions, the preparation of observation points and the firing procedures,
the Direction summarizes what is contained in the contemporary Direction for
firing in field artillery. Supplying. Following the indications of the Additional
instructions published in
1913, the Direction emphasizes the
importance of avoiding wasting ammunition by continuing fire even after
having achieved the desired result, by shooting at tactically irrelevant
targets, at night without adequate preparation. However, although all
artillery commanders should try to reduce ammunition consumption, in decisive
moments of battle fire must be conducted with
maximum intensity, even at the risk of expending all the shells. A battery
that has exhausted its shells remain in its position, with the gunners hidden
behind shields or in trenches, waiting to be resupplied
from the rear. In addition, the Direction provides detailed
information on how to replenish ammunition in a timely manner.
The ammunition supply service is distributed between
the battery reserve and the park battery from the Divisional fire park, and
in the rear from the Army fire park and the delivery and base fire depots. The
artillery division commander regulates the consumption of the shells of his
batteries, replenishing them with those of the reserve. If a battery exhausts
them, he orders that it be replenished with those of
the other batteries of his division. The reserve commander sends the full wagons to the
fighting batteries, informing the division commander of their number, and
sends the empty ones to be replenished by the park
platoon. When the battery has to defend a fortified position for a long time,
a great quantity of shells is accumulated in niches
and shelters. In difficult or open terrain or under heavy enemy fire,
ammunition is transported by packhorses or by hand. Before
changing positions, fighting units and reserves are
replenished with ammunition according to the norm, and everything
remaining on the battle line is collected and transported by the reserve. The
park battery of the divisional fire park carries out the ammunition of the
artillery brigade and consists of as many park platoons as there are
artillery divisions in the brigade, including field howitzers, heavy
artillery etc. assigned to it. When an artillery unit operates independently,
an appropriate number of the corresponding type of park platoons are sent from the park battery to follow their unit. The
commander of the park battery must immediately communicate his position to
the heads of the regimental battle trains and the commanders of the reserve
batteries, so that the latter can find them immediately. All
artillery commanders up to battery commanders, including park battery
commanders, are required to know and report to their superiors constantly the
available quantity and consumption of ammunition in their units. Every
evening, after the battle, the commander of the artillery brigade presents to
the Division commander and the commander of the Army artillery approximate
information on the status of ammunition in the batteries and park platoons,
and after the end of each battle, he compiles an accurate account. The
park batteries are supplied with ammunition from the
Army fire park, which has a park column for each Division. Replenishment of
the Army’s fire park occurs from the delivery fire depots that in turn are replenished from the intermediate and base fire
depots, and from the static reserve fire depots of each Army. The parks
are required to make every effort so that, on the night following the battle,
the fighting units are supplied with ammunition and
their own supplies are brought to the maximum possible quantity. The
horse artillery reserve is supplied with ammunition from the nearby firearms
park or from artillery units not in combat and exceptionally also from the
fighting units, but only with the permission of the commander in chief. Losses. Each battery must make every
effort to constantly preserve its ability to open
fire and move. Loss of men and horses and damage to materials under any
circumstances are a sufficient reason to remove a battery from the position.
The losses in the batteries are compensated by the reserve
men and horses. The replenishment of these losses in artillery
brigades is carried out through replacement
batteries located in peacetime or in field barracks. Temporary replenishment
of losses when reserves are exhausted can be carried out
between batteries by order of the division commander, or between regiments
and divisions by order of the artillery brigade commander. Restoration
of losses and repair of parts damaged during the march takes place as soon as
the march is finished, if the guns and wagons can move or be
moved. In any case, stopping one gun or wagon is not a reason to stop
the other. When it is not possible to repair damage to materials by
regimental means, the damaged part is sent for
repair to the Amy mobile workshop or to the artillery Arsenal in Sofia, by
order of the head of artillery in the Army. |