Drill regulations for quick-firing field artillery

 

 

 

 

Firing instruction. The text lists the different orders that the gun commander gives to the gunners to open fire.

Direct fire from open position to an uncovered target :

    with time shell : 1) at that line of troops (battery…), 2) elevation x, 3) corrector x;

    with percussion shell : 1) at that battery (post, trench…), 2) percussion fire (with H.E. shell), 3) elevation x.

When the commander wants to consider the derivation, the influence of the wind or the inclination of the axle, after the elevation he adds right (left) x. If such deflection is not ordered, the clinometer was set at plate 10, drum x.

Fire from masked or covered position :

    with time shell : 1) aim at that target, 2) plate x, drum x, 3) level up (below) x, 4) elevation x, 5) corrector x;

    with percussion shell : 1) aim at that target, 2) plate x, drum x, 3) level up (below) x, 4) percussion fire (with H.E. shell), 5) elevation x.

If the angle of sight lacks, the commander orders : level null. To change the level, he orders level up (down) x. To increase the elevation of ½ mil, the correction can be made on the elevation, but only on the level, the commander orders elevation x ½, increase!

As soon as the gun is aimed according the commander’s order, the aimer says ready! and the commander for the first shot! At that order, the breech-blocker, the loader and the commander go back outside the wheels, and the aimer. Then, to open fire, the commander orders first (second) and so on.

To change the target, the commander orders the new target and the new firing data, then the aimer orders : move the gun. The gunners moves the gun accordingly : the aimer and the left shell-handler shifting the left wheel, the breech-blocker and the right shell-handler the right wheel, the fuze-cutter and the loader the traversing lever.

To repel an attack at close range (by infantry – 400 m, by cavalry – 700 m), the commander orders : 1) at the file (cavalry…), 2) elevation x, corrector x, 3) rapid! Fire stops as soon as the threat ceases.

Only in exceptional case (e.g. if the battery is surprised when it is assuming the route formation), when commander believes that time firing delays opening fire, he orders percussion fire : 1) at the cavalry (file…), 2) percussion fire (with H.E.shell), elevation null, 3) aim at the ground, rapid!

 

Methods of fire. The text lists the orders that follow the firing data to obtain the different kinds of fire (e.g. at that line (battery…), elevation 20, corrector 45, sweeping!) :

    fire by order : the aimer fires only when he hears the number of his gun: first, second…;

    slow fire at a set speed : the commander orders slow fire one (two…) at a time per minute, the aimer fires when he receive the order;

    storm of fire : the commander orders one (two…) at a time, rapid!, the aimer fires the number of rounds established in advance without receiving another order;

    fire to break up :

a)    for a front 30-60 m length, the commander orders by four, sweeping!, the aimer fires three rounds, shifting after each round by 4 turns of the hand-wheel left;

b)    for a front 30-60 m length, the commander orders by eight, sweeping!, the aimer fires three rounds, shifting after each round by 8 turns of the hand-wheel;

c)    for a front 70-150 m length, the commander orders at that line, to break up!, the aimer fires five rounds, shifting after each round by 8 turns of the hand-wheel;

    progressive fire : the commander orders progressive!, the aimer fires eight rounds, increasing the range of 100m every two rounds, the elevation are ordered by the gun commander before every couple of rounds;

     progressive sweeping fire : the commander orders by four (eight), progressive, sweeping!, the aimer fires twelve rounds of sweeping fire, increasing the range of 100m every three rounds, (one round at initial position, two rounds left, one round at initial position, two rounds right, and so on);

    progressive fire at an order : the gun commander orders 50 (100), at an order, progressive!, but the gun, charged and aimed at a range increased by 50 m or 100 m, fires only when the aimer receives the order fire!

 

Suspending and ceasing the fire. Suspending the fire, at the order free the gunners can leave their places, without moving away from the guns. Resuming the fire, at the order stand, they occupy again their places. If the gun wis subjected to a severe enemy fire, the gun commander orders took cover, and he, the aimer, the breech-blocker and the loader take cover behind the gun shield, the fuze-setter and the shell-handlers behind the caisson. 

Ceasing the fire, at the order halt, the gun is arranged for the route :

a)    the aimer puts the level at null, covering its bulb, puts the carriage in the middle of the axle, makes the butler bear on its bed, locks the elevating wheel, and covers the left seat;

b)    the breech-blocker closes the breech, puts the safety-piece in route position, covers the right seat and hangs the lower part of the shield;

c)    the loader puts the traversing lever in route position;

d)    the fuze-cutter sets the fuze-setter for percussion fire and the corrector at 50, and puts them in the caisson;

e)    the shell-handlers puts the projectiles in the caisson.

 

Firing with reduced personnel. If the number of the gunners is reduced by casualties in action, it is advisable to share the remaining ones between the guns, in order to have at least four gunners for every piece. If necessary, the battery can keep firing with only three guns. The missing men are replaced as follows :

a)    the platoon commander is temporarily replaced by a gun commander, and the latter by the aimer, who continues to perform his own duties;

b)    with five gunners remaining, if the aimer or the fuze-cutter are missing, the gun commander names the most suitable of the remaining gunners to replace them, and the right shell-handler takes his post;

c)    with four gunners, the aimer opens and closes the breech-block;

d)    with three gunners, the fuze-cutter loads the gun;

e)    with only two gunners, all the duties are performed by the aimer and the fuze-cutter;

f)    as a rule the gun commander takes the place of one of missing men when there are only three gunners.

 

The defilade. As for the emplacement the position is regarded as :

    open, when the guns are visible from the target and they can aim at it with direct laying;

    masked, when the guns are concealed from the enemy sight by folds of the ground or by some ground features, like bushes, hedges, fields;

    covered, when even the flash of the firing gun cannot be seen from the enemy.

Even if at that time the prevailing opinion is that artillery must fire from masked or covered positions and only exceptionally from open positions, the Regulations emphasizes that the guns must be placed where they can perform the task assigned and achieve their goals. Therefore, the defilade is the result of the tactical tasks and of the shape of the place, and the artillery must not hesitate to occupy even open positions, if necessary. However, since firing from masked and covered positions is not easy and requires experience and knowledge (e.g. measure of the angle of site), artillery must be appropriately trained in peace in order to make the most of indirect laying.

 

To fire behind a cover or a mask it is necessary :

1.    to verify whether the trajectory can clear the cover;

2.    to determine what is the smallest elevation at which it is possible to fire;

3.    to ascertain the angle of site (i.e. the difference in level between guns and target).

Therefore the text presents some different methods to fulfil these requirements, both practically and theoretically. If possible, the battery commander directs the fire by person from his observation post, but, if the distance is too great, he transmits his orders by signal and telephone.

 

The degree of concealment (defilade) varies as follows :

    dismounted defilade (дефилиране на човешки ръстdéfilement de l’homme à pied) : the guns are placed where a dismounted man can just see the enemy position over the mask : the battery is prepared for firing easily and quickly; there is no danger that the trajectory hits the mask, except when it fires at a very short range; the dead space is small. But the battery can be destroyed by enemy shrapnel fire and the guns cannot be brought into or out of the position out of the enemy sight, except when they are run up by hand;

    mounted defilade (дефилиране на конникdéfilement de l’homme à cheval) : the guns are placed where a mounted man can just see the enemy position over the mask : it allows to occupy a position covertly and to leave it unlimbered and limbered, preserving complete freedom of manoeuvre; it allows to aim quickly when the battery commander is mounted, but has the disadvantage that the dead space is much greater;

    flash defilade (дефилиране на блясъциdéfilement des lueurs) : the guns are placed about 4-5 m below the line of defilade, so that even the flash of the shot is concealed : it has the same advantages and disadvantages of the two previous kind of defilade to a greater extent; it suffers little from enemy fire, but has a great dead space; the preparation for firing is slow and the battery commander is often far from the guns.

 

If the mask is high 1 m, it conceals only the gun (zone demi-défilée), if 1.80 m also the gunners (zone du faible defilement), if 2 m also the horses, if 2.50 m also a mounted man (zone de moyen defilement), if between 2.50 and 5 m even the flash of the shot and the cloud of dust (zone de grand defilement). If possible the mask must be placed 200-300 paces in front of the battery, to prevent the enemy to adjust its fire after them.

defilement

 

The major objection against firing from a covered position was that it caused a dead space in front of the covering crest, the extent of which depended on the degree of defilade assumed. The higher is the cover, the greater is the extent of the dead space. However, it can be reduced by occupying the front slope of a second crest, instead of placing the guns directly behind the cover. At any rate the battery commander, making his preliminary reconnaissance, must accurately determinate the minimum range at which he will probably be called to fire and estimate the extent of the corresponding dead space, in order to take the most convenient firing position, selecting the degree of defilade to correspond to the this condition.

 

 

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