Drill regulations for quick-firing field
artillery
|
|
|
Mounted instruction. The text
lists the different orders that the gun commander gives to the gunners to
enter and leave the park, to harness and unharness the horses, to mount and dismount,
to drive the gun and the ammunition wagon, to hook and unhook the gun. It gives
also detailed instructions about the replacement of drivers, gunners, and
horses, sharing the remaining ones between the guns and the ammunition
wagons. As for the battery it illustrates the different
route formations, explaining how move to one to another, how to change the
direction of travel, how to increase and decrease the interval between the
pieces and the columns, how to reconnoitre and occupy a position, how to move
from the route to the battle formation, and how to change the front of the
battery in battle formation. Choice
of the position. The choice of the area within which field artillery must
take position is determined by the tactical situation assigned to battery and
by the nature of the ground
and the shape of the place. The only rule in choosing a position is to place the
guns so that they are able to develop the most effective amount of fire. At first, all
conditions being equal, covered
positions must be preferred rather than open ones, but when artillery receives
the order to open fire immediately, all technical advantages are left behind, and only
makeshift shelters can be
used. The
commander of the troops designates the area where the field artillery is to
find its positions and influences the distribution of the batteries by
indicating the duties which must be performed. The
artillery commander examines that area and chooses the places to be occupied in order to deploy the artillery fire under
the most favourable conditions. When from a covered position
it is impossible to fire at the approaches near the battery emplacements, to
avoid revealing the whole artillery, some batteries are
placed out of the enemy sight to open fire suddenly on the enemy
troops, when they are approaching. |
|
|
|
The selected area must be
quite large, since in deploying a great amount of guns in a single position
the best solution is to place the batteries by level, because this formation
assures a larger freedom of action, diminishes the effect
of enemys fire and
increases his difficulties in adjustment. |
|
A
good fighting position is characterized by : a large field of fire with
good observation posts, in order to fire at various targets without changing
position; a front as
perpendicular as possible to the line of fire (the
fire against shielded batteries, however, is more effective when it comes
from the flanks); flanks secured by natural hindrances (however artillery must
avoid to occupy places covered by bushes, where it may be surprised by the
enemy); the rear on a slope and without object in full view
in order to have safe and concealed communications; wide position in order to deploy
the guns at great intervals, change the firing
front, withdraw
the guns, be covered against the enemy fire; a ground lay enabling the
deployment of the gun out of the enemy sight and the direction
of the action from the command post (quite high place must be avoided since
they are easily visible, reduces the effect of fire having a great dead
space, requires a lot of time to occupy or change the position; ground
features that made difficult the adjustment of the enemy sight: the position must
be masked with the guns placed 300- proximity of good
cover for teams: limbers and battery reserve, especially wagons carrying high
explosive shells, must be placed out of the enemy sight. If the guns are placed in a covered position the
regulations lists some additional rules : when the position is behind a
ridge, the emplacements must be with the flash defilade the
emplacements must be at least 4- when the ground is undulate,
the emplacements must be behind the second fold of the earth; when the guns have to be
brought out of the ridge in a higher position, the new emplacements must be
prepared before, building earth-shelters, while the ascent is made running
and out of the enemy sight; when the ground is covered with
dust the commander must take measures (drenching the ground, spreading grass
or hay) to avoid that the emplacements of the guns reveal by the rising dust. Of
course, positions combining all of the above qualifications are seldom or never found. Therefore, the artillery
commander must always choose a position that does not fulfil all these
conditions, instead of delaying the entry into action of the guns in an
attempt to find a better one. Reconnaissance
of the position. The reconnaissance of the
artillery positions is carried out by the artillery commander and his
subordinates, assisted by the respective reconnaissance officers and scouts,
according to the indications provided by the Direction for the
employment of the field artillery in combat. Preparation of the position. The preparation
of the positions can be active and passive. As a rule they are carried at the same time, but when there is
not enough time, the active preparation must precede. The care
for the fire preparations is of the utmost importance, since it insures to
adjust the fire without the enemy being able to forestall it. Battery
commanders must realize that it is a mistake, going into action, to seek only
the prompt opening of fire as a means of shortening the critical period
inseparable from all taking up of battery positions. With masked position only the adjustment may be dangerous, since the
enemy by then knows the position of the battery, so the preparatory phase can
be carried without risk. Active preparation is directed to take all the measures to
increase firepower of the battery. It includes : the choice and the arrangement of good observation stations,
from which an observer can easily see all the territory assigned to him to
cover, properly observe the fire of his guns, and promptly communicate with
them by telephone, signals and orderlies;
the determination of the firing data,
choosing good aiming points, clearly visible from the emplacement of each gun
of the battery; selecting some landmarks, that must be marked on perspective
sketches with the indication of the distance from the battery; setting the fuze; measuring the auxiliary angle and fixing the kind of projectile to be used. Passive preparation is directed to reduce the effect of the
enemy artillery fire. It can be obtained : by means of trenches, shelters or at least only with the gun shields;
removing all the points that may be used
by the enemy as landmarks or aiming posts, to make easier its adjustment and
accelerate the passage to fire for effect;
building dummy trenches and dummy batteries, that can deceive the enemy,
attracting its fire. Marking of the position. When the position has been chosen, it must
be marked, placing men or objects, so that the guns can easily occupy their
emplacements, keeping the correct alignment with respect to the line of fire.
A position canme marked in three different ways : marking their flanks, i.e. where the right and left
guns had to rest, marking the line of alignment of the guns or even the
single emplacements of every gun. If the position is
occupied by night, it must be marked the day before and every obstacle
must be accurately marked to be avoided during the approaching march. Occupation of the position. The approach to the position must take place out of the
sight of the enemy. When the way is not protected by the infantry, the senior officer attached
to the battery takes measures to defend the exposed flank, sending a non commissioned officer in that direction. When the
battery moves out of the roads or across unknown places, it
must be preceded by 2-3 scouts. Before occupying a fighting position,
if the reconnaissance is not yet finished, the battery stands under cover
near the combat area in preparatory position (подготвителен
позиция),
where it gets ready to take up its emplacements without hindrance and open
fire without delay: the equipment are checked, the ammunition wagons opened,
the duties fixed, signal troops sent to the fighting position. The
preparatory position must not be occupied, when the
place is open and the battery is moving under the enemy fire, or when it must
take up an observation or an awaiting position. When the commander orders to
take up the fighting position, the whole battery goes on simultaneously and,
where possible, under cover. In open ground the going out takes place at a
smart pace in extended formation or in line of columns, in open and rough ground in
line of columns at variable distance. At any rate it must avoided uniform pace, constant
course and moving in the rear of the batteries already in position. In taking
up a position in height, the best is to unlimber the guns behind the ridge
and run up them to the emplacements by hands. Changes of
positions. If possible, artillery must be
placed at the outset in positions from which it can act effectively
throughout the various phases of the engagement, since the interruption of
the fire must be avoided as much as possible. A growth of the range is not in
itself ordinarily sufficient to warrant a change of the position, in fact
artillery fire could be powerful and effective even at great ranges, such as
2500 As
a rule a change of the position must be ordered by the head
of the unit, but if a quick action is required, especially when the
infantry needs support fire, every artillery commander on his own account can
order the change of the position, reporting immediately his decision to his
senior. Artillery
commanders must anticipate and prepare the movement, sending scouts to
reconnoitre and select the route and the approaches to the new position,
while battery commanders must take care also of the ammunition supply. The
position must be changed with jumps of not less than
700 If
possible, changes of position must always be made
under cover, and the new position must be occupied without the enemys
knowledge in order to opening fire at him by surprise. Therefore
the guns are limbered out of the enemy sight to leave the position unnoticed.
Changes of position of larger bodies of artillery are
usually made by echelon, by division or by battery, a portion of the
force being always left in position to cover the movement of the remainder.
When there is no target to fire at from the old position, the whole artillery
can change its position at the same time. A single battery is not ordinarily
echeloned for a change of position, but sometimes a quick-firing battery can
more opportunely change its position by sections. Replacement of the missing men and horses.
When replacing missing drivers and horses, care must be
taken that the losses are divided more or less equally between the gun
and the ammunition wagon. The
missing men are replaced as follows : a)
the gun commander is replaced by the commander of
the ammunition wagon; b)
a missing driver is replaced by the front driver, his
place being taken by the commander of the gun (wagon); c)
with two driver missing, the driver of the leading
team is replaced by the gun commander, the middle driver, on short distances
and favorable terrain, is not replaced, otherwise is replaced by one of the
gunners, the pole driver is replaced by one of the drivers from the front or
middle team, the latter being replaced as above. The
replacement of horses is done by the drivers together with
the gunners, changing harnesses if necessary. The
missing horses are replaced as follows : a)
if the horse of the gun (wagon) commander is missing
during the movement to the combat position he goes on foot or climbs onto the
back of the wagon, otherwise he takes one of the reserve horse; b)
if a horse of the leading team is missing, the gun (wagon)
commanders horse is harnessed in its place; c)
if a horse of the middle team is missing, it is
replaced by the corresponding horse of the front team, that is replaced as
above; d)
if a horse of the pole team is missing, on short
distances the gun moves with only one pole horse, otherwise it is replaced by
a horse from the leading or the middle team; e)
if both pole horses are missing, the horses from the
front or middle team are harnessed at their places; f)
if both horses of the leading team are missing, the
gun is draught by four horses and mounted gunners; g)
if both horses of the middle team are missing, the
horses from the leading team are harnessed at their places; h)
if
the gun is draught by only three horses, the gunners get out the limber and the
third horse is harnessed in front of the two pole horses, with the rod attached
directly to the crossbeam. As
a rule, any interruption of the battle must be used
to replace the losses of men and horses. To replace the missing gunners, the
platoon commander calls the gunners of the first supply echelon. The last
horses to be taken as replacements are those of the
connection orderlies. While
shooting, the men of the combat unit must never be distracted from their duty.
The wounded, who can be transported without damage,
are sent to the battery reserve with the empty wagons. Only the sanitary gunners
can bandage the wounded: they are the last people who can
be used to replace the missing gunners. During the battle, the medical
NCO remains near the limbers and can never be sent
to replace the missing gunners. Replacement
between batteries occurs as a last resort and only upon order of the artillery
division commander. In the event of heavy losses, the battery commander can request
that some soldiers be recalled from cover or taken from
nearby infantry units. |
|
