Drill regulations for quick-firing field
artillery
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Mounted instruction. The text
listed the different orders that the gun commander gave 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 gave 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 illustrated 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
had to take position was 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 was to post the
guns so that they were able to develop the most effective amount of fire. At first, all
conditions being equal, covered
positions should be preferred rather than open ones, but when artillery
received the order to open fire immediately, all technical advantages were
left behind, and only makeshift shelters should be used. The
commander of the troops designated the area where the field artillery was to
find its positions and influenced the distribution of the batteries by
indicating the duties which were to be performed. The artillery commander
examined that area and chose the places to be occupied in order to deploy the
artillery fire under the most favourable conditions. When from a covered position it was impossible to fire at the
approaches near the battery emplacements, to avoid revealing the whole
artillery, some batteries were placed out of the enemy sight to open fire suddenly
on the enemy troops, when they were approaching. |
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The selected area should be
quite large, since in deploying a great amount of guns in a single position
the best solution was to place the batteries by level, because this formation
assured a larger freedom of action, diminished the effect
of enemys fire and
increased his difficulties in adjustment. |
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A
good fighting position was 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, was more effective when it came
from the flanks);flanks secured by natural hindrances (artillery should
avoid, however, to occupy places covered by bushes, where it might 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 should be avoided since
they were easily visible, reduced the effect of fire having a great dead
space, required a lot of time to occupy or change the position; ground
features that made difficult the adjustment of the enemy sight: the position should
be masked with the guns placed 300- ground
features that made difficult the adjustment of the enemy sight: the position
should be masked with the guns placed 300- easy approaches to go in and out of the
position; proximity
of good cover for teams: limbers and battery reserve, especially wagons
carrying high explosive shells, should be placed out of the enemy sight. If the guns were placed in a covered position
the regulations listed some additional rules : when the position was behind a
ridge, the emplacements should be with the flash defilade the
emplacements should be at least 4- when the ground was undulate,
the emplacements should be behind the second fold of the earth; when the guns had to be to
bring out of the ridge in an upper position, the new emplacements should be
prepared before, building earth-shelters, while the ascent was made running
and out of the enemy sight; when the ground was covered
with dust the commander should take measures (drenching the ground, spreading
grass or hay) to avoid that the emplacements of the guns would revealed by
the rising dust. Of
course positions combining all of the above qualifications were seldom or
never found. Therefore the artillery commander should always choose a
position that did 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 was
made by the artillery commander and his immediate subordinates, assisted by
their respective reconnaissance officers and scouts. The reconnaissance
should be very detailed, especially when the combat was at the start and the
position and strength of the enemy were not known. For this purpose the regulation
introduced the charge of orienting-officer
(офицер-ориентьр).
During the combat the accompanying batteries have to debouch near the
enemy, coming into action quickly for the support of the attacking troops. So
they should occupy their position without full reconnaissance. The text
offered also a detailed list of the main reconnaissance duties pertaining to
various officers in charge of an artillery force comprising several batteries
: the head of artillery, the division and battery commanders. Preparation of the position. The preparation
of the positions could be active and passive. As a rule they were
carried at the same time, but when there was not enough time, the active
preparation should precede. The care for the fire preparations was of the utmost importance, since it
insured to adjust the fire without the enemy being able to forestall it. Active preparation was directed to take all the measures to increase fire power of the
battery. It included : the choice and the arrangement of good observation stations,
from which an observer could 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, surely visible from the emplacement of each gun of
the battery; selecting some landmarks, that should 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 was directed to reduce the effect of the enemy artillery fire. It
could be obtained : by means of trenches, shelters or at least only with gun shields;
removing all the points that might 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 could deceive the enemy, attracting its fire. Marking of the position. When the position had been chosen, it should be marked, placing men or
objects, so that the guns could easily occupy their emplacements, keeping the
correct alignment with respect to the line of fire. A position could me
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 was occupied by night,
it should be marked the day before and every obstacle should be accurately
marked to be avoided during the approaching march. Occupation of the position. The approach to the position should take place out
of the sight of the enemy. When the way was not protected by the infantry, the senior officer
attached to the battery took measures to defend the exposed flank, sending a
non commissioned officer in that direction. When the battery moved out of the
roads or across unknown places, it should be preceded by 2-3 scouts. Before occupying a fighting
position, if the reconnaissance was not yet finished, the battery stood under
cover near the combat area in preparatory position
(подготвителен
позиция), where it got ready to
take up its emplacements without hindrance and open fire without delay: the
equipments were checked, the ammunition wagons opened, the duties fixed,
signal troops sent to the fighting position. The preparatory position should
not be occupied, when the place was open and the battery was moving under the
enemy fire, or when it had to take up an observation or an awaiting position. When the commander ordered to
take up the fighting position, the whole battery went on simultaneously and,
where possible, under cover. In open ground the going out took 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 should 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 was to unlimber the guns behind
the ridge and run up them to the emplacements by hands. Changes of
positions. If possible, artillery should be placed at the
outset in positions from which it could act effectively throughout the
various phases of the engagement, since the interruption of the fire should
be avoided as much as possible. A growth of the range was not in itself
ordinarily sufficient to warrant a change of the position, in fact artillery
fire could be powerful and effective also at great ranges, such as 2500 As
a rule a change of the position had to be ordered by the head of the unit,
but if a quick action was required, especially when the infantry needed
support fire, every artillery commander on his own account could order the
change of the position, reporting immediately his decision to his senior. Artillery
commanders should anticipate and prepare the movement, sending scouts to
reconnoitre and select the route and the approaches to the new position,
while battery commanders should take care also of the ammunition supply. The
position should be changed with jumps of not less than 700 Changes
of position should always be made under cover if practicable, and the new
position should be occupied without the enemys knowledge in order to opening
fire at him by surprise. Therefore the guns were limbered out of the enemy
sight to leave the position unnoticed. Changes of position of larger bodies
of artillery were 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 was no target to fire at from the old position, the
whole artillery could change its position at the same time. A single battery
was not ordinarily echeloned for a change of position, but sometimes a
quick-firing battery could more opportunely change its position by sections. |
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