Home - Books - Commentary - Docs - History - Links - Members - Newsletters
Photo gallery - Poetry - Puzzles - Shrapnel - Songs - Tales - Units - What's New

Chapter 2 Rank brings Responsibility

Part 2 Moving the Guns

by
373649 Arthur H Paddison, 2nd Field Regiment NZA

back index next

As the battle progressed and the infantry and/or tanks advanced and the enemy retreated, the frontline moved beyond the range of the guns, so it became necessary to move the guns forward. This was co-ordinated by the Major who is the Battery Commander (BC).

A battery consisted of three troops of four guns, 2 of eighteen pounders and 1 of 4.5 inch howitzers.

18-pounders, 1942

A reconnaissance party including the CPO and GPOs goes forward and new positions are selected for each troop.

A dispatch rider is sent back to inform the Troop Leaders, who have been acting as GPOs and getting the guns ready to move at short notice, of the rendezvous and lead each troop forward to near its new position.

As soon as the GPOs have the positions for each of their guns marked out, the guns are led forward into position and camouflaged as quickly as possible.

4.5-inch howitzer firing

Using a director

At the same time the position of each gun is plotted on the artillery board (a sort of a blank map on which the Zero Line has previously been plotted and the line passed to each gun using a device similar to a theodolite called a Director.

With the reverse angle to each gun on the dial sight, the guns are turned so that when each sight is trained on the director the guns are then all pointing exactly in the same direction and parallel to one another.

The Zero line is an imaginary line running from the right hand gun through the centre of the area of the battlefield that the troop is covering.

Using the artillery board

The next step is for each gun sergeant to select an aiming point and the sight unclamped and turned until the cross wires in the sight are on this point and the angle read on the dial and recorded on a little plate next to the sight bracket. Aiming points need to be at a distance as this reduces error and need to be something permanent like a tree on the horizon or the vee formed where two hills run into one another. This procedure is repeated on another point preferably in the opposite direction. Later as time permits two aiming posts with cross arms, are set up in line behind the gun, so that the gun can be aimed in the dark.

As soon as communication links are established from the Gun Position to the OP the guns are ready to engage targets. In the first instance the communication is by radio and later by telephone when the troop signals section gets the wire run out. This can be quite a performance depending on the lay of the land and how much the enemy can see from his OPs. Keeping the batteries charged for the radios was a major task, they were ordinary lead acid, heavy, same as in a motor vehicle, but in a wooden box with carrying handles.

Gun position command post with signallers at work

With a charger at each troop signal section, swapping them over could be a problem. Observation posts try to keep their location a secret from the enemy for obvious reasons, and anyone blundering around with cable rolls or whatever would get a blast from the occupants and worse from the enemy.

To engage a target the guns requires a well establised series of orders covering all information necessary to get the guns pointing in the right direction; a mnemonic, TALAMIEFF, had been developed to ensure that nothing was left out. All officers and NCOs were required to memorise what this stood for. It is still fixed in my memory after 60 odd years .

Target = description - crossroads, infantry, tanks etc

Ammunition = HE (high explosive), Shapnel, AP (armour piercing)

Line = L or R angle set on the guns dial sight from aiming point

Angle of sight = angle set on the clinometer to compensate for shooting up or down hill

Method of ranging = Which gun/s will fire the ranging shots, usually the No 1 gun

Interval = time in seconds between shots

Elevation = figure set on the range drum and then level bubble in clinometer

Fire = No 1 orders Fire and No 3 pulls firing lever

FFE (fire for effect) This order, once line and elevation for the target has been established, is given as so many rounds 'Gunfire' and is fired by all guns

Repeat means just that

The state of ammunition available can have an effect on these orders.

Part of this series of orders is given by the Forward Observation Officer (FOO) and transmitted by radio or field telephone to the Gun Position and issued to the guns by the Gun Position Officer (GPO) who adds information that may not be readily available to the FOO.

Continued...

AH Paddison, 2007

Tales From The Trails index | Home page