Jul Aug 1974 Full Edition

8/20/2019 Jul Aug 1974 Full Edition

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Volume 42 July-August 1974 Number 4

The Field Artillery Journal is published bimonthly at the US Army FieldArtillery School for the same purpose stated in the first Field ArtilleryJournal in 1910:

"To publish a Journal for disseminating professional knowledge and furnishing information as to the field artillery's progress, development,

and best use in campaign; to cultivate, with the other arms, a common

understanding of the powers and limitations of each; to foster a feeling

of interdependence among the different arms and of hearty cooperation

by all; and to promote understanding between the regular and militia

forces by a closer bond; all of which objects are worthy and contribute

to the good of our country."

Unless otherwise stated, material does not represent official policy orendorsement by any agency of the US Army.

Funds for the printing of the publication were approved by theDepartment of the Army. 1 September 1973.

Requests for subscriptions should be mailed to Bookstore. US Army FieldArtillery School, Fort Sill, OK 73503.

All letters and articles should be addressed to Editor, Field ArtilleryJournal, PO Box 3131, Fort Sill, OK 73503.

The Field Artillery is pleased to grant permission to reprint articles. Pleasecredit the author and the Field Artillery Journal.

Cover

The front cover is a photograph of aSoviet BM 21 multiple rocket launcher battery in firing position.

THE FIELD ARTILLERYSCHOOL

COMMANDANT MG David E. Ott

ASSISTANT COMMANDANT BG Vernon B. Lewis

THE FIELD ARTILLERYJOURNAL STAFF

EDITOR MAJ Alan A. Word

MANAGING EDITOR

Ms. Jacqueline L. Snyder

CIRCULATION MANAGERCPT Herman C. Castle

ASSISTANT EDITORS Mr. Allen Boules

2LT David N. Compton

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Ms. LaNelle Murcko

ART DIRECTORSFC Claude L. Vowell

ILLUSTRATOR Mr. Carl Ewing

TYPIST Ms. Zoe A. Wright


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Articles

Attack of Armored Targetsby CPT Earl Finley

12

The Yale Batteriesby Fairfax Downey

17

Bridgman's Bull Batteryby R. K. McMaster

21

Improved FDCby MAJ. Robert A. White, et al.

22

Do We Need a Multiple Rocket Launcher?by LTC Allan R. Stern

25

The Offensiveby A. A. Sidorenko 32

Too Valuable to Loseby MAJ Robert G. Tetu, Jr.

46

Howitzer Section Testby LTC Bobby Godwin

51

Inside EESby CPT David R. Fabian

54

Features

A Word from the editor 2

Incoming 4

Yesterday's Journal 8

View from the Blockhouse 10

Right by Piece 29

Humor by T2 58

Redleg Review 60

pg. 51

pg. 32

pg. 25

pg. 46

pg. 12

63Readership Survey


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a word

from the

editor

Welcome. You are now entering the first anniversary issue ofthe Journal! It simply does not seem possible that we havebeen publishing for a year, but the covers testify to this mostappropriate "paper" anniversary. We've come a long way fromthat first July 1973 issue compiled by our "staff" of two. With theaddition of Mr. Allen Boules to our staff as an assistant editor,

we are now complete. AI was the news editor of the EI Reno(OK) Daily Tribune for 10 years, and he comes to us from theInformation Branch of the Forestry Service in New Orleans. AIwill give us the capability to generate some of our own material,and we welcome him aboard along with out new "girl Friday,"Ms. Zoe Ann Wright. I would take this opportunity to extend myprofessional and personal congratulations to the entire staff fora fine year's labor. Publishing 64 pages every other month isoften hectic, as you might imagine, but with the young,energetic hard-chargers we have, it is actually a pleasure. Wewould also extend a cordial invitation to all Redlegs to visit theJournal offices whenever they are at Fort Sill. The coffee isalways hot . . . and we enjoy the opportunity to visit with youand get your opinions on the Journal.

I am happy to report the number of subscriptions is growing byleaps and bounds, having tripled since the previous issue.Journal subscriptions make excellent gifts, just the thing for theRedleg who has collected four or five miniature cannons duringhis career. A quick look at the list of subscribers shows themajority are company-grade or allied officers. We anticipatethat field grade officers and other senior artillerymen will nowbegin to respond in greater numbers.

Our first readership survey is included in this issue. In additionto complying with a TRADOC requirement, we believe thissurvey will provide us an excellent opportunity to determineyour desires as Journal readers. Please make an effort tocomplete the survey form and return it to us. Our thanks to MAJBill Weske, S3, 214th Group, and the men who tested thesurvey.

Our feature article this month is an extract from A. A.Sidorenko's book "The Offensive." The USSR awardedSidorenko, a colonel in the Soviet Army, the degree of Doctor of

Military Science following the publication of this book. Thisdegree indicates the colonel has successfully defended adissertation and is considered an authority in his field. We haveprinted the extract in response to requests to publish moreinformation on foreign military doctrine. We are interested inlearning your reactions to articles of this nature.

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Our anonymous British friend, "T2", has contributed another mostamusing article and it's a must for all S2 types. MAJ Bob Tetu,another former contributing author, has provided some excellentreasons why division artillery commanders should retain control oftheir aviation sections. We have two good articles from fieldartillery units. LTC Bobby Godwin has written about some

challenging section-level training and testing conducted in his unit,and MAJ Robert White, CPT Eddie Liles, and LT Bennie Jamersonhave gotten together and highlighted some modifications to firedirection centers worked up by the Redlegs of the First CavalryDivision Artillery.

An old friend of the Journal (past and present), Fairfax Downey,has graciously granted us permission to publish an excerpt from arecent work of his, "Yale Batteries," an entertaining look at fieldartillery training at the university level prior to the beginning ofWorld War I. Another retired Redleg, Richard K. McMaster, haswritten about a one-of-a-kind unit, Bridgman's Bull Battery.

The Enlisted Evaluation System, something of interest to all Field Artillery officers and enlisted men, has been reviewed exclusivelyfor the Journal by CPT David R. Fabian, the MILPERCENInformation Officer. CPT Earl Finley, of the Field Artillery SchoolGunnery Department and a former contributor, has outlined currentprocedures for conventional artillery attack of moving targets. LTC

Allan Stern, Defense Intelligence Agency, has provided anoverview of the multiple rocket launcher systems of other nationsand added some ideas of his own. As indicated in the editor's noteaccompanying that article, we are in the process of preparing an

article for the next issue on the general support rocket system(GSRS).

We also plan to publish an article highlighting thecannon-launched guided projectile (CLGP), as is indicated by ourback cover.

Finally, it has been our experience (to paraphrase a legal adage)that whenever two Redlegs get together their opinions alwaysdiffer. Indeed, rampant boredom paired with the demise of creativethought might well result if all artillerymen were to agree on all

topics, to include the ideas presented by our authors. Through areview of the last couple of issues, one can find topics seeminglydemanding further discussion. We are holding space in our"Incoming" feature for just such commentaries. Support yourbranch periodical . . . write today.Enjoy your Journal! editor

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letters to the editor FO Takes Command

Dear General Ott:I apologize for not writing you

earlier, but I would like to now officiallyexpress my opinion and the opinion ofthe officers of the XVIII Airborne CorpsArtillery in regard to the Field ArtilleryJournal. The January-February 1974issue is outstanding in scope and informat; the articles are interesting and

professionally stimulating.My organization is, at the present,

trying out the registration proceduresdescribed in "The FO Takes Command."Such articles not only are interesting butare indicative of innovative thinking onthe part of the School. My officers and Iwould like to see more articles of thatnature in future issues of the Journal.

My personal congratulations to thosewho were involved in the publication.XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery alsohopes to provide the Journal witharticles of interest to members of theField Artillery community.

Frank E. Serio

COL, FACommanderXVIII Airborne Corps Artillery

——— • • • ———

Swamp Angel

Dear Sir:Reference is made to the

January-February 1974 issue of the FieldArtillery Journal.

After reading 2LT Robert E.Dunfield's very interesting article entitled

"Swamp Angel," I recalled that there is aCivil War-vintage cannon called "SwampAngel" in Trenton, New Jersey. This8-inch Parrott rifle is located inCadwalder's Park.

The inscription on the plaque affixedto the cannon's foundation indicates thatthis is the original Swamp Angel thatfired on Charleston, South Carolina, on22-24 August 1863.

Enclosed are several snapshots Ihave taken which you may forward to2LT Dunfield for his information and

personal records on the gun.David P. PeckFirst SergeantHHB, 50th Armd Div Arty

NJARNG

——— • • • ———

Training The Trainer

Dear Sir:Congratulations and thank you for

publishing the Field Artillery Journal. Your January-February edition was

passed on to me by a friend, and I hopenever to be without a subscription. The

thorough and objective presentation ofsubject matter was very refreshing. Bymoving artillery into the limelight, youseem to avoid the technical dilution andsimplification that affects other

publications, thus producing a resource ofhigh professional value.

"Training the Trainer," by COLWilliam L. Hauser, was, in my opinion, atarget hit. I hope other experiencedartillerymen will share their route to"training that works" versus "training thatlooks good."

Kindly honor my subscription request.

G. H. Kerr1LT, USMCCamp Lejeune, NC

——— • • • ———

Commanders ListDear Sir:

We of the 1st Battalion, 83d Artillery,extend our congratulations for a job

well done on the January-FebruaryJournal. Keep up the good work.

In "Firing the Corps" of that issue,LTC Neil A. Menzies was listed as thecommander of our battalion. However,LTC Menzies departed on 1 November1973 and LTC James W. Shufelt tookcommand.

We hope this information will behelpful to update your records.

James A. McCartyCPT, FAAdjutant

Our records have been updated. Thank

you. — Ed.

——— • • • ———

Truman Cover

Dear Sir:I am most pleased to accept the fine

watercolor portrait of CPT Harry STruman by SP4 Nick Long (see coverMarch-April Journal) for the Harry STruman Library and Museum. The

portrait will be added to our Museumcollection and will be used for exhibit in

the public galleries.Your cooperation in this matter andyour interest in the Harry S TrumanLibrary and Museum are mostappreciated.

Benedict K. ZobristDirectorHarry S Truman LibraryIndependence, Missouri

——— • • • ———

AFA for the CorpsDear Sir:

The March-April Journal containedan article, "Aerial Field Artillery for theCorps," by CPT Winn McDougal. Whilethe article was interesting and thought

provoking, it contained one glaring error,as follows: "Currently we have . . . anAFA battery undergoing tests with ProjectMASSTER at Fort Hood. . . ." The AFA

battery "undergoing

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tests" with Project MASSTER is BatteryF (Aerial), 79th Field Artillery—the BlueMax, organic to the Red Team (DivisionArtillery) of the First Team (1st CavalryDivision) and should be referred toaccordingly.

Charles L. FultonMAJ, FA

Assistant S3,1st Cavalry Division

Our apologies to the officers and men of

the Blue Max. A check reveals you are on

our mailing list. Let us hear more from

you.—Ed. ——— • • • ———

CongratulationsDear Sir:

I think the Field Artillery Journal is an outstanding publication. It is wellread by members of the 12th Marines.We look forward to each issue.

Congratulations on a job well done.J. L. MillerMAJ, USMCHq Btry, 2d Bn, 12th Marines

——— • • • ———

And MoreDear Sir:

Congratulations on your resurrectionand vast improvement of the FieldArtillery Journal. Our staff considersyour March-April 1974 issue a first-classeffort. You have achieved a remarkablecontent balance of technical and general

interest articles.If the Army Administrator staff canever be of any assistance, please let usknow.

Terry Olbrysh1LT, AGCEditor, Army Administrator

——— • • • ———

No HitchesDear Sir:

SFC Kenard E. Moye, Chief ofFiring Battery, A Battery, 1st Battalion,49th Field Artillery in Gillette, Wyoming,

has done it again! As you recall (see July1973 Journal, pg. 38), using scrapmaterial, he constructed a simpletwo-wheel cart which facilitated movingthe unit's howitzers.

Now, he's come up with a bracket/hand winch attachment for aone-man hitch-up of the 155 M115's to a

prime mover. The bracket mounts overthe tailgate allowing hookup of a small

2,000 pounds hand winch for lifting thehowitzer trails. The lunette self-centerson the pintle.

Since we only have one or two menat a Guard Armory, moving guns has

been a problem. Now, with the bracket/hand winch attachment and thesmall cart, both designed by SergeantFirst Class Moye, the guns can be movedaround and hitched up easily by 2 or 3men.

Alan W. BourneMAJ, FAWyoming Army National Guard

——— • • • ———

No Journal

Dear Sir:Believe it or not, but we are not at

present receiving the Field Artillery Journal.We need it. Tucked away as we are

in Italy in the Army's Airborne InfantryBattalion Combat Team, people tend tooverlook us.

We are proud field artillerymen andwe look forward to receiving our

Journal. Can you help us?Thank you in advance.

Oren E. OeschgerCPT, FACommanderBattery D. 1st Battalion (Abn)509th Infantry

Your Journals are enroute. We arelooking forward to hearing more from the

airborne Redlegs of the 509th BCT.—Ed .

——— • • • ———Sound Ranging

Dear Sir:Late is never better than not at all!

The foregoing applies to the state of thehostile battery-locating capability of thefield artillery. My pique was charged byreading MAJ Glen Coffman's outstandingarticle "Sound Ranging—Dead or Alive?"in the March-April Journal. I amconfident that sound ranging is an answerto the dilemma of instituting a viable and

passive counterbattery system, but maybe

not in the ultrasophisticated,sensor-supported way outlined in thearticle and a companion piece telling of theacoustic artillery location system (AALS).

If you will permit, I will tell a shortwar story. On 17 August 1972, afterserving as an assistant S3 with the 3dBrigade (SEP), 1st Cavalry Division,and subsequently as commander of TaskForce GARRY OWEN Artillery (whichfired the last First Team artillery roundof the Vietnam War), I was inserted intothe city of An Loc, which was stillsurrounded and under siege by elements

of the 7th and 9th NVA Divisions. ThereI joined MACV Advisory Team 87 asthe G3/artillery advisor to the 18thARVN Division. The friendly artillerysituation was extremely precarious, withonly four operational 105-mm howitzersand two 4.2-inch mortars available tosupport four, admittedly understrength,regimental-size elements: the 43d, 48th,and 52d Regiments of the 1st CavDivision and the 5th Ranger Group plusa smattering of province and districtunits. Since the beginning of the siege inApril, two friendly batteries—one

155-mm battery and one 105-mm battery— had been lost to enemycounterattacks. The NVA had usoutgunned, both in range and in tubecount, their strength being variouslydescribed as from four to eight 155-mmhowitzers and from six to ten 105-mmhowitzers. To try to even the odds a bit,the division artillery officer, the division

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letters to the editor

G3, and the advisors had established asound bearing system comprised of three

observation posts. The system, which wasinitially a suicide mission for the FO, wasas follows:

The FO's were placed in relativelyexposed positions—one on a small hill justoutside our northern perimeter, one on top ofa water tower (with only three of its fourlegs still standing) in the southeast sector ofthe city, and one on the western perimeteradjacent to the road to Duc Minh and TonleChan. From these positions the FO'swould—you guessed it—LISTEN. Contraryto popular belief, even through thecacophony of battle, hostile artillery can beheard when firing. The FO's would call

SHOT to our command post in an oldJapanese dungeon in the center of town, and5 to 7 seconds later the rounds would hit. Inthe meantime, each FO would give us adirection to where he thought the soundcame from, and we would plot the azimuthson a map and determine an approximatelocation. We would then make a mapinspection for likely artillery positions and

begin a one-gun zone fire of the area (sinceall ammunition was either airdropped orhooked in, we used it sparingly) while some

brave souls ventured outside for crateranalysis. If the area was out of range, wewould call one of our FAC's and bomb the

grid square.Was our system successful? I don't

know. On the other hand, I don't know thatit wasn't. At least the NVA stopped firing,and on days when we were taking upwardsof 300 rounds of artillery (not to mentionuncounted mortar, recoilless rifle, androcket fires) in an area about 5 city blockswide and 7 to 8 city blocks long, onefire-free hour seemed an eternity.

The upshot of this disseration is thatwe need a credible counterbatterycapability NOW, not later. We need asimple system NOW, not a systemdependent on telemetry and complicated,

vulnerable data links later. We need a$5,000 system NOW, not a $50,000 systemlater. We need a system accurate to 50 meters

NOW, not a 5-meter accuracy later. (Look inyour firing tables sometime at probableerrors in range for your weapon; at any rate,

I'd zone fire a hostile battery regardless of theaccuracy of location.)

The ideal system, as I see it, would be a piece of equipment about the size of a coffeecan containing a discrete directionalmicrophone. The "coffee can" would becarried into battle by the FO and emplacedevery time he stopped. In this way, three FO'son a linear battlefield could hear a hostile

battery, get an azimuth readout, and send tothe FDC the azimuths intersect and SHOOT.

No complicated microphone grid, nocomplicated computer system. Threedeflections—5 mils, three quadrants—3 mils.Think about it. Keep it simple, field it NOW.

William C. Parnell IIIMAJ, FA

(conducted in late April) every firingelement was located. It should be pointedout that in these exercises the radial errorwas predominantly less than 400 meters.The majority of the locations were within100 meters of the firing element and severalwere within 50 meters. The accuracy ofsound ranging has persisted throughout theseexercises, proving that it is still an effectivetarget locator.

The Wolfpack is looking forward to thereceipt of the new AN/TNS-10(transistorized GR-8) and hopefully a

proportionate decrease in maintenance problems. With the advent of long-rangeartillery, as was available to the NorthVietnamese during the latter stages of theVietnam War, the idea of anobserver-activated sound ranging system is

probably passé. The new sound rangingsystem, the acoustic artillery locating system(AALS), as discussed in Major Coffman'sarticle, should be pursued vigorously, as

should other techniques not reliant upon asound observer.Our radar platoons have also continued

their success in locating firing weapons.Emphasis should continue in theimprovement of new radar systems. Again,with the advent of long-range direct supportartillery, corresponding acquisition elementsmust come to the surface in order to counterthe threat.

Flash ranging at Fort Bragg is difficultwhen oriented away from the impact area, asobservation is severely impaired by therelatively flat terrain and dense foliage in thesurrounding maneuver areas. Undaunted, the

Wolfpack has continually employed flash tolocate "enemy" artillery during trainingexercises. Targets have been found withincreased accuracy, frequency, and speed.Battlefield information has been pushedthrough intelligence channels, and thissignificantly aids in providing support datafor the determination of weapon locations.

Normally, one of the two flash platoons iseither adjusting artillery or supporting anORTT during an FTX, thus demonstratingthe flexibility of flash ranging as well as itsimportance to the counterbattery effort.

Coordination of the target acquisitioneffort is another area requiring further

study. The processing of targetinformation into intelligence at the

battery, battal ion, and finally corpsartillery levels, prior to putting steel onthe target makes for a slow and redundantsystem. Consequently, the 1st Battalion, 25th

S3, 1st Cavalry Division Artillery ——— • • • ——— Target Acquisition

Dear Sir:The emphasis being placed on target

acquisition in the Field Artillery Journal isappreciated by all those interested in thisimportant, but often overlooked, role of thefield artillery. The members of theWolfpack—the 1st Battalion, 25th FieldArtillery (Target Acquisition) — are gratified

by the Journal's effort to impart therequirement for improvement in the targetacquisition effort. However, contrary to theopinion shared by COL (Ret) Arthur R. Hercz

(see "Incoming," March-April Journal) andMAJ Glenn Coffman (see "The Gap in TargetAcquisition," Journal, July 1973), the soundrangers of the Wolfpack are not undertrainedand their equipment is in operational order. It istrue that the equipment is somewhatantiquated, but the addition of the FADAC hasenabled the sound rangers to provide artillerylocations in a relatively short time.

Since July 1973, the Wolfpack has placed increased emphasis on locatingartillery weapons by all sources available tothe target acquisition battalion. Withconcentrated effort on the acquisition oftargets, as opposed to adjustment of artillery,

the units have been deployed during numerousfield exercises to locate field artillery andmortars firing into the Fort Bragg impact areas.Such training has proved highly beneficial asthe accuracy and frequency of location hassteadily improved. During the last FTX,

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Field Artillery, has realized the idea of passing targeting data to the XVIIIAirborne Corps Artillery S2 as rapidly as

possible by relaying the data withminimal processing to the battalion S2who is collocated with the corps artilleryS2. This does not preclude the battery

processing section from refining their

data and forwarding a correction at a latertime, if necessary. With the improvedartillery technology realized after WorldWar II, speed is essential for US artilleryto remain the King of Battle.

Several innovative ideas have been put forth at Fort Bragg during the pastyear to retain interest in targetacquisition. For example, the techniqueof integrating the Mohawk OV-1 aircraftsystem with the target acquisition

battalion and the vectoring of aerial fieldartillery by counterbattery radar have

been successfully attempted. In addition,

the battalion is scheduled to receivesearchlights, which are programmed foremployment during field training thisfall. The members of the Wolfpack

believe the target acquisition innovationsare limited only by equipmentavailability. The Wolfpack is definitelyalive and well at Fort Bragg, proudmembers of the XVIII Airborne CorpsArtillery.

Kenneth A. KleypasLTC, FACommander1st Bn, 25th FA

——— • • • ———Mailing

Dear Sir:We would appreciate it very much if

you could include this office on yourmailing list for two copies of the Journal.

The 1st Armored DivisionInformation Office has sent news releasesto the Field Artilleryman in the past andwe will continue to send releases to you.

If at all possible, please send us twocopies of the March-April 1974 edition.

Please feel free to call on us for anyassistance and thank you in advance forcooperation.

Charles R. CrescioniMAJ, GSDivision Information Officer

1st Armored DivisionYour letter and the Journals havecrossed in the mail. We just recently

forwarded copies of the Journal to all

division and post Information Officers.

Thank you for your continued support. —Ed.

——— • • • ———Dear Sir:

We compliment you on the fine jobyou have done in bringing back the FieldArtillery Journal. The members of the1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery,enthusiastically received your initial

issues.At present our battalion is not

receiving the Field Artillery Journal on aregular basis. We received our initial copiesfrom division artillery and sister units.

There are presently 30 officers and301 enlisted men in this battalion.Request that we be placed on yourmailing list and that we be sent agenerous number of copies of allsubsequent issues. Also, we wouldappreciate copies of back issues you mayhave available.

Ronald B. Travis

CPT, FA1st Bn, 77th FA1st Cavalry Division

A check revealed that your unit is, in fact,

on our mailing list. Unit adjutants and

mail clerks are advised that battalion and

higher field artillery units receive their Journals in one envelope addressed toeach specific organization.

—Ed.

For The RecordDear Sir:

Needless to say, my wife and Ithoroughly enjoyed the March-Aprilissue of the Journal and appreciatehaving both of our articles appear in thesame issue. If you have a couple of extracopies I would certainly appreciate

having them.Additionally, I want to mention the

picture on page 17. This photo hasappeared several times in various

publications because it is a good combat picture, but it is never identified, probably because no one knows itsorigin. For the record, it is a picture ofBattery C, 2d Battalion, 9th FieldArtillery, commanded by CPT R.Morales. The battalion was part of the 3dBrigade Task Force, 25th InfantryDivision. The picture was taken in earlyJune 1966 at Landing Zone 10 Alpha (10

kilometers north of Duc Co), while the battery was firing in support of elementsof the 1st Cavalry Division, which wasmaking a combat assault duringOperation Paul Revere.

The story of the LZ would be an articlein itself, and I may find it worth writing oneof these days in my "spare time."

I enjoyed seeing you last month andhighly recommend that the editor get out tothe field. Try visiting Fort Hood as a start!

William H. SchneiderLTC, FACommander

1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery

The requested Journals are on the way,and we are eagerly awaiting your

article.—Ed.

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Airplane ShootsVia Signals

by MAJ Carlos Brewer

Since observation of artillery fire from airplanes will probably be one of the principal methods of conducting fire in

future wars, it is important that every means ofcommunication between plane and battery be developed.Visual communication is certainly the simplest and surestmeans and it is believed that some standard set of signalsshould be adopted by the field artillery. Below is a set

of wing signals that has been worked out and used verysuccessfully by the field artillery in Hawaii.

By use of these signals it was possible to locate atarget and adjust fire on it very promptly without the useof any other means of communication. It was possible tofire considerably faster by using these signals than byradio. This was due to the fact that the plane workeddirectly with the battery and could be sure that the signalwas received instantly at the battery. This fact made itunnecessary for the plane to fly back to a point where itcould see the panel, because the battery was sure to beready to fire twenty seconds after the signal. Thus the plane remained over the target and gave the signal to firethe next salvo about thirty seconds after reporting on the preceding salvo. If for any reason the battery did not firewhen the plane gave the command, the plane wouldrepeat the command once, and then if the battery did notfire, the observer would fly back and take a look at the panel. This, however, was seldom necessary. Messagesfrom the plane to the battery, other than those for whichsignals are prescribed, were sent by means of dropped

messages.

The method of locating the target is as follows: Theairplane flies over the battery and straight toward thetarget. The battery commander follows the plane withhis battery commander's telescope, keeping thecross-hairs on it. When the plane arrives directly overthe target, it zooms (ascends sharply) and turns. At thisinstant the battery commander ceases tracking the planeand notes the angle in mils subtended by the wings ofthe plane. The telescope is now laid in the direction ofthe target, and the deflection to the aiming point can bemeasured. The plane indicates the target a second time tomake sure the battery commander gets it and to give himthe mean of two observations, if possible. The range isnow computed by dividing the wing span of the airplane(approximately 15 yards, in case of the DH-4) by theangle in mils as read at the time the plane was directlyover the target. If a map is available, the target is nowlocated on the map by means of the deflection and range,and firing data is computed in the usual way.

Continued on Page 62

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leaving the School

BG Koch

Departs It was with great reluctance

that the Field Artillery community

bade farewell to General

and Mrs. Koch. MG David E. Ott, Commandant, presents the AncientOrder of St. Barbara to BG Robert J. Koch, left,Assistant Commandant.

BG Robert J. Koch, Assistant Commandant of the Field ArtillerySchool at Fort Sill for almost 2 years, is now Deputy Director of J-5 (Plansand Policies), U.S. Readiness Command, McDill Air Force Base, Tampa,Florida.

While the general's accomplishments are many, this staff feels hisefforts in reviving a professional magazine, the Field Artillery Journal,deserve special recognition and are exemplary of his endeavors whileserving as assistant commandant. Because of his perseverance, theDepartment of the Army granted permission to publish the Journal in thesummer of 1973.

General Koch's contributions to the trainingestablishment, and the resulting benefits to the

capabilities and readiness of the Field Artillery, are justas far reaching. With aggressive leadership andguidance, he achieved his goal of making the FieldArtillery School the leader in instilling professionalismin all Redlegs. The pyramiding effect of General Koch'sachievements will positively enhance the capability ofField Artillery units worldwide and, thus, the stature ofthe entire US Army.

● A revised Faculty Advisor Program.

● A pilot program to produce a new operator'smanual for the self-propelled howitzer M109/M109A1.

● A training extension course (TEC) program.

General and Mrs. Koch were recognized for theircontributions to the community at a farewell dinner intheir honor 10 June. The general was presented theAncient Order of Saint Barbara medallion by MG DavidE. Ott, Commandant, Field Artillery School.

Tribute was paid to Mrs. Koch as she was awardedthe Artillery Order of Molly Pitcher. General Ott madethe presentation in recognition of Mrs. Koch'scontributions to community life. The order derives itsname from the inspirational recounting of MollyPitcher's gallantry in the Revolutionary War.

Among General Koch's accomplishments are:● A 5-day field trip by Officer Advanced Course

students to two Air Force bases and the Naval AmphibiousWarfare School during which students take part in livetraining exercises to gain expertise in the coordination ofair and naval fire support.

● The "Student Highlights of Training" (SHOT)exercise to give Officer Basic Course students an overall

preview of the course on their first day at Fort Sill.

Mrs. Koch was on the executive board of the OfficersWives' Club, served as the Teen Club advisor, and wasalso an advisor to the Board of Governors of the ThriftShop. She was active in the Church Women's Guild,Parent-Teachers Association, Artillery Hunt, and theLawton-Fort Sill Arts and Humanities Council.

● Participation by officer students' wives in academicand field exercise training so they may obtain betterinsight into the multifaceted career of the military officer.

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Notes from the School

remedial training

Laying the batterytraining aid built

A new approach to student remedial training in layingthe battery had been developed by the Firing Battery Branch

of the Materiel and Maintenance Department, US ArmyField Artillery School. For the student who is having problems mastering the technique of using the M2 aimingcircle in laying the field artillery battery, the facility providesan opportunity to work under the individual attention of aninstructor, at the student's own pace, and out of the elements.

The prototype training aid is currently set up in a smallsoundproof room in Summerall Hall. To add realism to thelayout, Celotex sheets have been used to build up the terrainin the firing battery area, miniature trees and shrubs have been included, and a mural has been added as a background.The end of the orienting line has been located to the leftfront of the firing battery, and an aiming circle has been set

up at the left rear of the battery. For the student's orientation,charts describing general and special situations have beenmounted on the wall. Models of towed howitzers have been

used, as the panoramic telescopes are more visible to thestudent.

Current usage of the room calls for an instructor toorient the student by having him read the general and specialsituations, which include an azimuth of fire and an azimuthto the end of the orienting line. Then the instructor requiresthe student to level and orient the aiming circle and to lay the battery by using proper procedures and commands. While

the student reads the deflections to the weapons, theinstructor acts as a gunner on each of the six weapons andsets off announced deflections on the scales of the controlwheels mounted on the righthand side of the table (see inset below).

If the student is having trouble orienting the aimingcircle and getting started on the requirement, a taped program with slides (displayed in a viewer installed belowthe table) can be started by the instructor. The program begins where the special situation orientation ends and provides a step-by-step review of the procedures for layingthe battery. In addition, a television monitor and a 29-minutevideo tape cassette are available in the room to provide a

more detailed review for the student, should it be required.

To provide a greater challenge, the room also has been

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equipped with everything necessary to simulate anoccupation during darkness. The end of the orienting line,certain items on the mural, and the sights of the howitzershave been painted with a white luminescent paint thatglows when illuminated by a black light mounted on therear wall. A night lighting device has been mounted on theaiming circle tripod. When the instructor gives the studenta new situation requiring him to lay the battery at night, he

turns on the black light and turns off the normal lighting.Although this training aid is still in the development

stage and is continually being modified on the basis ofcomments of students and visitors from field units, the

Firing Battery Branch has a great deal of faith in its potential as an aid to the instructors in the branch. Plans formodification in the near future include mounting a magneton the base of the aiming circle to attract the magneticneedle and allow the student to lay the battery by using thegrid azimuth method. Plans are also being formulated toinclude the capability of measuring site to crest anddetermining the minimum quadrant elevation. Visitors to

the Field Artillery School are cordially invited to see thetraining aid in Room 42 of Summerall Hall, and allcomments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

——— • • • ———

AUTOMATIC ENTRYOF A TARGET LIST

The field artillery gun direction computer M18(FADAC) using the Revision 5 cannon program can accepta list of up to 128 targets to be stored for future use. Thislist of targets may be entered by using a punched papertape and the mechanical tape reader. A significantoperational capability accrues with this addedimprovement to the FADAC. Targets that are part of acontingency plan may now be placed on tape and filed withthe plan. Then, the plan is implemented, the lists of targetscan be entered rapidly with an assurance that there will beno operator input errors.

The FADAC requires 15 digits of data for each target.The first five digits are the target easting, the second fiveare the target northing, and the last five are the targetaltitude. (The higher order digits in the altitude field arefilled with zeroes if necessary.) The FADAC stores thetargets in sequence as they are read from the proper tape.

The tape is prepared by using the teletypewriterreperforator-transmitter TT/76GGC, which is a componentof the AN/GRC-46, AN/GRC-122, and AN/GRC-142 radiosets.

Details on tape preparation are explained in thefollowing table, which is derived from U. S. Army FieldArtillery School Fire Control and CoordinationInformation Letter, dated June 1973, subject: FieldArtillery Digital Automatic Computer.

TARGET LIST TAPE PREPARATION

Target list Machine function Remarks

The list is prepared sequentially startingwith target 1.

Advance the tape 4 to 5 inches by using the BLANK key or theadvance lever on the TT/76.

The blank portion of the tape is usedto thread the tape into the mechanicalreader.

Easting Northing Alt Cut 15 digits* Code

43200 54300 410 432005430000410 1 CR, 1 LF First target 38112 51986 382 381125198600382 1 CR, 1 LF Second target

* * * * * * * Target list 40900 56250 400 409005625000400 1 CR, 1 LF Last target

9 Stop Code

Advance the tape 4 to 5 inches byusing the BLANK key or theadvance lever on the TT/76.

Protects last prepunched data.

CR—Carriage return LF—Line feed *The 15 digits as follows must be used: 5 digits for easting, 5 digits for northing, 5 digits foraltitude. The higher order digits in the altitude field are filled with zeros if necessary.

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An interesting and

challenging look at

how the FO can

attack a moving

target — and kill it.

fire forces the enemy to "button up." The importance ofthis action cannot be taken lightly, since it restricts theenemy's vision, makes his command and control moredifficult, and increases his vulnerability to other antitankweapons. Futhermore, fires of sufficient intensity maydemoralize the enemy and break up his attack or force himto deploy prematurely into attack formations. Indirectartillery fires can be used to separate accompanyinginfantry from armored vehicles and thus make the enemyarmor more susceptible to successful engagement by otherarmor-defeating means. These fires can also be used tocanalize enemy armor toward our strongest antitank

defenses or toward the least favorable terrain for armor.Smoke and WP projectiles can be used to blind or screenthe enemy and possibly ignite fuel spilled as a result ofruptured fuel tanks. High-explosive shells, bothconventional and dual-purpose ICM, may be used to causedamage to fire control equipment and/or rupture exteriorfuel tanks. These munitions can also be used to obtain target"kills" (firepower, mobility, or catastrophic). Obtainingarmor kills with indirect artillery fire is a difficult

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business requiring large expenditures of munitions to dothe job. The capability for kills does exist, though, if weare willing to pay the price.

In order to pay the smallest possible price, we, as fieldartillerymen, must maximize the effectiveness of themunitions we currently have in our inventory. At the sametime, however, we must strive toward developing new

munitions that will greatly enhance our capabilities. Theideal means of maximizing the effects of current munitionsis to employ the proper types and amounts of ammunitionwith no delivery error to attack stationary surveyed targets.We must develop techniques that will allow us to closelyapproximate these ideals. The sources for selection of the proper types and amounts of ammunition are manuals of theFM 6-141 series* and the appropriate Joint MunitionsEffectiveness Manual (JMEM) pamphlets. JMEM pamphletsfor ICM will be published in the near future. Factors to beconsidered in the selection are size of the target, targetlocation error, range from weapon to target, and deliverytechnique (met + VE or observer adjusted).

The use of the observer adjustment techniqueeliminates most of our delivery errors, but it does providethe enemy with warning to take cover or evasive action.Also, in the attack of moving targets, observer adjustmentis not responsive enough; i.e., the target location will havechanged significantly by the time the forward observer isready to enter fire for effect. Since armor targets willnormally be moving, predicted fire (met + VE) will be the primary delivery technique. Registrations, frequent metupdates, accurate muzzle velocity data, and use of the mostaccurate computational means available (usually theFADAC) are the primary means of minimizing the deliveryerror.

Since most of our anti-armor indirect fire missions will be met + VE fire, target location is extremely critical. The

use of proper amounts and types of ammunition coupledwith accurate delivery techniques will be of little avail ifthe target is inaccurately located. The location of stationarytargets is determined by using the procedures detailed inFM 6-40. These procedures are adequate, and with theaddition of the laser rangefinder, they should prove evenmore accurate. However, the problem of engaging moving

targets is another story. Data determined by using themoving target's location upon acquisition is not satisfactory,since the target may have moved more than 1 kilometerduring the elapsed time between the call for fire and theimpact of the rounds; even between volleys, the target maymove more than 100 meters. We will, of necessity, berequired to employ target location prediction techniques;i.e., fire at the point where we believe the target will bewhen the rounds impact. With the equipment currentlyavailable in the inventory, the FO is the individual bestsuited to make this prediction. He can actually see thetarget and make modifications during the course of themission to compensate for changes in target speed and

direction of travel. The observer then must understand andemploy techniques that are peculiar to moving targetengagements.

The observer must make maximum use of the timeavailable to plan in advance for the attack of movingarmored targets—the more time he has available, the better.The FO procedures that follow are predicated on time beingavailable for advance planning, modifications will berequired when time does not permit such planning.

Upon occupation of position, the FO must determinethe most likely avenues of approach for enemy armor,select checkpoints along those avenues, and determinethe distances between successive points. These distancesare recorded for later use in the determination of thetarget's rate of speed. The FO selects likely intercept points (IP, i.e., points at which to engage the movingtarget) and transmits to the FDC the location of and OTdirection to each such point. The FDC, in turn, willassign a target number and maintain continually updatedfiring data to each intercept point.

13

————————*FM 6-141-1, Field Artillery Target Analysis and Weapons Employment, in scheduled for publication

in unclassified form in the near future.


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Observer Rate Card

GO--AAHOFeb 74

Time(Sec)

Distance(Meters)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

50 10.0 5.0 3.3 2.5 2.0 1.7 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.0 .9 .8

100 20.0 10.0 6.7 5.0 4.0 3.3 2.9 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 .9 .9 .8

150 15.0 10.0 7.5 6.0 5.0 4.3 3.8 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2

200 13.3 10.0 8.0 6.7 5.7 5.0 4.4 4.0 3.6 3.3 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7

250 16.7 12.5 10.0 8.3 7.1 6.2 5.6 5.0 4.6 4.2 3.8 3.6 3.3 3.1 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1

300 15.0 12.0 10.0 8.6 7.5 6.7 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.6 4.3 4.0 3.8 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.5

350 14.0 11.7 10.0 8.8 7.8 7.0 6.4 5.8 5.4 5.0 4.7 4.4 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.0 2.9

400 16.0 13.3 11.4 10.0 8.9 8.0 7.3 6.7 6.2 5.7 5.3 5.0 4.7 4.4 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.3

450 15.0 12.9 11.2 10.0 9.0 8.2 7.5 6.9 6.4 6.0 5.6 5.3 5.0 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.1 3.9 3.8

500 14.3 12.5 11.1 10.0 9.1 8.3 7.7 7.1 6.7 6.2 5.9 5.6 5.3 5.0 4.8 4.6 4.3 4.2

550 15.7 13.8 12.2 11.0 10.0 9.2 8.5 7.9 7.3 6.9 6.5 6.1 5.8 5.5 5.2 5.0 4.8 4.6

600 15.0 13.3 12.0 10.9 10.0 9.2 8.6 8.0 7.5 7.1 6.9 6.3 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.2 5.0

650 14.4 13.0 11.8 10.8 10.0 9.3 8.7 8.1 7.6 7.2 6.8 6.5 6.2 5.9 5.7 5.4

700 15.6 14.0 12.7 11.7 10.8 10.0 9.3 8.8 8.2 7.8 7.4 7.0 6.7 6.4 6.1 5.8

750 15.0 13.6 12.5 11.5 10.8 10.0 9.4 8.8 8.3 7.9 7.5 7.1 6.8 6.5 6.2

800 14.6 13.3 12.3 11.4 10.7 10.0 9.4 8.8 8.4 8.0 7.6 7.3 7.0 6.7

850 15.5 14.2 13.1 12.1 11.3 10.6 10.0 9.4 8.9 8.5 8.1 7.7 7.4 7.1

900 15.0 13.8 12.9 12.0 11.2 10.6 10.0 9.5 9.0 8.6 8.2 7.8 7.5

950 14.6 13.6 12.7 11.9 11.2 10.6 10.0 9.5 9.0 8.6 8.3 7.9

1000 15.4 14.3 13.3 12.5 11.8 11.1 10.5 10.0 9.5 9.1 8.7 8.3L2262 Army Ft. Sill, Okis.

To insure accuracy of fire, the FO should adjust fire orconduct registrations on as many IP's as possible. Theimportance of this adjustment (registration) cannot beoveremphasized, as it will significantly increase the probability of effective fire. The observer should periodically fire check rounds to insure that current firingdata are accurate and should apply corrections as necessaryto place the rounds on target.

AN/GVS-5 Laser Rangefinder

Once a moving target is acquired by the observer, timeis of the essence. Tubes may have to be shifted, so the FOmust rapidly determine the target's probable route, select anIP for target engagement, and transmit the call for fire.Selection of an IP should not, however, delay transmissionof the following data to the FDC:

Identification of observer;

Warning order;

General location of the target (grid square and

proximity to some known point); and Nature of target.

Notification that the target is moving signifies to theFDC that a delay will ensue and that data for an "at mycommand, fire for effect" mission will follow. It alsonotifies the FDC that time of flight (TF) must be providedthe observer. The indicated target size will aid the firedirection officer in his selection of the units to fire and in adetermination of whether to request additional fires; e.g.,from division artillery. An example of this alert order to theFDC is: REDLFG 18, THIS IS REDLEG 24, FIREMISSION, VICINITY TARGET AF7002, THREE TANKSMOVING.

Once the observer has selected an IP, he sends thecomplete fire mission to the FDC with AT MYCOMMAND, FIRE FOR EFFECT as the method of fireand control. Now the observer must determine the timeto fire; i.e., he must command firing so that the targetand the fire-for-effect rounds arrive simultaneously at

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the IP. This determination of when to command firing isextremely critical. Consider the following case: Theobserver is engaging a moving target, target radius (TR ) of75 meters, which is traveling at a rate of 30 kilometers perhour. If the observer estimates the proper time to commandfiring, then the target will arrive at the IP (assuming the FOhas correctly determined the target's route of travel)simultaneously with the initial volley of rounds. This in

effect means that the observer obtains a target locationerror (TLE) of 0 meters. Achieving a small TLE isextremely important for obtaining effective fires. But whatif the observer makes an error in determining the time tofire, either too early or too late? A 15-second error (targetspeed of 30 km/hr) results in a TLE of 125 meters, a30-second error results in a TLE of 250 meters, a45-second error results in a TLE of 375 meters, and a1-minute error results in a TLE of 500 meters. Errors inestimation on the magnitude of +15 seconds, then, willseverely degrade and in most cases completely nullifyeffective fires. Past experience indicates that errors of thismagnitude are easy to make. To eliminate or at least

minimize these errors, the observer must be well trained inthe techniques of conducting moving target missions andspecifically in determining the time to command firing.

The first element of information required for theobserver to determine the time to fire is the target's rate ofspeed. Guessing the speed of a moving target is tooinaccurate for moving target engagements. To determine anaccurate rate of speed for the target, the observer must usethe checkpoints that he selected along the route ofapproach. If he has not previously done so in the preparation phase, the observer determines the distance between two of these points through which the target will pass. He then records the time required for the target to

pass between the two points. Using the distance betweenthe two points and the time required for the target to pass between these points, the FO determines the target's speed by using either formula R = D/T (rate = distance/time) orthe observer's rate card.

Using formula R = D/T is often too time consumingand too complex for combat conditions. The observer ratecard, a pocket-sized card based on formula R = D/T, wasdeveloped to aid the FO in his determination of targetspeed and time to fire. The rate card lists target speed inmeters per second as a function of distance (m) and time(sec). The card lists distances from 50 to 1,000 meters, in50-meter increments and times from 5 to 120 seconds in5-second increments. To determine the target's speed, theobserver enters the card with the listed value nearest to thedistance between the two checkpoints and the time taken totravel between the two points. (The FO could visuallyinterpolate to obtain greater accuracy.)

AN/TPS-58A Moving target location system

The target speed in meters per second is given at theintersection of the appropriate time column and distance row.

For example, the FO determines that a tank platoonwill travel between checkpoints A and B. The distance between the two points along a road is 300 meters. The

time required for the lead tank to travel between the two points is 38 seconds. The FO enters the rate card with adistance of 300 meters and a time of 40 seconds (nearestlisted value). He determines the target speed to be 7.5meters per second (27 kmph).

The observer must now determine the appropriate timeto command firing. There are two methods the observer mayuse to determine the time to fire. First, he can give the timeto fire as the engagement time plus travel time; e.g.,ENGAGEMENT TIME—TF PLUS 2 SECONDS. Theengagement time is the time the target is to arrive at the IP andis equal to the time a known point was crossed plus the timerequired for the target to travel from the known point to the IP.

The time required to travel this distance can be determined byusing either the rate card or formula T = D/R (time =distance/rate). The observer enters the rate card with thelisted value nearest to the distance determined above (fromknown point to the IP) and looks across this row until hefinds the rate closest to the target speed he has determined.

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The time column in which this rate is listed denotes theapproximate time it will take the target to travel this distance.Thus, having kept track of the time the target crossed theknown point the FO knows when he wants the rounds ontarget. Subtracting the announced TF + 2 seconds (allowedfor transmission time) from the time that he wants therounds on target, the observer now knows when to commandfiring.

Second, the FO can give the command to fire when thetarget is a distance from the IP corresponding to TF + 2seconds; i.e., when the target is the distance from the IP thatit will travel during the projectile's time of flight + 2 seconds.Using the observer rate card, the FO enters the card at thelisted value nearest to TF + 2 seconds and looks down thecolumn until he finds the rate closest to the target speed hehas determined. The distance row in which this is listeddenotes the distance the target will travel during TF + 2seconds. The FO then subtracts this distance value from theIP along the target's route of march and visually determines a point on the ground. When the target reaches this point, theobserver gives the command to fire. This method of

determining when to fire is more flexible than the first, butthe observer may not always be able to use it; e.g., when the point corresponding to a distance of TF + 2 seconds is notvisible to the observer.

If the fire is not effective because the target was not atthe IP on projectile impact, because the projectiles did notimpact on or near the IP, or because an insufficient numberof rounds were fired, the fire for effect must be adjusted.First, the FO determines the correction, if any, required to place the bursts on the original IP and, second, he determinesa new predicted point as the target takes evasive action. Verysimply, we are making the assumption that the factors whichcaused the mean point of impact of the rounds to miss the

first IP will act in the same direction and magnitude on thesecond IP; therefore, the necessary corrections to bring therounds onto the first IP are applied to the second IP by usingthe direction to the first IP. In effect, the FO will be shootingat an offset point. Once the FO has transmitted this data tothe FDC, he determines a new time to fire in the samemanner as he did previously.

The keyword for the FO is "flexibility." The observermust remain flexible, since changes in target speed anddirection may occur at any time. He must react quickly tosuch changes or the target will be lost. The procedures I have presented are only a starting point for the observer; as hegains experience, he may modify these procedures or

develop procedures of his own.The FO procedures I have covered, to include use of the

rate card, are the first steps toward gaining an improvedindirect fire capability against moving armored targets. Moresophisticated hardware and munitions are being developed

to provide this improved capability. The moving targetlocation system AN/TPS-58A will enter the Army inventoryin the near future. The operator of this radar will be able toadjust fire onto a moving target from within his shelter. Withthe 58A, we will be able to make straight-line projections asto where the moving target will be at a given time; i.e., the58A will predict an IP. The FO will soon be equipped with alaser rangefinder to aid him in the location of targets. With

the laser rangefinder, the FO will be able to locate IP's muchmore accurately. The Army is also developing thecannon-launched guided projectile (CLGP), a weapon thatwill give the field artilleryman a single-shot kill capabilityagainst moving armored targets. The CLGP is a terminallyguided projectile fired to the vicinity of a moving orstationary hard point target. This target is "illuminated" by alaser designator operated by an observer. The reflected laserenergy is sensed by the CLGP, and the round manuevers tothe target and obtains the kill. The CLGP will not solve allour problems by any means, nor will it allow the observer to become sloppy in his determination of target location. Whena CLGP is fired, it is limited in both the area that it can "see"

and the area within which it can manuever; i.e., if we shoot aCLGP into the wrong grid square, then when the seekercomes on, it may not be able to pick up the reflected energyor it may not be able to manuever that far even if it sees thetarget.

The Human Engineering Laboratory Battalion ArtilleryTests (HELBAT) III and IV were conducted at Fort Hoodand Fort Sill, respectively, to identify sources of observererror during the attack of moving targets and to test new procedures for the engagement of moving targets. The datafrom these tests will be used to refine current observer procedures, identify requirements for new equipment, anddetermine the best means of using planned and/or projected

equipment. (See "HELBAT" in the May-June issue of theJournal. —Ed.)

Artillery can be used now to effectively engage enemyarmored units with indirect fires. The challenge to us asartillerymen is to maximize our current capability, identifyareas in this capability for improvement, and then developnew procedures and equipment to strengthen our capabilityto effectively engage moving armored targets with indirectartillery fire.

CPT Earl W. Finley, FA, received his MA inmathematics from the University of Michigan.

He has served in Germany and Vietnam and iscurrently assigned to the Gunnery Departmentof the Field Artillery School. Captain Finley'sfirst article, "Modular FDC," appeared in theJanuary-February 1974 JOURNAL.

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P h o t o

c o u r t e s y o f P r e n t i c e - H

a l l I n c .

The

Yale

Batteries

byFairfax Downey

In the fall of 1915, the president of Yale University, Arthur Twining

Hadley, largely through his own determination and persistence obtained

authorization to form a headquarters and four field artillery batteries ascomponents of the 10th Connecticut Field Artillery, part of the Connecticut

National Guard. The following summer (1916), the batteries trained at Camp

Summerall, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. Although the Yale Batteries did not

serve as units in World War I, it is significant that Yale provided more than 5

percent of all Field Artillery officers that did serve in that war.

Fairfax Downey, noted author and historian, a regular contributor to the Field Artillery Journal, has chronicled the history of these batteries in hisexcellent work entitled The Yale Batteries. The book has been privately printed by the Yale University Press and is copyrighted. We have printed this

excerpt on the training of the Yale batteries at Camp Summerall with the

expressed permission of the author .

Those Redlegs interested in obtaining the complete work may do so by

writing to George D. Vaill, Office of the Secretary, Yale University, New

Haven, Connecticut 06520. — Ed .

© 1971 by Fairfax Downey

Author's permission required to reprint

Tents Minus Ivy

The artillery picks its training area not for natural charm but for maneuver space and firing ranges. The Yale Batteries,detraining at Tobyhanna, agreed it was no Garden of Eden.There were no Eves for miles around, and any temptingserpents that showed would have been disciplined and thrownin the guardhouse. True, at some distance from military

goings-on there was a summer resort and hotel. It might berarely reached for relaxation by a Redleg able to get a passand not too weary to use it.

Sergeant Harry A. Torson, '16, put on his rose-tintedglasses when he wrote a description for the Yale AlumniWeekly.

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"Camp Summerall is a beautiful place. It is located inPennsylvania, midway between the Delaware Water Gap andScranton. A series of ridges, which form part of the PoconoMountains, runs north and south with deep valleys between.The federal artillery camp of instruction where we are nowencamped occupies a portion of one of these ridges, the topof which is comparatively flat. A drill ground, wherecalisthenics are also held, lies to the north end of the camp

proper, while a north-and-south road divides the row ofofficers' tents from the battery mess halls and battery streets.These latter, along which the tents of the enlisted membersof the batteries are pitched, run at right angles to the maincamp road. The ground is exceedingly rocky and very welldrained.

"Scattered over the 18,000 acres which are included inCamp Summerall are five artillery ranges. All of them affordopportunity for target practice with the 3-inch field pieceswhich constitute the complement of guns assigned to thisdivision of field artillery. These guns, of which each batteryhas four, have a range of 6,500 yards. The altitude of thecamp is approximately 3,000 feet above sea level. A half

mile away is the highest point on the Delaware andLackawanna Railroad, where the heavy engines can be seenfrom camp, pulling and puffing to top a point which rises3,200 feet above sea level."

Batterymen who read the rhapsody would snort andshrug, "What of it?" They could take it. They made like BoyScouts and pitched tents in rain whose frequency enhancedthe value of shelter. A competent hospital corps took goodcare of the few who answered sick call; a fine health recordwould be set for the summer. The guardhouse would holdeven fewer Yale occupants than the hospital; only one stoodcourtmartial, and the charge was carelessness, notinsubordination or disobedience of orders.

The inner man was well sustained in the messhalls.Battery C boasted it ate best under the auspices of MessSergeant Walter Toole, '16, experienced in provender at hisfather's summer hotels. Kitchens and kitchen policefunctioned smoothly except for the occasion when SergeantA. R. Bellinger, '17, was chased around the HeadquartersCompany tables by a cleaver-wielding, supernumerary cookwho had drunk up the supply of lemon extract. Fred[Bellinger], as agile on his feet as with Greek and Latinverbs, escaped handily.

Days were duty-crammed. At 5:15 a.m. the band madethe circuit of the camp, blasting its loudest. Batterymen,wrenched out of sound sleep, cursed and understood why theWest Point band, performing a similar function, was called"The Hellcats." Then it was on with the gruelling schedule,and let toil be unconfined.

Sundays were (quotes) days of rest (end quotes), withChurch Call sounding. Otherwise there was nothing to do but attend to the usual fatigues, stables, and so on.

Camp Summerall, named for a top artilleryman under

whom Yale men would serve in France, was fully manned.Besides the 10th Connecticut, batteries from Maryland and New Jersey were in training. The area teemed like a hill oflarge khaki ants. Arrival of horses doubled and redoubled theactivity.

Stand to Horse

The Field Artillery bestowed two horses on each driverto have and to hold—if he could. He rode the near one andguided it and the off one at its side with a handful of reins.Lead, swing, and wheel pairs, increasing slightly in size to therearmost, they were hitched in column to limbers to whichgun carriages and ammunition carriers were hooked. Dulymounted, drivers urged their charges forward at the commandto march and, barring balking, the battery rolled on—walk,trot, even gallop. Field Artillery going into action lookedwonderful on recruiting posters, and the Yale units hadvisualized themselves furnishing a reasonable facsimile.They had yet fully to realize the necessary preliminaries.

Besides the care and feeding of his own pair, that of themounts of the officers and noncoms devolved upon drivers.Although reluctant cannoneers, grumbling that horses werenone of their business, were sometimes drafted to help, thelot of the driver was an onerous one.

Some drivers, like Walt Leonard, '16, who had riddensince the age of 10 when his father gave him a stiff, old racehorse, even asked for assignment as a stable orderly, preferring having a foot stepped on by a hoof to its beingrolled over by a gun wheel. He and his stable sergeant,"Brose" Moss, '16, with their counterparts, presided overgrooming and the intricacies of harnessing and hitching,which inspired a neophyte to verse in The Recall, the paper brought out by Yale Record editors and other Tobyhanna

men.

"Oh, the driver's existence is careless and freeAs the life of a bird in the air;

There's nothing on earth that can worry me.I've naught on my mind but my hair.

If the bridle's too tight or the traces too long,It's nothing in my life, and this is my song:I don't give a damn if the whole thing is wrong!

Hurray, I'm a driver.

"It's true with the Sergeants I'm always in Dutch,And their attitude toward me is acid.

Does it weigh on my conscience? I answer, 'Notmuch.'

I'm perfectly patient and placidI put collar 340 on horse 83.If they see it and change it, it's nothing to me;For the next time I put it on backward, you see.

Hurray, I'm a driver."

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Even at the New Haven armory it had dawned on batterymen that horse sanitation was an unending duty,with no Hercules showing up to cleanse the like of Augeanstables, surely his toughest labor. It was up to the drivers,their efforts constantly inspected, and the memory of theirtoil lingered for years. At his 50th reunion EllsworthBunker, '16, that redoubtable ambassador at large,complained, "When I was a driver in the Yale Batteries, my

sergeant (he grinned at a classmate) was always putting meon stable police. I've been shoveling it internationally eversince."

That still more tribulations lay in store had becomeevident when boxcars full of horses first arrived atTobyhanna. Their freight's appearance arousedapprehensions when instructors emphasized to drivers thatthey must cherish these creatures till death did them part.Frequently, from the looks of not a few sorry nags, itwould.

Thousands of sound American horses were being provided for the British and French and expanding USforces, yet numbers of those shipped to the Yale Batteries

were afflicted with distemper, colds, and other ills andwere not long for this world. While it may be conceded thatan encamped National Guard outfit could not expect priority, the supply of animals was so ample that there wasno excuse for foisting unfit ones on the 10th ConnecticutFA. Thorough training demanded capable motive power.As it proved, time spent in doctoring the ailing and buryingthe dead (though both came under the head of experience)was at the expense of more important tasks.

Without realizing what they were in for, drivers,supervised by veterinarians, stable sergeants, and orderlies,detrained coughing, rheumyeyed animals and led them tosheds.

Sitting up with a sick friend is a kindly act. Sitting upwith a sick horse is Army regulations (presently underlined by self-interest). Stable sergeants and orderlies were busygiving treatments prescribed by the veterinarians. Repeatmedications may have inspired Henry W. Hobson, '14, presently battalion sergeant major and subsequently a bishop, wryly to quote the Scriptures.

"Hast thou given the horse strength?Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?The glory of his nostrils is terrible."

But not when said nostrils of poor, wheezing beastshad to be frequently swabbed out with Kreolin solution.

Horses died by tens and scores. Regulations decreed burial in deep, roomy graves without regard to the hard factthat Tobyhanna terrain, except for a foot of topsoil, wasflinty and rocky as a first sergeant's heart.

Week after week equine obsequies took place daily. Itwas a lucky day when only one burial detail was called out.Batterymen tagged envied comrades assigned to suchcomparatively light tasks as kitchen police or burning outlatrines. The unfortunates, who already had engaged instrenuous morning setting-up exercises, shouldered picks

and shovels and marched to the growing burial ground.They hacked catacombs, 6 feet deep as Army regulationsdemanded, out of the obdurate ground while they swelteredunder the sun for hours. One weary squad conceived the bright idea of sawing off a dead animal's legs so that only 4feet down sufficed for decent interment. Regrettably,Lieutenant Reginald Field, '16, a stickler for discipline,strolled up and measured the depth of the hole into whichthe corpus delicti had been lowered.

"Take him out," came the stern order. "Dig down to theregulation 6 feet." And he stood by to see it done.

Steve Benét, '19, who was to write John Brown's Body,was preoccupied with horse carcasses like his comrades. Hewould vent his spleen in a Yale Record verse ending—

"Evil-eyed horses that died of the glanders.God, next vacation pray send me to Flanders,

Not Tobyhanna."

It was a far cry from the groves of Academe anddelights of the good old summertime but prime practice fordigging in, in the fields of France.

Colonel Danford cast a veteran's eye on the horseshipments and shook his head. It took a great deal todisturb him, but this situation portended trouble, includinga visitation by General Leonard Wood, former Indian Warssurgeon, first colonel of the Rough Riders in the

Spanish-American War, and presently commander of theEastern Department, US Army.

"The horse story of the Yale Batteries at Tobyhannahas never been told nor will it ever be," Danford wrote (ina letter to the author), but his recollections shed much lighton it. "One of General Wood's favorites was a

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cavalryman who I believe was in the Rough Riders withhim. This man was in charge of the purchase of animalswhich came to us at Tobyhanna. He was assisted by aman I had known as a cadet at West Point, but one whohad never served a day in the cavalry or field artillery but was a coast artilleryman. Horses that are sound andwell can never be put in a boxcar and unloaded a fewhours later badly afflicted with shipping fever unless

they were sick when they were put in the car. I saw atonce what was happening (for I had purchasedgovernment horses myself) and I let out a yell to GeneralWood. He sent various officers to the camp to inspect us,and these included the two who had purchased them!

"A day or two after these officers had left, I receiveda two-page telegram from General Wood literally blistering me. Information had reached him (he wired)that the horses were in bad condition in my camp due toutter neglect on my part—inadequate care, feeding,watering, grooming, etc.—and he wound up by giving medetailed instructions to put horse care at the very top of myduty requirements! He ended with the sentence, 'Will be up

on the next train to inspect your work myself.' This lastsentence pleased me tremendously, for my thought wasthat nobody could fool him, and he would see the wholetrouble.

"When I met him at the station the next day, he burstforth in severest tones: 'Danford, what is wrong up here?What is wrong with you and your horses?' To this Ireplied, 'I ask you to reserve your judgment in this matteruntil you see what I have to show you.' He went at oncefrom the railroad station to the horse lines. I had all thedescriptive lists which showed each animal's brandedhoof number, followed by the color, markings, and otherdetails. I had the animals led past us in single file while

we examined each as he stood before us, checking fromhis descriptive list. One never saw so great a mixup! Onedescription called for a bay gelding with black points, 16hands high and weighing 1,275 pounds, but there stood before us a chestnut animal of 15 hands weighing barely900 pounds. The government was paying $250 for awheel horse that weighed 1,200 pounds or over but only$150 for a lead horse under the weight of 1,200 pounds. Itwas noticeable that the proportion of 'wheel horses' wasmuch too great. There were various other discrepancies.The government paid for many wheelers which failed tosurvive Tobyhanna.

"General Wood could not fail to see the situation. Andhe saw a lot of Yale boys swabbing out nostrils andotherwise caring for sick animals under strict supervision.His response was simply, 'Uh-uh-uh.' He saw Yale boys burying dead horses in almost solid rock. It was my beliefthat he got his eyes more than filled.

"His response was simply,

'Uh-uh-uh ., . . ."

"At dinner that evening I told him that as he was thecountry's main apostle of preparedness, I wanted him totalk to our men about it. That suited him exactly, and hemade a great hit with the men that evening. And that pleased him greatly. He departed early the next day afterhe had stayed all night (occupying my tent and bunk).When I took him to the station and bade him goodby, hesaid to me, 'You need not worry, Danford. I see thesituation. Everything is all right!' I never heard anotherword about the horses at Tobyhanna and I doubt if anyoneelse ever did. Years later, however, after I was Chief of

Field Artillery, I had an opportunity to review myefficiency file. I found that the General had forgotten tochange his derogatory report about me and my Tobyhannahorses. So there it is to this day, interesting no one andcausing me no worry."

It was during the night of the general's visit that heset out on a personal inspection. Knight Wooley, '17, wason duty as a stable guard when a lantern-bearing partyapproached. Expecting the veterinary, the sentrychallenged, "Halt. Who's there?" Back came the startlinganswer: "Commanding General of the EasternDepartment." Wooley gasped and managed, "Advanceand be recognized." None other than General Wood, stars

glittering on his shoulder straps, stepped into the stablelight and was rigidly saluted.

"Sentry," the General demanded, "what would you doif, while you were on duty, one of those horses was takensick?"

Wooley, fracturing military formality, burst out,"Jesus, General, they're all sick!"

Hale horses and recovered invalids were mustered,harnessed, and hitched. Bugles sounding "drivers andcannoneers, mount," the men swung up onto saddles andcarriage seats. "Forward, march," and the batteries movedout, red guidons fluttering. Wheels rumbled, hoofsclicked, and toggle chains rattled as the teams leaned into

their collars and drew the traces taut. Sun gilded the dustclouds that swirled behind. Batterymen told themselvesthat they made a gallant sight. Except for firing on therange, they were Field Artillery. And they were living up

to the song, as the caissons went rolling along.

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Bridgman'sBull Battery

byMAJ R. K. McMaster (Ret.)

Major McMaster served with the US 2d Field Artillery,

Horsedrawn and Portée and Pack, from 1926 to 1931. His

first contribution to the Journal was a letter to the editor(see January-February 1974 issue). The author's father,

then Second Lieutenant Richard H. McMaster, is referred to

in the text as commander of Bridgman's Mountain Platoon.

Major McMaster's father served at Fort Sill as a private and

corporal with the 10th Infantry from 1895 to 1898. He went

on to serve as commander of the post as a captain (27

May-14 July 1911) and as a colonel (25 July- 25 October

1919). He retired 31 December 1938 with 43 years

service. — Ed.

Light Battery, 6th US Artillery, was organized,equipped, and horsed at Fort McHenry, Maryland, on 23March 1898. The 6th Regiment of Artillery had beenauthorized by Act of Congress on 8 March of that year.First Lieutenant Harry L. Hawthorne commanded the battery until 24 April when Captain Victor H. Bridgmanassumed command.

The battery left station for the Philippine Islands on 20June 1898 and arrived at Manila Bay on 21 August aboardthe SS Peru, dropping anchor in the midst of Dewey's fleet,the Oregon, the Olympia, and the Baltimore being onlyabout one-half mile distant from the Peru. They were alsoin plain sight of the half-submerged Spanish fleet forseveral days before they were placed in camp on theLunetta.

After a period of provost duty, Light Battery G wassent to Iloilo on the Island of Panay. The battery wasequipped with six 3.2-inch field guns, drawn by 6-bullteams, and a platoon of four 1.65-inch Hotchkiss mountainguns. Two of the field guns were sent to the nearby islandof Cebu where some fighting was going on. In late Octoberthe bulls were returned to the Quartermaster and the batteryreceived 40 mules as replacements. At this time the RightPlatoon was commanded by First Lieutenant Earle D.Pearce, the Left Platoon by First Lieutenant Louis Ostheim,and Mountain Platoon by Second Lieutenant Richard H.

McMaster.In a letter to one of his former lieutenants, Major

Bridgman, then retired, wrote: "In matters of transportationalone, no US outfit ever had or would ever have such an

experience. Starting bare, it was organized, equipped, and beautifully horsed, and reported as fully prepared for activeservice in less than three months. Stripped it went abroad,landed with man-power to pull the guns. Then came thelittle horses with rope harness, a period when detachmentswere pulled by water buffalo, the hundred odd little bulls—trotting—differing only in color from the sacred bulls of India, and which were trained to the bugle call and

on more than one occasion did efficient horse service. Thenthe big mules and the pack mules for the mountain guns.Complete and truthful histories of such rare happeningsshould find lodgement with the Adjutant General atWashington as well as with local and central Headquarters.Eons hence they would interest our successors."

In November the battery took part in the fall campaignon Panay Island with the 18th Infantry, 19th Infantry, and26th Volunteer Infantry, marching over 400 miles in the process. The battery was in action in 30 battles andengagements, among them the Battle of Jaro, the Battle ofTide Water Creek, engagements at Jolo, Pavia, SantaBarbara, Cebu, San Blas, Alimondion, and the Battle of

Antipue. Sergeant Lowe was killed, and First SergeantEngland and Private Murphy were wounded in the action atJaro. Captain Bridgman was awarded the Silver StarCitation for the conduct of the battery in the Battle of Jaro.

On 16 July 1900, Captain Charles W. Foster relievedCaptain Bridgman. Up to this date the battery had beenknown as "Bridgman's Bull Battery," as it was thenequipped with the native bulls in the absence of other draftanimals. On 16 April 1901, the name of the battery waschanged to 13th Battery, Field Artillery, and on 1 June1907, the designation became Battery E, 5th Field Artillery.After service on the Mexican border in 1916, and in Francewith the 1st Division during 1917 and 1918, Battery E was

deactivated in 1922 at Camp Bragg, North Carolina.

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Improved

FDC

The January-February issue of the Journal included an article entitled "Modular FDC" that discussed several possible modifications to the M109 and the M577 FDC's. Comments and suggestions were solicited

from units in the field, and three Redlegs from the 1st Cavalry Division

Artillery have responded with some ideas that we believe are worth

passing on. As always, your comments and suggestions are

welcome.–Ed.

by

MAJ Robert A. White,

CPT Eddie W. Liles,

and

ILT Bennie B. Jamerson

The information contained herein is a consolidation of therecommendations from the 1st Battalion, 6th Artillery, and the1st Battalion, 77th Artillery, concerning FDC improvements inself-propelled units, FDC improvements in airmobile units, andgeneral improvements in FDC computational equipment.

To standardize battery FDC's that use the M557A1 organicto self-propelled field artillery batteries, the charts are modified by removing the trestles and installing the chart tables with alightweight alloy angle iron against one side of the tentextension frame. The angle iron is hinged so that the tables may be folded against the vertical supports for installation, removal,

and access to the plotting sets and footlocker under the tables.Overall working space in the FDC is increased by using themodified chart tables, as there is much less elbow-to-elbowwork. The FADAC is placed next to the vertical chart, since thevertical chart operator (VCO) is also the FADAC

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operator (only one chart is used when FADAC is inoperation). The computer is placed next to the FADAC sothat eye contact is maintained between the computer and theFADAC operator. The fire direction officer can exercisesupervision over all aspects of the FDC with thisconfiguration, including monitoring the FADAC operator'sinput into the FADAC.

Certain additions and improvements to the basicM557A1 would enhance its use as a command post and/orFDC vehicle. A leveling platform and four leveling screwsmay be installed in the 4.2-kilowatt generator mount to levelthe generator when the vehicle is placed on uneven terrain. Ahand-cranked telescoping antenna mast (preferably one thatholds two RC-292 antennas) may be installed on the rear ofthe track. The mast section should swing out to the side ofthe vehicle, away from the tent extension, before beingraised. The shelf on which radios are mounted may belowered to increase air flow and to ease radiomaintenance/repair without removing the radios. Bracketsmay be installed on top of the vehicle in the vicinity of the ballast brackets to mount one 3-kilowatt, 400-cycle

generator for use with the FADAC. The vehicle mapboardmay be constructed of a lighter weight material. As analternative to using the M557A1 as an FDC vehicle, use ofthe 2½-ton van M109 would enhance firing batteryoperations. The semipermanent installation of charts, theFADAC, radios, telephones, etc., would considerablydecrease the amount of time required to set up an FDC.Although a 2½-ton truck is not as mobile as a trackedvehicle and it presents a larger profile, the firing batterydepends on similar vehicles for mess, maintenance, supply,and ammunition. One more truck would not make the battery any less mobile or any more conspicuous.

The battery FDC configuration presented represents an

excellent use of available vehicles and equipment, whilemodifications to the M577A1 or its replacement with a2½-ton van M109 would improve FDC operations by usingequipment currently available to the US Army.

Pop-up camper trailers have been used as FDC vehicles by some airmobile units for approximately 1 year.(Previously, any type of FDC had proved unsatisfactory dueto the requirement for rapid displacement.) The pop-upcamper trailers are of civilian design and require alterationsto make them suitable for military use. Some of thesemodifications include painting the trailers and waterproofingthe canvas. (See the March-April issue of the Journal.)During their use, the following disadvantages have been

noted.A heavier, stronger body siding and frame are needed to

support this type of vehicle. A heavier trailer would not alterit's air-mobility, since the trailer, the jeep that tows it, andnine personnel are all that are transported on the FDC CH-47

sortie. If Super Chinooks are used, it would still be possibleto sling the base piece and carry the FDC (with a skeletoncrew) simultaneously. A stronger frame extending throughthe tongue of the trailer would also enable the use of sturdierextensions on the ends of the trailer. These extensions would better support the weight of the FADAC and radios withoutdamaging this equipment.

The trailer needs more ground clearance, and this could be obtained by the use of larger tires and perhaps a newsuspension system. There is little question that larger tiresare needed for the trailer to operate effectively in roughterrain. If the trailer is used solely in an airmobile role, a newsuspension system may not be needed. However, to insureminimal damage to stowed materials or to the trailer itself, asuspension system would be needed if towing this trailerwith an army vehicle was the only means of moving it.

The trailer is issued without on-vehicle material (OVM).A technical manual along with an assortment of tools isnecessary for performance of first-echelon maintenance. Tirerepair is a special problem, since no equipment is issuedwith which to perform this task.

Light discipline is difficult to maintain and a heavier,darker material is required for the side curtains to preventexcessive light from showing through.

The light systems are difficult to emplace and maintaininside the trailers. If batteries were permanently mounted ona reinforced tongue, then it would be possible to plug in theDC light system as well as the radios. This would acceleratethe employment of radios operated from the batteries.

Improved FDC with charts mounted to thetrailer extension frame.

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The trailer offers no rest or sleep area. In keeping withthe airmobile concept of traveling light, some type ofvestibule or attachable lean-to is needed to eliminate theneed for carrying an extra tent during periods of adverseweather. The vestibule would work best on the door side ofthe trailer. A tent has been used i

Jul Aug 1974 Full Edition

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