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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Gods of War - The role of Artillery
With The History Explorer
Part of Artillery Week WW2TV
• Artillery Week
Subjects covered today:
Role of artillery overview -The Deep Battle
Quick history of development - and Forward Observation Officers
Considerations at the gun end
-considerations at the observer end , using Hill 314 (Mortain) as an example
The History Explorer is a British Army officer, CWGC volunteer and SSAFA fundraiser. He has an MA in Military History and an MA in Strategic Leadership. He has his own TH-cam channel
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In my early career, which began as an Infantryman, I was assigned as an RTO/Driver for CPT Parker, my company commander. In the U.S. Army most infantry officers and NCOs are taught how to call for and adjust artillery fire missions. CPT Parker made sure that I, a lowly PFC, learned how to perform this task. When I asked him why he bothered to teach me he responded thus: "What if I am wounded or killed in the middle of calling in a fire mission? Do you think it might be helpful that my Radio Telephone Operator just might be able to complete that task?" Needless to say, he was a fine example of excellent leadership. (He was a Vietnam veteran BTW) I think that Rob (The History Explorer) must be such an officer as well. I am so glad that I had the time to learn from him. Thanks Woody for asking such relevant questions as well as encouraging the viewers to do so also. Stonking good is an understatement! Brilliant analysis of the Battle for Hill 314!
What a fantastic comment David. I’m glad you enjoyed the show
@@thehistoryexplorer I am an old pensioner now Rob. I am glad to know that there are such men as you who continue to "serve behind the guns" as I know from experience that such people who do so save the lives of many of the "poor bloody infantry." You are welcome Sir.
It occurred to me that Hill 314 was a lesson to the Germans (The SS should have remembered this later on) of the effectiveness of U.S. Artillery. It was repeated again even more so in the Battle of Bulge at Elesenborn Ridge when the 6th SS Panzer Army was devastated by the Divisional and Corps artillery using many TOT fire missions. I think the new proximity fuse was used to great effect during this fight.
A masterclass in artillery by Rob. Fascinating and very informative. Many thanks
I loved it!! Rob is extremely informed aboutr the subject and he sounds like every Artillery guy I ever knew in the Army. Me being infantry!! “Artillerymen believe the world consist of two types of people; other Artillerymen and targets.”!!!
Thanks Cliff! I’ve always been very well looked after by the infantry units I’ve been attached too or have supported. I used to love getting them to call in missions 👍
Howdy folks. Fact-packed presentation on artillery with Mortain used as an example. Rob knows his stuff. Best podcast of the year so far.
Thanks Jim - high praise
This was an absolute master class episode Woody. The History explorer was brilliant in his presentation. Well done to you both. No drop shorts on this one.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Dean. And great to hear no drop shorts!
Rob gives an absolute master class on artillery and its use in battle. I hope the British Army is using him to teach other gunners because Rob is superb!
That’s very kind of you Scott. I’ve never been an instructor actually, my path has been on the staff as a planner. I hope to be training my own forward observers as a Battery Commander soon though 👍
I've been reading about the great wars for fifty years and yet I hadly knew any of this stuff. Thank you!
Time on Target (and the verb "land")
Great lesson on gunnery. As a former "redleg" in the US Army, I can confirm that the US Army does things similarly to what's discussed here (indeed, the US Army uses virtually identical nomenclature).
I don't think the presentation adequately responded to the final question about Time on Target ("ToT") missions, though. ToT missions are really quite simple. Suppose you handed baseballs to all 9 defensive players in a baseball game and told them you wanted them all to throw their balls and hit home plate at exactly the same time; you want 9 baseballs to hit home plate simultaneously. Given the different distances involved - and that some of the fielders will have stronger arms than others - all 9 players will have to throw their balls at slightly different times so that they all will hit home plate together in unison. That's what a ToT mission is.
ToT missions are used to crush a predefined target with an entire division - or even an entire corps - of artillery tubes. A perfect example is a trench line you plan to assault. You don't any of the enemy soldiers in or near the trench line to know that the hammer is about to fall. If even one shell were to impact a few seconds - or a few tens of seconds - before the rest, the enemy soldiers could jump to safety and escape the whirlwind. ToT missions are thus gauged on whether all the shells impact at literally the same time. If any shell impacts early - 10 seconds, or even 2 seconds -- the Division Artillery Commander will be very peeved. To do a ToT mission properly, each battery has to determine it's own time of flight to the target and fire its own artillery pieces at precisely the right instant so that its shells impact the target at precisely the desired time (hopefully, alongside all the other batteries' shells). ToT missions are thus only really an issue when you have multiple batteries - really, multiple battalions -- of artillery tubes trying to coordinate their fires and hit a single target simultaneously. The reason ToT is seen as predominantly an American thing in WW2 is that the US Army got very good at this art. Other armies did not. The Russians certainly never mastered ToT in WW2 (they simply massed fires and blanketed entire grid squares with prolonged volumes of fire). But the Germans didn't master this either (they lacked the coordination necessary to mass fires across artillery battalions in different divisions). My understanding is that even the British weren't as good at ToT fires in WW2 as the US Army. No small part of the reason the US Army was so good at this is the US Army invested in the necessary infrastructure and systems to pull this off. ToT fires require extensive communications networks, smart fire direction controllers, accurate mapping and artillery surveying, and (of course) lots of artillery tubes and artillerymen. Don't forget that General Leslie McNair, who was the single person most directly responsible with planning and outfitting US Army divisions in WW2, was an artilleryman.
Finally, as an aside, one "beef' I have with the presentation is that in the US Army, artillerymen never use the word "land" to describe artillery. Airplanes "land." Helicopters "land." But artillery shells "fall" or "impact" or "strike" or "hit" a target. Artillery shells in the US Army never 'land'. (I had the verb "land" beaten out of me at my field artillery officer basic course at Ft. Sill many years ago.)
Hi Zach, I just got round to reading your comment and thank you for the feedback. I was responding to ToT from a British perspective and assumed the question was in relation to a fire plan. ToT is nothing more than -time of flight to achieve synchronicity.
You’re absolutely right about ‘land’ though! I have watched this back and in my attempt to not be too technical some phrases did creep in- “shell” “land” “tube” are not really used in the British artillery. Thanks for the feedback and I hope you enjoyed it
Great discussion. Spent 15 years of my Army time in Artillery units, and enjoyed the absolutely professional discussion. Well presented. Just a note, more than one of the presenters on this topic have pointed out the difference between “the American” “the commonwealth” approach to forward observers roles and control of fires.
One reason for this was the American doctrine was much more flexible in allowing non-artillery men access to calling for fires. The American Army had many times more radios on the battlefield than most European armies, and used them to great effect for the purpose of coordinating and calling for fires.
It was the American Army’s Signal Corps that sent out the specifications for the development of the FM radio ( in the 1920’s), and the US Army owned all 13 patents that led to its development. This was done specifically to free the artillery from wire communications.
Why? In WW1, a higher percentage of Congressional Medals of Honor were given to Army Signal Corps soldiers who died or were severely wounded laying cables and wire than were awarded to infantrymen.
The proliferation of AM walkie-talkie radios, man packed FM radios, vehicle mounted radios et al created the problem of sifting through this call for fires across many disciplines, many units, many varying levels of understanding of artillery. So, American fire direction centers included intelligence officers, artillery and operational expertise.
Not that it was “better”, but it was a reaction to the American Signal Corps determination in the 1920’s to never again lose the numbers of signal men it lost in WW1 stringing wire al, over the battlefield.
The FM radio was the direct result, the American Army leaderships fascination with how to use that proprietary radio technology is a very interesting story for the build up to WW2.
The first real practical application of all the American Army dreamed of doing with that technology with artillery was most likely accomplished by the New Zealanders in North Africa…..
That was a first rate analysis of how American artillery doctrine developed. It is an example of how one technology builds on and enhances another. The comparison to the New Zealanders is intriguing, perhaps a bit of that individuality that developed by former colonials being able to think outside the box. Don't get me wrong the Royal Artillery was, and still is one of the best in the world.
@@davidlavigne207 In 1940, the Royal Artillery was legions ahead of American Artillery in experience, training, logistics, equipment and leadership. In 1941 perhaps the best in the world in doctrine. In 1941, in the desert, the New Zealanders were the smallest national contingent in 8th Army, but they still were a national contingent with the ability to speak to 8th Army leadership with the voice of a free and independent national force.
I think that had quite a lot to do with it. The Kiwis were astoundingly competent, fiercely independent and had artillery leaders of a remarkable caliber.
American Artillery doctrine was developed in the austerity of the 1930’s, very little money, a very small cadre. Much smaller and much less funding than their British counterparts.
But the small cadre of artillery were forward thinking. When the war came, the US had to train, man, and equip a massive force from that very small cadre. So, it is not surprising that American artillery doctrine focused on decentralized execution with centralized control.
The British Commonwealth had much more battle experience up to 1945, had a much higher percentage of their forces with that experience. Smaller Army by that time, but the Commonwealth was the “varsity” of the Allied ground force. German’s tended to agree. Not to say the American approach was better or worse, but two different nations, with different resources. The Brits also have a constitutional advantage that allows Commonwealth forces to have a second in command.
That is not possible in the US Army. Our UCMJ (articles of war in WW2) is based on US Federal Law (title 10), and without making this into a book, each unit can have only one commander, no deputy and no second in command. Commonwealth battalions, regiments, etc., are usually commanded by a person with a rank one grade higher than it’s American counterpart (artillery battery commanded by a major with a second officer with command authority of a captain. That allows a much less “staff centric” approach to coordinating between higher and supported echelons.
A quote from a German warrant officer’s diary we were taught in officers training exemplifies this difference. The warrant officer had been in the war starting with the invasion of France, and the last entry in his diary (after D-Day by a month or two): “We are facing the Americans for the first time. They are not like the Russians or the British. They attack all day, move all night and shoot all the time.”
Not more efficient, but it can be dangerous on the other end of the American way in WW2.
"It is with artillery that war is made" Napoleon
A well known quote (attributed to others as well) but quite apt for this excellent presentation nonetheless. Thanks WWIITV & The History Explorer
I was going to show lots of gunner quotes and list all the generals who were gunners but it would become a 2 hour presentation 😅
I'm already convinced artillery is the God of Land warfare . Stonking good episode
My man!
Another cracking show Paul. Rob was a natural presenting this. Top stuff again.
This was absolutely wonderful, first-rate stuff, and I learned a lot. Thanks so much for having Rob on the Channel; sorry I missed it live! I also went back and made sure that the only instance of "zeroed in" in my 1942 manuscript is used in a non-artillery context. Don't wanna piss Rob off, obviously! 🙂
It’s a very common phrase so please don’t worry! 😅 I’m glad you enjoyed it 👍
@jonparshall hope you have found Paul's other outstanding piece on Soviet Artillery, maybe one of his most important videos - we are watching in Ukraine today direct results in practice and demographics from what it lays out:
th-cam.com/video/SQr-Jgd4th0/w-d-xo.html
Paul's video on use of horses is also relevant in discussing artillery and confirms what the above says: US trucks were all about moving guns and their ammo. One of Paul's other most important in my view.
th-cam.com/video/4Pq6aiQagpI/w-d-xo.html
Also, relevant is this very good with slides is Adam Tooze's talk related to Wages of Destruction - the steel used on ammo maps right onto Paul's video on Soviet Artillery - the production necessary to inflict the Soviet casualties suffered. All of this should feel familiar to the current bottomless thirst for artillery ammo right now in the same place as 80 years ago.
th-cam.com/video/KwCQ9prGXLs/w-d-xo.html
I should think both would be significant in context of your new book on 1942.
Really appreciated your 2013 talk at the National World War II museum, comparing German, American, and Soviet approaches to tank production in the context of Kursk - Paul if you've not seen watch this.
th-cam.com/video/N6xLMUifbxQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you both from Indiana. I spent some time when I was younger in an artillery battery. Most of my time as a Lance Corporal. 🇺🇸
Keep kicking ass Paul.
I've learned a lot about artillery today. Well done gentlemen.
Yep didn't we all
That was a very, very good episode. The History Explorer not only know his stuff, but is a very good speaker.
Thank you Phil. You’re too kind. I’m glad you enjoyed it and hopefully my enthusiasm for the subject came through
Brilliant presentation on artillery, both technical and practical and the role of FOO's. Great work from History Explorer and Woody, well done both for a fascinating show, I thought the review of Hill 134 at Mortain was a good way to end the show!!
Woody/Rob, Thanks for an incredible presentation! Really interesting. Bob
To chip in on the remark about the 9th Infantry Division's Artillery Battalion involved at Mortain, indeed, they had mainly the 26th Field Artillery Battalion involved. These are 105mm guns, but they had a few guns from the 34th Field Artillery Battalion as well in order to reach specific targets in that area. This is a great episode, I feel the role of the Artillery units are often overlooked.
Thanks Yuri
This was great. Interesting, instructive and just a good talk!
Brilliant presentation. I know it's not a competition, but I'd rank this as the best I've seen on this channel. And I've seen a lot of good stuff here
Now that is high praise indeed! 😮My favourite is the Angoville church episode. Absolutely fantastic
A great week of episodes rolls on, creeping forward, like a .... um ...
Very enlightening. A great description of the workings of artillery and the role of the forward observer. I learned a great deal
Absolutely GREAT !! This presentation pulled together all the small bits that have accumulated in my brain over the years and gave them a glue of 'artillery' that will always now give a focus to future study and understanding of battle development. Basic, but seldom utilized, was the lozenge of shot fall. It will never be ignored again!
Always remember the lozenge!
Those words Mike, Uncle, Victor...
They just roll off the tongue so well.
But it means hell is approaching. From both directions.
Scary shit.
Great video, late in commenting. Really liked the mix of photo views and maps.
This was like going back to FACBOC (Field Artillery Cannon Battery Officer Course) at Ft. Sill.
ISTR reading in the British Army to Battery Commander was the FO who gave Fire Orders or Orders for Fire? In the U.S.A. it was junior lieutenants the made Request for Fire.
Learned something about the Creeping Barrage I hadn't appreciated, but should have - line of fire is best perpendicular to the direction of advance.
When I trained learned that guns have tended toward howitzers as opposed to guns - howitzers can do high angle better do get behind hills like a mortar - anything over 45 degrees quadrant (elevation of the gun) as well as under 45 degrees quadrant. Above 45 degrees more quadrant puts the rounds closer, less further away - opposite from fires with quadrant less than 45 degrees.
Two things learned never to say around artillery:
1. You never round up/down, you express up/down with numbers.
2. Never say "repeat" on the radio - its "say again". Repeat is the communication to shoot the same mission again.
Paul, hope to see you get out again with your teams in the field for some terrain walks again. Even with the lags/losses those were great.
Just the topic we needed to cover.
Well pleased that your selected charity is the one that I was brought up to support, the good people of SSAFA.
Massive Respect due both to you and them!
A brilliant charity Jonathan
EXCELLENT ALL ROUND TALK ABOUT ARTILLERY
This guy knows his sh#t! "T72 in open" at 52 minutes in... Damn I miss that sh#t! Fantastic video instruction and example.
Sound much better. Thanks
I learn so much from these videos!
The rolè of Artillery is to put down such devastating fire, that all the infantry have to do is saunter in, count the dead, and bayonet the wounded.
UBIQUE from Australia 🇦🇺.
Once a Gunner, Always a Gunner.
Enjoyed the presentation, top notch once again 1
I now have a much better understanding of artillery. Thank you.
This was brilliant. I learned much that I think is often glossed over in accounts of battles.
This is right up my alley. Awesome presentation Rob!
Wonderful presentation Rob! Thanks Woody, l learned a tremendous amount!
By far, the best show of the week! That does not mean the rest whas bad, not at all, this one whas extremly good! Loved the lesson on artillery from The History Explorer. And loved the questions from Paul and the others. You have expended my knowledge of artillery a lot. Please ask him back for an other show. Perhaps you guys can take a ww2 scenario/ battle and explain what happend and/ or what could have done better?
That’s high praise indeed and very much appreciated. I would love to come back on and had a great time.
Yep, I wil have him back at some point
Fantastically informative, and I HAVE subscribed to Gunner Rob's channel - THANKS !
You’re a star!
Amazing episode 👏
I’m in the middle of reading Marc Milner’s “Stopping the Panzers”. I’ll have to restart with this knowledge.
Simply brilliant
that went with a bang! brilliant episode, one of the best yet.
A brilliant presentation. May I suggest to all interested including our host and speaker to go to The Western Front Association site and pick up The Australia Corps in 1918: Glory or vainglory by Dr Hampton who is an Australian military historian. Her talk is about the Battle of Hamel and the plan by Monash. She places artillery at the heart of the talk as being the ‘winner of that battle. She speaks of 136,000 targeted rounds of artillery being fired within a square mile in 84 minutes. It is an absorbing and interesting treatise.
Love this channel!
At about 23 minutes in, every 13B around the world is nodding with that familiar air of superiority and satisfaction knowing they are the upright walking mammals of the battlefield. Hurrah! Red legs.
Fisters!
Excellent presentation, has me looking for more about Artillery, books etc.
Very good presentation indeed...well done yet again guys!!
59:17 it is a stressful and potentially fatal decision to call artillery down on you. FOOs did get injured and in some cases killed. Lt John Fox, a FOO in 92nd Division was ultimately awarded a DSC in 1981 and then an upgrade to the Medal of Honor in 1997 for directing fire that ended his life.
His MOH citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: First Lieutenant John R. Fox distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism at the risk of his own life on 26 December 1944 in the Serchio River Valley Sector, in the vicinity of Sommocolonia, Italy. Lieutenant Fox was a member of Cannon Company, 366th Infantry, 92d Infantry Division, acting as a forward observer, while attached to the 598th Field Artillery Battalion. Christmas Day in the Serchio Valley was spent in positionswhich had been occupied for some weeks. During Christmas night, there was a gradual influx of enemy soldiers in civilian clothes and by early morning the town was largely in enemy hands. An organized attack by uniformed German formations was launched around 0400 hours, 26 December 1944. Reports were received that the area was being heavily shelled by everything the Germans had, and although most of the U.S. infantry forces withdrew from the town, Lieutenant Fox and members of his observer party remained behind on the second floor of a house, directing defensive fires. Lieutenant Fox reported at 0800 hours that the Germans were in the streets and attacking in strength. He called for artillery fire increasingly close to his own position. He told his battalion commander, "That was just where I wanted it. Bring it in 60 yards!" His commander protested that there was a heavy barrage in the area and the bombardment would be too close. Lieutenant Fox gave his adjustment, requesting that the barrage be fired. The distance was cut in half. The Germans continued to press forward in large numbers, surrounding the position. Lieutenant Fox again called for artillery fire with the commander protesting again, stating, "Fox, that will be on you!" The last communication from Lieutenant Fox was, "Fire It! There's more of them than there are of us. Give them hell!" The bodies of Lieutenant Fox and his party were found in the vicinity of his position when his position was taken. This action, by Lieutenant Fox, at the cost of his own life, inflicted heavy casualties, causing the deaths of approxamately 100 German soldiers, thereby delaying the advance of the enemy until infantry and artillery units could by reorganized to meet the attack. Lieutenant Fox's extraordinarily valorous actions exemplify the highest traditions of the military service.
What a fantastic example. Harrowing stuff
My father was in the 125th field artillery USA in N. Africa. His job was to lay and maintain the telephone lines from the gun batteries to the forward observers. His stories were pretty hair raising.
Great visuals.
All you can do is dig a hole & pray, you can’t even fight back against that shrapnel which is cutting everything to pieces, including your mates.
Persistently engaged. The god of war
To quote Napoleon Bonapart "It is with artillery that one makes war".
Happy Gunner’s Day everyone.
Meet the new Forward Observer - drones, lots of them, small (hard to shoot down), operated by laptop, with remote control bu the kid who’s spent his childhood and teenage in a basement with an ‘X Box tan’. He’s a recreational hacker as well. And now along comes AI
I’ve only made it in 20-30 minutes.. I’ll be honest I’m getting ready for bed so I’ll check back after I get up. 😂
I hope Dien Bien Phu is talked about. That was an amazing artillery duel lost by the Foreign Legion!
We didn't talk about Dien Bien Phu, simply because it wasn't in WWII and we keep to that conflict
@@WW2TV Oooops!😱
Didn’t even catch the channel name when I posted that. I should have posted a disclaimer…woulda covered me under Geneva Conventions. 😜
I’ll definitely check that fella and his channel. 👍
Thanks for a very informative presentation. Lots of 'deep dive' detail about artillery techniques. I'd love to have heard more about the practicalities of registration, adjustment of fire when bracketing, allowing for barrel wear and weather whn calculating elevation etc but this was a great basic primer on the subject.
We may well do a deeper dive with Rob later. Thanks for the tip BTW
@@WW2TV That'll be great if you do Paul. The more practical detail the better as far as I'm concerned as it helps to paint the picture with the events that interest you, myself and all of your viewers. BTW I'm honooured that you would thank me each time I send one of my (sadly tiny) tips, but please don't feel obliged to do so. I'm grateful for your dedication to such professional and wide ranging content and the least I can do is to send a small payment each time I listen to one of your shows (I listen whilst I work, so the visuals are almost always irrelevant to me - which says much for the quality of the verbal content in your shows!). As a personal opinion, I think that the function of the 'thanks' button is probably lost on most YT users.
I’d love to do a more technical talk but I didn’t want to bore people with math and technical factors. If people are interested then I’d gladly do it. Once you get a Gunner talking you won’t be able to shut him up! 😅
@@thehistoryexplorer Thanks for your reply. Personally, I'd love to hear a talk on the technical practicalities (maybe without too much emphasis on the maths!) of bringing artillery onto target, registration of targets, accounting for barrel wear, weather, variations of ammunition type, fusing etc in a WW2 context. I find the WW2 TV episodes about all aspects of the human/logistical/practical experience of this conflict much more interesting than the episodes on strategy which personally, don't float my boat (though I'm well aware that other people love that stuff).
A bit obvious, but the M4 "Sherman" was designed to be used as indirect fire artillery (in a secondary role). After all, the gun was the French 75. Anyhow, the gunnery system and turret had some unusual fittings to assist with indirect fire.
To be honest almost anything that fires a shell, can be used in an indirect role
Funny thing again - artillery was always responsible of about 80% casualties. From my point of view - artillery is the god of war. You're alive - one second later - you're dead, that's why.
Hi just found your channel a couple of weeks ago. Interesting to learn a bit about the different sides of artillery.
Welcome to the channel. I hope you stay around
Thanks!
Thank you HG
And machinegun fire in WWI was extensively used as artillery. Not a beaten zone effect, but getting target coordinates, determining azimuth and elevation to hit the target, etc. This was primarily used for interdiction. Apparently very annoying when bullets kept randomly raining down on an intersection.
We didn't really deny it was used in the indirect role, the discussion was whether or not that could be counted as "artillery"
@@WW2TV as long as gravity exists you can fire pretty much any projectile in an indirect manner. I would not consider machine guns to be artillery though but that’s just my view
In WW1, they (Massed, coordinated, Heavy-Machine Gun barrages) had devastating effects in the enemy rear areas! The Canadians were the first to develop & perfect this light-artillery technique at the “Battle of Vimy Ridge” in April 1917!
Raymond Brutinel, a French Immigrant to Canada in the early years of the 20th Century, & a self-made prospecting & mining millionaire, along with other contemporary wealthy colleagues & patriots across Canada established & pioneered from their own pockets, the use of mobile units (Brigades) of mobile machine guns, inaugurating their first unit at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa in the Autumn of 1914.
Subsequently, at Vimy & at preceding encounters with the Germans on the Western Front, Brigadier-General Brutinel with others effectively coordinated efforts with artillery FOP, RFC & artillery observation balloons, to systematically direct these mobile machines guns units, each Brigade sub-divided into 5 (A to E) Batteries consisting of numerous types of Armoured cars. Each respective battery would be allotted specific coordinates of targets, which usually consisted of crossings or crossroads, rail yards or stations, depots or known storage facilities or any area or facilities that were likely or known concentrations of enemy troops or transport hubs or maintenance centers & workshops or similar target-rich enemy locations!
They achieved notable successes at Vimy by developing these weapon-systems into extremely effective use of mobile heavy Vickers machine guns as a type of light artillery assault & area denial armament that wrought havoc against German efforts to resupply & reinforce their forward frontlines combat zones during this battle that contributed in no small way to Canada’s overall success there & in later battles throughout 1917 & 1918!!
25:14 you mentioned the failure rate in WW1. The failure rate was put down to the No 102 Fuse and it was claimed that this was down to poor assembly after lunch due to the factory workers returning drunk from lunch. The fuse scandal brought down the government of the day and it led to the restrictive UK pub licensing laws that stayed with us for decades.
The scandal was bought to a head by the failure of British artillery to cut the wire during the battle of the Somme: however the failure rate of the No 102 fuse is only part of the problem. The most important issue however was that the majority of British projectiles were ‘shrapnel’ projectiles and not ‘fragmentation’ ones.
Not to go into too much technical detail here but shrapnel rounds are ‘carrier’ projectiles that eject shot out of the nose of the round. Great anti personnel ammunition but pretty carp at cutting wire.
Woody, machine gun and mortars are organic to the infantry company/ battalion.artillery is separate entity.
03 infantry
08 artillery
Just marine Corp mos
Very true but the artillery will control the employment of mortars in their AO, even though they’d do not command the mortars. Thanks for the comment
@@thehistoryexplorer in the corps we have FAC actual pilots
Artillery FO actual artillery men
And a dedicated ANGLICO company
Air naval gunfire company
Officers and squad leaders are taught to the call for fire.the most powerful weapons is a map radio and binoculars
Artillery is the most reliable form of fire support
Great channel, excellent guest as always.
May I please ask a question: If you have a flat plain with a square hole in the middle (4 meters squared surface, 10 meters deep) and a round is fired from artillery, can it hit the bottom/floor of the hole clean-without-hitting the walls first (and you trying/purposefully targeting)? If so, please could you expand what conditions would need to be met (general or specific). We could make it some important installation so some effort would be warranted.
I need to see what I am shooting at or I am bloody useless. Thank you in advance.
So if I had to stand at the bottom of a very narrow canyon. Could you hit the very bottom? To which extent does a narrow canyon provide effective cover?
You can fire in what we call ‘high angle’ where the attack geometry in almost vertical. Range is decreased this way. For top attack vertical targets I’d want to use a precision munition such as a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). This has a reasonably low yield warhead and can be incredibly accurate (within 10m) and can far around 80km. However the rocket reaches commercial aircraft altitudes!
Napoleon, after using artillery successful to take Toulon in 1793 and promoted to brigadier general wrote with supreme confidence to the Committee of Public Safety in Paris:
'It is the artillery that takes places; the infantry can only aid it.'
A show bang on target. 😁
9:00 artillery is also used in direct fire, and has famously been used in direct fire throughout history. Modern US artillery is designed to enable direct fire.
Yes indeed, Rob is a serving RA officer, I think he knows this
@@WW2TV Of course he knows, as he did mention it, but it sounded like he was trying to make a distinction using Direct vs Indirect fires as the deciding factor, which 100% does not work for defining artillery at any point in history.
I agree a line has to be drawn, and I would not include machine gun fire in "artillery", but I do include Mortars, despite the fact that many in the military get VERY hostile with me for saying that.
But I judge "artillery" on the role it performs. When calling for fire support, it doesn't matter if it was artillery or a mortar, the end result and function is the same. And old school siege mortars are absolutely artillery as well. The kind of fire support I expect from a good MG team is totally different from the support from a mortar or gun. The ranges are different, the considerations are different. The only real differences in application from mortar and artillery is the range and portability, and mortars don't work well in direct fire at all.
As I put to Rob, medium machine guns in an indirect fire could count as artillery, it all depends on each person's definitions. Like the unresolved debate about "what is a tank destroyer" we had on WW2TV last year
@@WW2TV "medium machine guns in an indirect fire could count as artillery, it all depends on each person's definitions. "
exactly. I personally don't count machine guns as the method of employment is totally different.
Yes, i'm so tired of the tank vs tank destroyer vs IFV/APC debates. ALL such tracked armored vehicles are TANKS. What role that particular tank was intended to perform is another matter. And what role it actually ends up performing for real is yet another thing.
At the end of the day, all tanks were invented to support advancing infantry, period. All types of tanks can and do engage other tanks if the opportunity arises. All types of tanks are capable of taking out other tanks if its weapon systems are employed properly.
At the end of the day, a gun is still just a gun, and they all are built to perform the same purpose.....kill the other team's men.
tanks are just mobile guns - yes
God bless the Artillery
Rob, question, how relevant was photos to use with maps? E.g., were local current photos taken, dropped to FO so they can use with their map?
Great question. I'm not convinced there was the capability to augment mapping with photos in what we would call a 'spot map' today (very common in Afghanistan). However, an aerial photo in conjunction with accurate mapping would definitely be very useful.
@@thehistoryexplorer Rob, sorry to be unclear, I meant were photos used in WWII with maps
@@user-xj6rr3yv8q not my strong suit but I believe there were both vertical mapping photography and oblique reconnaissance photography. I wouldn’t want to send a fire mission from the photography without cross referencing with an accurate map to check the grid!
@@thehistoryexplorer good point!
Can we please have artillery month?
I’ve got lots of ideas I could do looking at WW2 artillery. We need to change the narrative on the Gunners!
As long as it is in the same vein as this presentation, I'll watch it and revel in it. The perfect level of rivet counting for me. :)
it was a hobby for me in early 1980's, i have a tin cartridge casing as a souvenir, so it should be rare?
The Ukraine Russian war has brought the Western military down to earth with a THUMP! The Russians doctrine of mass artillery from deep defence line’s systems miles deep had been overlooked by western armies. The cancelling out of tanks superiority by either side, and delays in providing F-16s and pilot training, has seen the western backers of Ukraine switch to accelerated supply of HIIMARs and French Caesar artillery. The now drawn out war of attrition has presented a new problem - the near exhaustion of western stocks of shells from western arsenals viz., US, Germany and UK. Co Ernie at the rapid depletion of US stockpiles has raised serious concern among US Joint Chiefs, and Republican Congress members including senators who see US national security and military needs as taking top priority.
We're seeing his points laid out in real-time in Ukraine.
❤
Artillery conquers infantry occupies.
Hale o hale artillery King of battle follow me.
Flat Earthers must be terrible artillerists😅