July-August - Air Defense Artillery School

1943 :\'EWS AND CO~l~lE0JT 63
"zero feet" raider. This, of course, has meant raising the
guns to towers and similar places.
~ The Commander-in-Chief, AA Command. General Sir
Frederick Pile, has personally directed the battle with the
sneak raiders. It has not been an easy one.
The first steps taken were to increase to the utmost possible
extent the period of warning given of the approach of
raiders, and to increase the number of guns along the coastline.
It must be obvious even to the Germans themseh'es that
much progress has been made in both of these directions.
The next step was up to the gunners themselves. And
that brought the development of the sharpshooters.
Everything these men do on the Light AA sites is now
planned to the last detail. The traditional Army habit of
having the main meal of the day at midday has been
abandoned.
Instead the gunners get a light snack, to reduce drowsinessin
the afternoon.
Route marches or any form of drill done in large groups
have been ruled out to avoid sluggishness and maintain individual
alertness.
Special forms of physical training have been devisedmany
of the exercises are done by the crews as they actually
sit or stand at their guns.
The guns are manned continuously. If a man at his post
shoulddrop something-say, a coin-he must not bend down
to pick it up because while his head was bent an F.\iV. 190
might sneak overhead unnoticed.-Dail)' Mail, London.
Small Arms Against Planes
Rifles and automatic rifles are somewhat effective against
planes up to ranges of about 500 yards. V/hen they are
employed, it is necessary to take a lead in exactly the same
1\"3Y as is done with the machine gun. To do this, the battle
sightis used.
The positions used in antiaircraft firing are those which
Ican be assumed rapidly, afford the maximum flexibility to
, the body for manipulation of the rifle, and do not require
t undue exposure of the riflemen. These positions usually
will be either the kneeling or the standing. The kneeling
Iposition best meets the requirements listed above as it is
lessvulnerable than the standing position.
If Antiaircraft firing positions differ from those used in
I ~round target firing in that:
(a) The sling is not used.
(b) The arms are not supported, but move freely in any
direction with the body.
I (c) The hands grasp the piece firmly, the left hand
I
near the lower band.
(d) The butt of the rifle is pressed firmly against the
1 shoulder with the right hand, and the cheek is
pressed firmly against the stock.
(e) 'In the kneeling position the buttock does not rest
on the heel, and the left foot is well advanced to the
left front. The weight is slightly forward.
The positions must be such that the rifle, the body from
thewaist up, the arms, and the head are as one fixed unit.
\Vhen leading a target. the rifle must be swung with a
smooth, uniform motion. This is accomplished by pi\'oting
the body at the waist. There should be no independent
mo\'ement of the arms, shoulders, head, or rifle.
Fire should be opened as soon as possible and delivered
at as rapid a rate as is consistent with accuracy, The trigger
should be squeezed aggressively and decisively. Once
started, the squeeze should be continued until the cartridge
is fired. Squeezing the trigger while the rifle is in motion
requires considerable practice and should be emphasized in
training.-Coast Artillery Training B"lletin.
Home Guards for AA Guns
~Ianv more Home Guards will be used on the AA defenses
~f Great Britain in the immediate future. The increasing
shortage of man-power has made it imperative that
Regular soldiers employed on static gun sites shall be released
for other combatant service.
Home Guards have proved highly successful with the
operational batteries, and General Pile, Commander in
Chief of the AA defenses of Great Britain, is pleased with
them. His demands are insistent for more Home Guards to
replace Regular gunners who have been drafted elsewhere.
Some antiaircraft batteries, almost entirely manned by
Home Guards, have been in action against the enemy with
splendid results.-Lonao/l Daily Mail.
Barrage Balloons Over New York
SOMEvVHERE ON LONG ISLAND, N. Y., June 30
-The first anchored balloon entanglement in the New
York metropolitan area was unveiled by the Army yesterday
as thirty of the silvery gas-bags soared into a cloudy sky.
J\Iaj. Gen. Sanderford Jarman, whose antiaircraft units
extend from Maine to Florida, gave the command which
sent the barrage on its baptismal Hight, "Raise all balloons to
R. O. H." (ruling operational height).
This unit, with operating headquarters in a clubhouse
just off the first tee, protects an important objective.
There are some 50 balloons, scattered several miles over
the area, each manned bva crew of 13 men. The balloons
go aloft only during air r;id alerts.-Ullited Press.
Paramount from SOlJfoto
A truck-mounted version of the RU5sian
rocket gun shown on the previous page.