the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

1943 THE EMPLOYMENT OF CORPS ARTILLERY 211
—Form groupments of units armed with the same
weapon. This simplifies ammunition re-supply and is
usually consistent with the mission rule. However, when
the terrain is compartmented, or when the front is very
wide, or in constituting security detachments, the principle
of unity of command may outweigh the desirability of
having only one type of weapon in a groupment.
—Use a trained groupment headquarters as the nucleus
of a groupment whenever possible. A groupment
headquarters can adequately control four, and sometimes
five, battalions. If there is a very large amount of artillery
to be organized, the groupment just described can be made
a subgroupment under a higher headquarters. A battalion
headquarters can supervise a maximum of one battalion in
addition to its own batteries.
—Respect tactical unity. Although it is of little
consequence if a groupment is broken up, breaking up
battalions and batteries is very serious and should be rarely
done. The reason is obvious when it is considered that the
battalion as a fire unit is trained to deliver the massed fires
of its three batteries and that the massing of heavier fires
by commanders of higher echelons is simply the massing
of fires of two or more battalions.
—Constitute groupments with due consideration of the
locations of the divisions in line which may have to be
reinforced by fires.
—Place battalions which are known to and accustomed
to work with one another in the same groupment, as far as
practicable. In attaching units to the infantry, the same
principle applies.
—Announce the commander of each groupment.
Ordinarily, personalities and other factors being considered,
the commander of an organic unit should be the groupment
comander even though junior to a non-organic commander
of the same command echelon. This is so because the nonorganic
troops may arrive just before or even after an
operation has started, and they may be pulled out before the
action is completed. Besides, the organic commander will
usually be more familiar with the situation and the terrain.
Because the commanders of the organic chain know each
other through association and work, it appears logical to use
that chain rather than to insert strange links into it.
—Form groupments as soon as units arrive so as to settle
command responsibility and permit planning.
WEAPONS
As indicated in the discussion above of the organization
of command, the type of weapon available has an
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OVERSEAS PRAISE
important bearing upon the employment of the corps
artillery. In addition to the principal mission prescribed by
regulations, it is well to keep in mind various other
missions that the corps artillery will receive:
counterbattery; destruction of materiel, obstacles,
positions, and bridges; neutralization and harassment of
personnel; interdiction; smoking and gassing of localities;
antitank, antiaircraft, and antilanding fires; participation in
preparations, counterpreparations, and various kinds of
barrages; and reinforcing fires.
Some types of artillery weapons are more suitable for
the specific missions just listed than are others. In
evaluating the artillery means to be required for a certain
operation, the army should provide, or the corps artillery
commander should prepare a request for, the quantities and
types of artillery needed. A consideration of the types most
suited for particular tasks is a study in itself and will not be
treated further here. It should be noted, however, that while
no artillery weapon is best suited for all the above tasks, all
must be ready to participate in any of them when necessity
calls: use of the 155-mm. gun as an antitank or antiaircraft
weapon may be unusual, but it is possible.
In planning for the use of various types of artillery, old
or obsolete models should not be neglected. Experience
teaches that in a tough, long war no nation has ever been so
rich in artillery that it could afford to leave any available
artillery unemployed. There are many tasks that these older
models can accomplish as well as the newer models, which
are then released for more effective use elsewhere. For
example, use of the G.P.F. in the holding attack, or of the
Schneider howitzer where short ranges are imposed by the
crossing zone of an enveloping attack, would release later
models of these weapons for employment where their
superior characteristics would count heavily.
Provision for the tactical use of captured materiel must
also be made. So far as this effects the corps artillery
commander, it involves a study of the characteristics of
weapons and plans for the integration in the general
scheme of employment for the corps artillery.
As regards the quantity of artillery that will be required
by the corps for stabilized operations, the best guide is
based on the experience gained in the last war. This is
summarized for the offensive in FM 6-20. For sustaining a
violent defensive battle of long duration, the French have
concluded that a battalion of light plus a battalion of
medium or heavy artillery are required per 500 yards of
front.
When notifying us of his change of address, a colonel of the Royal Artillery recently wrote, "I have
found your JOURNAL very instructive, damned good reading, and well illustrated. Good shooting to you."
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"Despite the fact that the JOURNAL arrives late due to my overseas station, it is still one of my most
welcome pieces of mail. My sincere thanks for many a good night's reading."
—1ST LIEUT., FA