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ARTILLERY REINFORCEMENT OF THE ARMY
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Various types of artillery will be involved in the accomplishment of a
variety of tasks in offensive operations, and a considerable amount of
munitions will be expended. In this regard, along with solving other problems,
it is essential to determine the total requirement for artillery, the procedure
for placing it, and the expenditure of ammunition.
The requirement for artillery is determined by proceeding from the number of
fire missions which it accomplishes in a simultaneous allocation of fire -----
in a relatively short period of time under conditions of a limited adjustment
of fire for the purpose of sequentially destroying enemy targets.
The lessons of warfare have shown that the greatest number of tasks
accomplished by artillery in simultaneous firing will be during preparatory
firing. Consequently, the amount of artillery calculated for preparatory fire
should be sufficient for accomplishing tasks in the course of fire support.
The following methodology may be used to calculate the required amount of
artillery. First, the total number of tasks concerned with destroying the enemy
in preparatory fire is determined by an analysis of enemy defense. Then the
tasks which will be assigned to aviation and other means of destruction are
established.
As a result, the total number of artillery fire missions is obtained.
Subsequently, calculations of requirements for artillery are carried out either
on the basis of the average approximate operational rates for the number of
guns (subunits) needed for accomplishing specific fire missions, which have
been verified in warfare, or else on the basis of a determination of the total
adduced area of all objectives (targets), considering the required density for
neutralizing them.
The first method for calculating the requirement for artillery is presented in
Table 1.
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Table No. 1 Calculation for the requirement
for artillery for a 1km enemy defense breakthrough sector.
Designation of objectives (target) |
Number of targets |
Destroyed by aviation and other means |
Destroyed by artillery |
Artillery required (guns, _____ mortars, _____
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For destroying 1 target |
Total for 12 km breakthrough sector |
Platoon strong points |
3 |
- |
3 |
18 |
54 |
Tank companies in a staging area |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
Infantry companies in a staging area |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
Artillery batteries |
6-7 |
3 |
3-4 |
9 |
27-36 |
Artillery platoons |
1-2 |
- |
1-2 |
6 |
6-12 |
Control posts |
2-4 |
1-2 |
1-2 |
6 |
6-12 |
Radar Stations |
1-2 |
- |
1-2 |
6 |
6-12 |
Total |
19-24 |
10-11 |
9-13 |
- |
99-126 |
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From the table it is evident that in these specific situation a density
of artillery of about 100-130 guns, mortars, and -----per 1km breakthrough
sector is required for the simultaneous neutralization of 9-13 of the indicated
objectives (targets).
Given the same conditions, we will examine the requirement for artillery using
the second method utilizing the so-called adduced area (privedenna ploshchad),
the area of the given target, adduced according to the amount of the required
expenditure of ammunition per area of covered ---- forces, taking into account
the density of the neutralization.
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Table No. 2 A calculation of the adduced
area of the objectives (targets) for 1 km breakthrough sector of the enemy's
defense.
Designations of objectives (targets) |
Number of targets destroyed by artillery |
Range of fire (km) |
Density of neutralization (%) |
Expenditure of 122 mm shells on 1 hectare of
target |
Adduced area of neutralization |
Of one target |
Of all targets |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
Platoon strong points on the forward edge (9 ha) |
2 |
up to 10 |
100 |
150 |
9 |
18 |
Platoon strong points to the rear |
1 |
up to 10 |
50 |
75 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
Artillery batteries |
2-3 |
up to 10 |
100 |
220 |
1.5 |
3-4.5 |
Artillery batteries |
1 |
15 |
100 |
440 |
3 |
3 |
Mortar Platoons |
1-2 |
up to 10 |
100 |
165 |
1 |
1-2 |
Control posts (up to 3 ha |
1 |
up to 10 |
100 |
150 |
3 |
3 |
Control posts (up to 3 ha |
1 |
15 |
100 |
300 |
6 |
6 |
Radar Stations (up to 1 ha |
1 |
up to 10 |
100 |
80 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Radar stations (up to 1 ha |
1 |
15 |
100 |
160 |
1 |
1 |
Total |
11-15 |
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40-425 |
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The total adduced area is multiplied by the rare of expenditure of
shells for neutralizing the covered personnel and equipment of a force (150 122
mm shells per ha) and divided by the approximate expenditure of ammunition
designated for preparatory fire/ If .8 units of fire (64 122 mm shells) are
expended in preparatory fire, the total requirement for artillery amounts to
94-100 guns per 1km of the breakthrough sector.
(40 to 43) x 150=94 to 100
Thus, both methods give roughly equal results. A more precise result is
obtained using the second method. However, this method requires more
complicated calculations and is, in practice, usually used at the divisional
level for a detailed planning of firing. The first method is more often used
for operational calculations at the army level.
Knowing the requirement for artillery for 1 km, it is not difficult to
establish the total amount needed for breakthrough sectors and throughout the
army offensive sector as a whole.
The requirement for artillery for accomplishing the basic tasks examined above
and the creation of this necessary and advantageous grouping is ensured by
virtue of the authorized artillery of the army and artillery reinforcement.
In each specific case, the reinforcement of the army with artillery can be
different, since it depends on a number of factors. The most important of these
include: the senior commander having artillery available; the tasks
accomplished by the armies in the operation; the nature of the enemy's defense
and the degree to which it is destroyed by aviation; the number of artillery
tasks in preparatory fire and the sequence of their accomplishment; and also
the conditions for establishing the most advantageous grouping of artillery for
the purpose of ensuring independence in the troop combat operations during the
operation.
A comparison of all these factors justifies the conclusion that the army
attacking has the required artillery.
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