Field Artillery - Field Artillery Team

Field Artillery Team

Modern field artillery (i.e., post-World War I) has two distinct parts: some forward observers (FOs), and the batteries. Each battery is divided into the fire direction center (FDC) and the actual guns themselves.

The FOs sit forward where they can see the targets and call fire upon them. They signal the FDC of the battery, who calculate the gun settings, telling on to the gun crews, who then fire. The FO observes the fall of shot and sends correcting signals.

The batteries are many kilometres behind the FEBA, so one might hope well away from enemy infantry. They pick a "convenient" location where they can sit for some while and do multiple fire missions before needing to relocate.

In normal operations the FOs locate targets and signal them to the FDCs.

They can also calculate "defensive fire" tasks. These are pre‑planned missions, typically just in front of or upon one's own positions, designed with the intention of either suppressing potential attacks (where fire is dropped just in front of friendly positiona), or in dropping fire on a recently abandoned or overrun position to prevent the enemy from consolidating there. Because the calculations have already been done, the fire can be called down very quickly when it is needed.

Read more about this topic:  Field Artillery

Famous quotes containing the words field, artillery and/or team:

    Every woman who visited the Fair made it the center of her orbit. Here was a structure designed by a woman, decorated by women, managed by women, filled with the work of women. Thousands discovered women were not only doing something, but had been working seriously for many generations ... [ellipsis in source] Many of the exhibits were admirable, but if others failed to satisfy experts, what of it?
    —Kate Field (1838–1908)

    We now demand the light artillery of the intellect; we need the curt, the condensed, the pointed, the readily diffused—in place of the verbose, the detailed, the voluminous, the inaccessible. On the other hand, the lightness of the artillery should not degenerate into pop-gunnery—by which term we may designate the character of the greater portion of the newspaper press—their sole legitimate object being the discussion of ephemeral matters in an ephemeral manner.
    Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1845)

    Romeo. I dreamt a dream tonight.
    Mercutio. And so did I.
    Romeo. Well, what was yours?
    Mercutio. That dreamers often lie.
    Romeo. In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
    Mercutio. O then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
    She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
    In shape no bigger than an agate stone
    On the forefinger of an alderman,
    Drawn with a team of little atomi
    Over men’s noses as they lie asleep.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)