Learning Artillery language

T

Trevinboy

New Member
Greeting to the military community and thank you for your contributions and sacrifices, they do not go unnoticed ;)

Anyway, I respectfully would like to inquire about Artillery coordinates and language. I am a writer and am currently writing a book on the Iran Iraq war of the 80s. Because I do not know how commanders and field artillery personnel talk to each other, I would like to see if I could get help. I am writing about a platoon that is about to be overrun by advancing enemy mechanized cavalry units, but the platoon commander is ordering that his artillery which is 2 kilometers behind the platoon, fire on the advancing cavalry units. I need to know what would the commander radio in to the artillery units. Would it be, "we need fire on this coordinates?" or what. Can someone simulate a situation just so that I can have an idea and perhaps copy the idea onto my manuscript? Thank you guys in advance and good work!
 
I'm pretty rusty but ill give you the basics.

Observer: "Hey you[callsign], this is me[call sign]."
Battery: "this is me[call sign], send your traffic."
Observer:"this is me, reqesting fire mission"

You will have preferably a 12 digit coord at least. You will also have pre determined "known distance" grids already set up. Intersections are pretty solid for this. You need to indentify what kind of targets are present so the gun bunnies know which shells to lob. Different ammo for different targets.

Once the round is sent battery will call out "splash over", the observer on the ground will call out "splash out" when he sees the impact. This lets the battery know you have eyes on where the target hit. Then you start dropping or raising by a set amount of increments. Im trying not to be too detailed here obviously. Once the round hit where you want it the observer would call up for a "fire for effect". An entire Battery will unload on that command.
 
Ok, this is my area of expertise...in this situation they would likely be firing what is called a FPF or Final Protective Fires.

In this instance the Platoon Leader would likely not be calling in the artillery himself for he has a battle to direct on the ground. He would have a Forward Observer with him that would call in the fires for him. Usually the PL would simply point to the threat area and say "Make that go away" and the observer would take it from there.

The observer could do an adjust fire mission which is like what AZ infantry described. Basically, you can call up three methods of target location: Grid (at least a six digit grid coordinate), a polar mission where you give a distance and direction based off the observers location, or a shift from known point which is when there are predetermined points that are set up during the occupation of the area and you shift left, right, add, drop based off those points. Once the round lands you adjust the rounds based off of where the observer spotted it.

In this situation it would sound like

Me: Dawg one zero(the FDC) this is Bushmaster niner six(Me), adjust fire, over

FDC: Bushmaster 96 this is Dawg 10, out

Me:Grid November Delta(ND) 9872 4567...break...direction One Eight Hundred (1800) over

FDC: (FDC repeats back the info)

Me: One tank platoon in the open, ICM in effect, over

FDC: (Repeats back the info)

FDC: Message to Observer: Delta 4 rounds, target number Alpha Bravo(AB) 1208 over

Me: (repeat back the info)

When the Artillery Battery shoots the FDC will announce

FDC: Shot over

Me: Shot out

5 seconds from impact the FDC will announce

FDC: Splash over

Me: Splash out

Then the round will impact. If the round impacts to the point of causing good effects on the enemy then the observer will call back to the FDC

Me: Fire for Effect, over

FDC: Fire for effect, out

If the round is not close enough to have effects on the target then the observer will have to adjust more rounds until they DO have effects on the target. It would sound like this:

Me: Left five zero(50) Drop one hundred(100)

FDC: (repeats info)

FDC: Shot over

Me: shot out

FDC: splash over

Me: splash out

The observer will continue to make corrections until the adjusting rounds have effects. They can achieve this through successive bracketing, creeping fire, or by a bold adjustment.

Like I said before, in this case they probably would not be doing any adjusting fires though. They would likely set up target numbers on areas where the enemy is likely to occur while making their defense plans. Part of the defense plan is an FPF. This is established during the occupation and improvement of the defensive position. It is usually set in a location where the enemy is likely to have a breakthrough or where the commander feels his position is most vulnerable. In the event that the unit is being overrun the commander would likely give the go ahead to call in the FPF in conjunction with his direct fire final protective fires as well.

It would sound like:

Me: Dawg 10 this is Bushmaster 96

FDC: Bushmaster 96 this is Dawg 10

Me: Fire FPF At My Command

Once I say "at my command" the FDC will not repeat back the info they will simply wait for me to give the command to fire. I will wait until either commander gives the go ahead or when I feel it will do the most damage to the enemy forces. I would just simply say "Fire!"

If you need more details about this just send me a PM, I don't want to go into too much more detail on this in a public forum.
 
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Wow! You guys are surgical on this! Thank you so much, I will use every bit of information you have so kindly provided! I hope you all can get my book, its called "Military Industrial Apocalypse" and it should be out on sale by October or November. It deals with terrorism and an upcoming war with Iran. Thanks again and God speed to all you brave individuals!
 
Big_Z said:
Observer: "Hey you[callsign], this is me[call sign]."
Battery: "this is me[call sign], send your traffic."
Observer:"this is me, reqesting fire mission"
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Wow? I guess this is different to the way we do it in oz.One of the First things I was taught was: Fire missions 'Are sent not offered'. As they are fire orders. And you listen to and obey orders...


Brinkt's Example I have become quite familiar with .With some notable differences, here we would direct the call for fire directly to a fire unit we are authorised to fire usually our own battery.Cutting out the need for a message to observer.We only direct a call for fire to the the RCP (FDC equiv) . When requesting Fire from units that are not our own(our doctrine is changing though to become more like the US).

Although I have to confess I envy the US military and its use of callsigns (along with its awesome capabilities and abundance of resources but that goes with out saying). In oz we use trendy callsigns like 31 or 14 or the super trendy Alpha-34-Bravo....

Regarding Callsigns are they standardised or??
 
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captiva303 said:
Wow? I guess this is different to the way we do it in oz.One of the First things I was taught was: Fire missions 'Are sent not offered'. As they are fire orders. And you listen to and obey orders...


Brinkt's Example I have become quite familiar with .With some notable differences, here we would direct the call for fire directly to a fire unit we are authorised to fire usually our own battery.Cutting out the need for a message to observer.We only direct a call for fire to the the RCP (FDC equiv) . When requesting Fire from units that are not our own(our doctrine is changing though to become more like the US).

Although I have to confess I envy the US military and its use of callsigns (along with its awesome capabilities and abundance of resources but that goes with out saying). In oz we use trendy callsigns like 31 or 14 or the super trendy Alpha-34-Bravo....

Regarding Callsigns are they standardised or??
Click to expand...

They go directly to the fire unit, he's using FDC but referring to the FDC of the battery firing the mission.
 
FDC's are organic to every Artillery platoon within the US Army. They CAN be combined within a battery to be one centralized FDC if the entire Battery is being used to fire, say, in volleys supporting a major operation, with fie support time tables etc. Each Artillery Battalion also has a Battalion level FDC to further deconflict fires. The MTO is often used since one Arty Battalion is supporting an entire BDE where several maneuver units are simultaneously using the Fire support net. Furthermore, the tgt number is tracked so if that tgt needed to be shot again later, it can quickly be brought up and fired within seconds of request.

The call signs are not standardized. WE do use the same style as you Aussies do...but most units use a call sign synonymous with their units motto or mascot. My last unit was Delta Battery 1-5 FA. We called ourselves the Delta Dawgs or the Dawg pound. Our Battalions motto was "Hamiltons Own" after its' founder Alexander Hamilton with the HQ elements call sign being Destroyer.

My current Unit is B Company 1-16 IN. We use Bushmaster for Bravo company and the Battalion motto is Iron Rangers so my HQ uses that for their callsign. So, my battalion commanders callsign is Iron Ranger 6 while my Company commanders call sign is Bushmaster 6. Commanders are the 6 element, PL's are usually their platoon number and then 6....So, I was PL of 3rd platoon so my callsign was Dawg 36. Now, I'm part of a company fire support team and we us the 9's to identify our section so my callsign is Bushmaster 96.
 
Yeah, I see where I have gone wrong here. Mixed up some acronyms. Is there another acronym with a few other 'F's 'D's and 'c's...

I think we are using different terminology to describe the same things. As I think battery, battalion and platoon have different meanings to one another.

Being only part way through my course I really shouldn't have been commenting. As I have only really just started to learn the language myself.

Australian Arty is very **** about its comms and only allows for strict "Ratel" approved procedure and call signs to be used. Procedure should be strict but only using unit numbers and numbers that represent position with in units and appointment titles has lost its value not to mention boring. But it isn't really important.
 
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Trevinboy said:
Wow! You guys are surgical on this! Thank you so much, I will use every bit of information you have so kindly provided! I hope you all can get my book, its called "Military Industrial Apocalypse" and it should be out on sale by October or November. It deals with terrorism and an upcoming war with Iran. Thanks again and God speed to all you brave individuals!
Click to expand...
Yep, we all have our little specialties. I'm pretty good at kicking down doors :mrgreen:
Your book sounds interesting.
 
Aussie Arty has strict RATEL to ensure that the correct fire mission co-ordinates are sent through, there's no b******t transmitted across the radio nets and we don't kill our own troops.

Having worked with US Arty on many occassiions, I'm amazed that they get any rounds on target at all
 
The Royal Artillery (or Drop Shorts) as they are affectionately known, their voice messages are usually - "bugger! - missed!" :D
 
fireoverwater said:
Aussie Arty has strict RATEL to ensure that the correct fire mission co-ordinates are sent through, there's no b******t transmitted across the radio nets and we don't kill our own troops.

Having worked with US Arty on many occassiions, I'm amazed that they get any rounds on target at all
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M'Kay.......
 
anyone think possible OPSEC around here....... could be harmless but why come to a site like this to ask the question?
 
This was flagged earlier on with that same question. Consensus among the mods was that you can get just as much, if not more info about fire orders on Wikipedia and even just playing any modern military shooter.
 
AFSteliga said:
This was flagged earlier on with that same question. Consensus among the mods was that you can get just as much, if not more info about fire orders on Wikipedia and even just playing any modern military shooter.
Click to expand...

fair nuff................ thanks
 
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