Thread: Tirpitz
View Single Post
  #29 (permalink)  
Old March 26th, 2008, 04:12 PM
Za Rodinu's Avatar
Za Rodinu Za Rodinu is online now
Ace
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Where Iron Crosses grow
Posts: 6,843
Za Rodinu is a glorious beacon of lightZa Rodinu is a glorious beacon of lightZa Rodinu is a glorious beacon of lightZa Rodinu is a glorious beacon of lightZa Rodinu is a glorious beacon of lightZa Rodinu is a glorious beacon of lightZa Rodinu is a glorious beacon of light
Default Re: Tirpitz

Sure Erich, I'm not arguing with you for arguing's sake, but you will recognise that naval support is good for half a dozen miles inland and amyway you need to have VERY good fire control or else it will be only unobserved fire by map coordinates.

Nevertheless, yes, There was German naval gunfire support at Koenigsberg, and Rokossovsky's 2nd Bielorussian Front did have trouble as it fought along the Baltic coast as flankguard to Zhukov's 1st Biel. Fr. going to Berlin, struggling to take the West Prussian and Pomeranian ports.

The problem with fire control is that normally you have an observer attached to an artillery unit, of whatever size, battery, battalion or even above. This observer must have a wire or radio link to the firing unit or to the command level to which that firing unit belongs to so signal can then be relayed downwards. In other words we are speaking of infantry networks, and communications can flow from the observer to his own unit, or to the divisional Arko (div. artillery commander) who will then relay commands to his units controlling his gun lines to fire according to that observer's commands (although this is more the American or Brit model...)

Now having an observer controlling fire from ships, using different firing procedures, communication networks, frequencies etc is not an easy thing, you will have some trouble having a landlubber artillery FAO lootenant controlling naval 150mm or 280mm fire to break up a battalion-sized attack, something your own divisional artillery ought to be up to. You need more 'gut' to be able to do this.
__________________
Reply With Quote