Artillery troops from the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Standard of an artillery division of the Wehrmacht in weapon color crimson

The artillery troop was a class of service (in the sense of a class of service ) of the army of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS , which combined the artillery forces of the army. It was used mainly during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945.

A 15 cm sFH in fire position, France 1940
15 cm sFH 18 near Kursk , June 1942
Directional gunner (K1) on the panoramic telescope of a 17 cm cannon , North Africa 1943
Ammunition and loading gunners, Soviet Union 1942
21 cm mortar 18 in fire fighting, southern eastern front in summer 1942
Anti-aircraft machine gun securing of the firing position
Telephone troop during the connection test
Ammunition gunner setting a detonator
15 cm heavy field howitzer 37 (t) in fire fighting, Greece 1941
Field howitzers in firing position, Africa 1942
Field howitzer for direct straightening, Stalingrad 1942
VB troop: First lieutenant at the telescopic sight, telecommunications operator with field telephone
Artillery impact

overview

In 1939/40 the Wehrmacht's artillery comprised almost half a million soldiers after mobilization:

Officers Officer NCOs Teams total
Peace strength 11,430 1,165 43,036 275,735 331.366
Reserve army 2,670 389 10,509 105.238 118,806
Army 14,100 1,554 53,545 380,973 450.172

The production of guns from 7.5 cm caliber was:

1940 1941 1942 1943 1944
6,100 7,200 12,000 27,250 41,500

Firing artillery

Pipe artillery

Field artillery

An infantry division had an artillery regiment with three light regiments - the number of which was based on the infantry regiments of the division to be supported - and a heavy division of three batteries each . In contrast to this, the Jäger divisions with two Jäger regiments only had two light artillery divisions and no heavy artillery division.

A field artillery battery typically consisted of

  • the battery squad with the battery chief in the rank of captain , a lieutenant as an observation officer and the computer squad ,
  • the news relay for the establishment and operation of the tactical telecommunications networks (telephone / field cable assembly team, radio team),
  • the gun squadron with four field howitzers (A, B, C and D guns), led by a lieutenant as a battery officer and a sergeant (the sergeant corresponded to the rank of sergeant in the artillery ), two gun platoons with two gun groups each, the anti-aircraft troop with Fla-MG, the computer team, a detector and a medic ,
  • the ammunition squadron,
  • the war train under the battery sergeant with the harness master, the weapons and equipment NCO, a field kitchen troop and the baggage train with accounting officer, shoemaker, tailor and saddler.
Exploration of the operational area

After his department had received the order for action (the artillery regiment of an infantry division of the 1st wave of deployment had three light and one heavy artillery department, each department had three batteries), the battery chief contacted the commander of the combat unit assigned to him - usually an infantry battalion - took on the task of the artillery liaison officer and made the necessary arrangements in order to then give his subordinates the necessary exploration and deployment orders.

The advanced observer (VB) on the battery observation point (B point) was considered the eye of the artillery. The battery boss therefore usually undertook the investigation of the B-point himself, closely following the combat troops to be supported. It was important to have a commanding view of the main battle line into the depths of the enemy position and good camouflage so as not to be spotted yourself.

The firing position was explored by the battery officer with one of his platoon leaders. The following requirements applied:

  • Position as flat as possible, about 100 to 150 m wide (130 to 180 m for heavy batteries).
  • Approach route and position withdrawn from direct enemy view, preferably on a hillside.
  • Unevenly staggered placement of the guns.
  • Free field of fire of approx. 500 m in the basic direction .

Also to be explored were:

  • The near B point for fighting enemy forces that have broken through.
  • The alarm position for infantry close defense by the gunners.
  • Position of the anti-aircraft machine guns flanking the guns.
  • Ammunition storage area approx. 200 m behind the firing position with covered paths for smooth connection supply.
  • Alternating fire position.
  • Position of the work gun, approx. 300 m from the main firing position.

The aiming circle was set up in the field of vision of the guns and measured according to position and direction for later setting up the guns. The positions of the individual guns were marked by the reconnaissance command with gun flags aligned in the basic direction.

The main sergeant explored with the ammunition squadron the limber position for the parking of the towing and supply vehicles or horses, the battery train and the construction of the field kitchen .

Establishing the readiness for action

Quickly establishing the readiness for action was considered crucial: “The most reliable basis for success is the lead in combat readiness . The artillery must be ready to fire faster than the enemy "

For camouflage reasons, radio bans were usually in effect until the fire fight began.

Immediately after the reconnaissance, the telephone team therefore began to set up the vital field cable connection between B-point and battery, to the infantry command post and the artillery division command post .

The VB troop contacted the local leader of the combat troops, covered the ordered B position, set up the telescopic sight and set it up. Then the position was camouflaged, readiness to act was established and a terrain orientation made. In doing so, he recorded the most prominent terrain points on the shooting map (1: 25,000 or 1: 50,000) with a coordinate grid, made an observation sketch, and reported the unobserved rooms to the department for further assessment, for which additional terrain sections Monitoring measures had to be ordered and explored one or more change B-points.

The VB was able to locate the target and direct the fire fight

The gun squadron now moved into the explored firing position:

The guns were picked up by the reconnaissance troops who picked them up, "skinned" at the marked positions and brought into position in the platoon, roughly aligned in the basic direction by the gun crews and fixed by the loading gunners (K3, K4) with the help of the ground spurs .

The directional gunners (K1, K2) initially aligned the barrel and straightening system with the dragonfly at ground level, then the K1 aimed the panoramic telescope at the aiming circle and the loading gunners (K3, K4) folded down the ground spurs of the guns. Then the loading gunner (K3) hurried to the directional circle in order to note down the direction values ​​measured for his gun (directional circle number) from there, while the second loading gunner (K4) staked out the red and white marked directional poles for the later fixing of the gun and laid out the squeegee and the loader . The ammunition gunners (K5, K6) unloaded the ammunition and placed the propellant charges as well as the grenades and detonators about 10 to 20 m behind the gun. Then the Protzen left the gun squadron and took up the Protzen position. The gun leader checked the setup of the gun and reported that it was operational. Then he camouflaged the gun and the marching tracks.

As soon as the first gun was set up and the communication link established, the battery officer reported “operational readiness”.

Leadership of the fire fight

The plan of operation of the artillery was the plan of fire; typical combat missions to the artillery were as part of the fire plan:

  • The surveillance (üw) of areas of terrain by observation and fire.
  • The general fight against recognized enemy targets.
  • The blocking off (abr) of advancing enemy attack formations.
  • The disruption of transport and supply lines through irregular fire attacks.
  • Holding down (ndl) or blinding (ble) enemy forces in consultation with the combat troops for a specified period of time.
  • The smashing (zsl) of enemy fire positions, troop gatherings or attack deployments with the highest use of ammunition.
  • Illuminating (bel) terrain areas rarely uses terrain points as targets at night, especially when attacking enemy forces.
  • The deactivation of enemy observation points with explosive and / or smoke grenades as well as the fogging (nbl) of enemy forces during an attack or enemy positions during one's own attack.
  • Destroying bunkers, field fortifications or other point targets.

After the release of the fire plan with specifications for fire orders, target points and barrages by the department commander or the battery chief, the VB began to zero in on the battery. He located the injection points or enemy targets according to position, altitude and direction of observation and transmitted the data as a fire order to the gun emplacement.

The order to fire contained: direction of observation (line of sight ), coordinates ( map pointer ), target height, target description, use of ammunition (in shot or groups), type of ammunition (mostly high explosive, incendiary, smoke grenades), type of detonator (impact or time / double detonator), type of fire (Single shot, fire strike or volley ). Example of a fire order: "Eye stripes 16-4-5, plan pointer 5-4-0-5-9-2, altitude 165, target point at the intersection, a shot, report readiness to fire and flight time!"

For important targets, the VB could not only call up the fire of its battery, but also fire summaries of the division or regiment. He chose the use of ammunition and fuses based on tactical judgment. Most of the time, fire was fired with an impact fuse, and more rarely with a time fuse. Should mine action against bunkers and field fortifications be achieved, the VB had "impact fuse with delay" fired; the grenade only detonated a fraction of a second after impact. Achieving “ ricochets ” with delay fuses was particularly effective against unarmored targets on a flat flight path and hard (frozen) ground ; the detonation of the HE shell just above the ground caused devastating explosive force and fragmentation. At night, flare grenades were also fired with a large increase , the burning magnesium charge on the parachute slowly floating down over the battlefield and illuminating the area for precise targeting and fighting.

In the firing position, the computers determined the actual distance and direction of the shot and converted this into fire commands for the guns with the help of the shooting board and Barbara message as a fire control center : the "partial ring" - that is, the direction of the weapon, the elevation or attachment angle, the level (the terrain angle), the number of propellant charges, type of projectile, detonator and detonator position.

In response to the alarm call “fire command” , the gun leaders and gunners rushed to the guns, aligned the guns according to the fire command given, unscrewed the ordered fuses, loaded the projectile with cartridge and propellant charge and signaled readiness for fire.

In the B-point the VB ordered the firing by counting down, measured the seconds until the calculated impact time with the stopwatch, located the impact and reported the necessary corrections to the fire control center. until the fire was in the target. One, two, four or eight times that of 100 m was the “fork dimension”. If the shot was behind the target and the deviation was about 80 meters to the left, the corrective command was: "80 right, 400 stop, shot, come!" If the shot was in front of the target, he commanded "200 increase, shot, come!" If the shot was again too short, he commanded “add 100, shot, come!” Now the target was forked, and with the last correction, the target was fought with the fire unit - for example the battery: “Add whole 50 battery , Fire strike, fire! "

The safer the shooting basics, the greater the effect of targeted and surprising fire attacks, but also the safety of one's own troops from short shots. The prerequisite for this was the closely coordinated cooperation of all sub-units of the battery:

  • The exact target location and safe corrections of the VB.
  • The exact measurement of the firing position by the reconnaissance team.
  • The correct calculation of elevation and lateral direction taking into account the ballistic influences by means of weather reports and shooting boards by the fire control computer.
  • The precise setup of the guns by the gunners.

The telecommunication connections were also of crucial importance for the conduct of the fire fight. If the connection was broken, it was said "Lineman out!" - and the telephone soldiers often had to search for and repair the damaged cables, even under heavy enemy fire.

If the VB ordered a “break in fire” after the target fight, the directional gunners swiveled their guns back to the general basic direction or to the barrage values ​​determined if necessary . In the event of an alarm, an immediate fire could be triggered without complex messages.

The VB continued to observe the battlefield, maintaining constant contact with the local combat troops, passing on situation and target reports to the chief and the departmental command post and, after the fire was released, transmitted his fire commands to the battery on other enemy targets. In the event of surprising enemy attacks, the combat troops were also able to trigger the immediate barrage of the battery using a signal cartridge, with the VB taking over the lead of the fire fight as quickly as possible.

In exceptional cases, individual guns were brought forward up to the HKL in advance if point targets were to be fought in direct shot. For these missions, however, the "house artillery" of the infantry - infantry guns , anti-tank guns , tanks and grenade launchers - were normally used.

The firing positions of the artillery often formed the last containment position in the event of enemy intrusions. Under the orders of the battery officer, the gunners then opened fire in direct judging and fought enemy infantry with explosive projectiles or enemy tanks with shaped charge projectiles. If the fire fight with the artillery was no longer possible at the shortest distance, the gunners defended the position with machine guns , MPI , carbines and bazooka infantry.

  • 10.5 cm lFH 16 on the Atlantic Wall

  • Preserved 10.5 cm LFH 18 in a Polish museum

  • 10.5 cm lFH 324 (f)

  • Preserved 15 cm SFH 18 in the Canadian Museum

Weapon systems

Note: in addition to the guns listed, numerous other booty guns were used.

Caliber / type Range V 0 tractor introduction comment
7.5 cm field cannon 16nA 9,100 m 540 covered or motorized 1916 modified version of the 7.7 cm field cannon 16 from the First World War , at the beginning of the war 298 units were still in stock
7.5 cm field cannon 246 (n) 10,000 m 500 covered or motorized 1901 Norwegian booty gun for occupation forces in Norway
7.62 cm field cannon 269 (r) 13,600 m 680 1941 Soviet booty gun "Ratsch-Bumm"
10 cm cannon 17 16,500 m 650 1917 First used in World War I, used for coastal defense until 1945
Heavy 10 cm field cannon 18 19,000 m 835 1940
10 cm light field howitzer 30 (t) 10,600 m 430 1938 Czech booty gun
10 cm light field howitzer 14/19 9,800 m 398 1938 Czech (t) or Polish (p) booty gun
10.5 cm light field howitzer 16 9,225 m 395 mostly covered 1916 Developed during the First World War, standard gun of the divisional artillery until it was replaced by the le.FH 18
10.5 cm light field howitzer 18 10,675 m 470 hauled or caterpillar tractor east (RSO) 1935 Standard gun of the divisional artillery
10.5 cm light field howitzer 324 (f) 10,700 m 465 1940 French booty gun
10.5 cm heavy cannon 35 (t) 18,100 m 730 1939 Czech booty gun
12.2 cm light field howitzer 388 (r) 8,960 m 365 1941 Soviet booty gun
15 cm field howitzer 13 8,675 m 385 covered or Sd.Kfz. 7th 1914 Standard gun of the heavy division of the divisional artillery until it was replaced by SFH 18
15 cm field howitzer 18 13,325 m 620 covered or Sd.Kfz. 7th 1935 Standard gun of the heavy division of the divisional artillery
15 cm heavy field howitzer 15 (t) 11,500 m 508 1938 Czech booty gun
15.2 cm cannon howitzer 433/1 (r) 16,000 m 655 1941 Soviet booty gun

Assault and tank artillery

The necessity of following the armored troops in mobile combat in particular had already become clear before the outbreak of war. On the one hand, armored escort guns - the term “ assault guns ” or “ assault artillery ” quickly caught on - should immediately follow the tanks in the attack, and on the other hand, the field artillery implemented on self-propelled guns should be able to give the attack units direct fire support .

Assault guns are full-track armored vehicles of the assault artillery. The cannon of the assault gun was only movable in elevation, i.e. not in a rotating turret , which simplified production.

Assault artillery
Tank artillery

The formation of the tank artillery was initially made makeshift. Tanks that no longer corresponded to the conditions at the front, such as the PzKw 38 (t) , PzKw I and PzKw II , but also French captured tanks , including the Lorraine, Somua or Renault types , were disarmed as "equipment vehicles " and then as self-propelled guns with infantry guns (sIG33) , captured 7.62 cm field cannons 269 (r) or field howitzers (10.5 cm) armed. The result was a variety of different designs.

The first actual self-propelled howitzers, also with an open combat compartment, were

  • the PzH "Wespe" on Gw II, equipped with the light 10.5 cm field howitzer
  • and the PzH "Hummel" on Gw IV with the heavy 15 cm field howitzer

each deployed in a mixed artillery division composed of two wasps batteries (12 guns) and a bumblebee battery (6 guns).

  • Marder I with a 15 cm field howitzer 13 near El-Alamein

  • "Wasp" with a 10.5 cm howitzer

  • A “Bumblebee” battery in a firing position, south eastern front, 1943

  • SfH Sturmpanzer 38 (t) "Grille " in Italy in 1943

  • SdKfz 135/1 with a 15 cm howitzer in North Africa

Weapon systems
Type caliber Gw introduction comment
Sturmgeschütz III (Sd.Kfz. 142, 142/1 StuG III) 7.5 cm PzKw III 1940 from version F (1942) with long tube
Sturmhaubitze 42 (Sd.Kfz. 142/1 StuH 42) 10.5 cm PzKw III 1943
Sturmpanzer IV (Sd.Kfz. 166) 15 cm PzKw IV 1943
Sturmgeschütz IV (Sd.Kfz. 163 StuG IV) 7.5 cm PzKw IV 1943
Storm tiger 38 cm PzKw VI 1943 heaviest assault gun that came into use
StuG M42 (i) 7.5 cm PzKw M13 / 40 1943 Semovente 75/18 taken over by the Italians
Self-propelled howitzer Wespe (Sd.Kfz. 124) 10.5 cm le.FH18 PzKw II 1943
Self-propelled howitzer Hummel (Sd.Kfz. 165) 15 cm sFH18 / 1 PzKw IV 1943
12.8 cm self-propelled gun L / 61 "Sturer Emil" (Sd.Kfz. 165) 12.8 cm Chassis VK 3001 (H) 1943 only two built

Mountain artillery

The situation in the mountains made special conditions for artillery operations. Extreme terrain conditions and rapidly changing weather conditions made it difficult to shoot according to plan by creating a safe shooting basis and required special artillery skills. The VB der Gebirgsjäger could not “fork” the target with long and short shots in rugged terrain, but had to “shoot” the target from one side. Higher-lying targets or targets on the rear slope could often only be shot at with steep fire; the mountain guns were therefore also designed to fire in the upper angle group (> 45 ° elevation).

Another problem was the transport and supply in steep and impassable terrain. The guns could therefore be dismantled into payloads and were transported to the firing position together with ammunition and equipment by horse and mule carrying columns.

Weapon systems
Caliber / type Range V 0 tractor introduction comment
6.5 cm mountain cannon 26 (i) 6,500 m 350 Pack animals 1943 Italian booty gun
7.5 cm mountain cannon 15 6,650 m 382 Pack animals 1938 taken over by the Austrian army
7.5 cm light mountain infantry gun 18 3,550 m 220 Pack animals 1939 Accompanying guns of the Mountain Infantry Battalions
7.5 cm mountain gun 36 9,250 m 475 uniaxial hawksbill, stringed, or pack animals 1940/41 Standard weapon of the mountain artillery
7.5 cm mountain cannon 238 (f) 9,000 m 375 Pack animals 1940 French booty gun
7,62 cm mountain cannon 307 (r) 10,100 m 500 Pack animals 1941 Soviet booty gun
10cm Mountain Howitzer 316 (i) 9,280 m 405 Pack animals 1943 Italian booty gun
10 cm mountain howitzer 16/19 (t) 10,900 m 464 Pack animals 1943 Czech booty gun
10.5 cm mountain howitzer 40 12,625 m 570 5 uniaxial cartridges behind Kettenkrad 1942 Standard weapon of the mountain artillery

Parachute artillery

The paratrooper artillery had special requirements. Their guns had to be distributed in several loads, transported by the gunners and installed and used on site with a few simple steps, even in unsuitable and uneven terrain. Therefore, in addition to the tried and tested grenade launchers, recoilless guns ("light guns") were used, which were more stable when fired and also had a significantly lower weight. However, the escaping powder gases generated clearly visible clouds of dust and detonation behind the gun during the fire fight, which could quickly reveal the position.

In addition to the paratroopers, the mountain troops also used the light guns.

  • 7.5 cm LG40

  • 10.5 cm LG42

  • Paratroopers with grenade launchers

  • Parachute gunner

  • Light gun in fire fighting

Weapon systems
Type Range V 0 Mode of Transport introduction comment
7.5 cm light gun 40 6,500 m 345 1940 made of light metal, weight 175 kg
10.5 cm light gun 40 8,000 m 340 1941
10.5 cm light gun 42 8,000 m 340 1942 made of light metal

Heavy artillery

In addition to the artillery regiments at division level, the artillery commanders (Arko) of the corps had heavy artillery regiments for “general fire fighting” against targets in the depths of the area, often in cooperation with reconnaissance pilots and artillery observation departments, as the VBs' eye observation did not reach far enough into the enemy space. Long-range guns with a caliber of at least 15 cm were used for general fire fighting. In exceptional cases, individual departments were also used to "reinforce fire" of the divisional artillery on particularly threatened sections of the front. The IV. Heavy Division of the artillery regiments of the Waffen SS divisions also had some of these guns.

Heavy artillery such as the 17 cm cannon in a mortar carriage or the 21 cm mortar were grouped into separate compartments of three batteries each with three cannons and were subordinate to the corps or armies. In 1944 an artillery division was set up based on the Soviet model , but it was no longer used as a unit.

Weapon systems
Caliber / type Range V 0 tractor introduction comment
12.8 cm field cannon 81/2 French bag mounts of the Canon de 155 GPF-T with cross mount
14.5 cm cannon 405 (f) 18,900 m 785 1940 15-cm-Cannona-da-149/40 from Ansaldo
15 cm rapid loading cannon C / 28 in mortar carriage 23,500 m 875 1940 originally anti-ship guns of the Kriegsmarine
15 cm cannon 16 22,000 m 757 1916 later replaced by 15 cm cannon 18
15 cm cannon 18 24,825 m 890 Transport in two loads with tractors 1938
15 cm cannon 39 25,420 m 890 1939 Export version for Turkey
15 cm cannon 403 (j) 23,800 m 760 1941 built by the Skoda company for Yugoslavia, e.g. T. used as coastal artillery
15 cm cannon 408 (i) 23,700 m 795 1943 Canon-1916-St. Chamond
15.2 cm cannon 15/16 (t) 20,700 m 690 1938 z. Sometimes used as coastal artillery or deployed in the Africa Corps
15.5 cm cannon 416 (f) 17,500 m 665 1940 French booty gun, almost identical to the 15.5 cm cannon 416 (f)
15.5 cm cannon 418 (f) 19,500 m 735 1940 French booty gun, used by the Wehrmacht around 449
15.5 cm cannon 420 (f) 21,300 m 730 1940 French booty gun
15.5 cm cannon 425 (f) 13,600 m 560 1940 French booty gun from the First World War
17 cm cannon 18 29,600 m 925 18 t tractor unit FAMO SdKfz 9 1941 Standard gun of the heavy army artillery departments
21 cm cannon 38 33,900 m 905 Transport in two loads with a total of 34,825 kg with tractors 1941
21 cm cannon 39 33,000 m 800 Transport in three loads with a total of 59,100 kg with tractors 1939
21 cm mortar 16 11,100 m 393 1916
21 cm mortar 18 16,700 m 565 18 t tractor unit FAMO SdKfz 9 1939 replaced the long 21 cm mortar in 1916 as the standard gun of the heavy army artillery departments
21 cm mortar 69 6,400 m 243.6 1944 Armaments emergency program for the People's Artillery Corps
22 cm mortar (p) 14,200 m 500 1939 Polish booty gun
22 cm cannon 532 (f) 22,800 m 766 1940 French booty gun, used for coastal defense
24 cm cannon 3 37,000 m 970 Transport in six loads with a total of 86,000 kg with tractors 1939 used at IsArtAbt 84
24 cm heavy cannon (t) 29,875 m 799 1938 Czech booty gun, introduced in 1916, used in the II.s. Section 84
28 cm mortar 601 (f) 10,950 m 418 Transport in four loads with tractors 1940 French booty gun, introduced in 1914
30.5 cm mortar (t) 16,700 m 1938 Czech booty gun
35.5 cm howitzer M1 20,850 m 575 Transport in six loads on trolleys 1939 sArtAbt 641
42 cm gamma mortar 14,200 m 220 Rail transport 1912
42 cm howitzer (t) 14,600 m 435 four loads 1914
54 cm mortar 10,060 m 378 Full-track self-propelled gun 1941
Heavy 60 cm mortar on Sf (Ger. 40/41) 6,800 m 283 Full-track self-propelled gun 1940

Railway artillery

The heavy artillery also included the railway artillery, which was mainly used for the siege of permanent places (Leningrad, Kiev, Sevastopol) and was partly subordinate to the OKH. In 1938 it was planned to set up the three railway batteries 710, 712 and 713, each with two guns.

Used in: 1941 (Eastern Front):

  • Railway Artillery Battery 701 (2 guns), 2nd / Railroad Artillery Department 725 (1 gun, Army Group South )
  • Railway artillery batteries 710, 712, 713, 765 (two guns each, Army Group Center )

1944 (Atlantic Wall, Italy):

  • Railroad Artillery Batteries 686, 688, 710, 712, 713, 749 and 765
Weapon systems
Caliber / type Range V 0 tractor introduction comment
15 cm cannon (E) 22,500 m 805 8-18 Railroad Artillery Battery 655
17 cm cannon (E) 26,100 m 860 Railway artillery batteries 717, 718
20 cm cannon (E) 36,400 m 925 8th
8 '' cannon (E) 36,400 m 925 1940
21 cm cannon 12 (E) 115,000 m 2 1939/40 Railroad Artillery Battery 701
24 cm cannon Theodor (E) 26,750 m 810 3
24 cm cannon Theodor-Bruno (E) 20,200 m 6th Railway artillery batteries 664, 674 and 722
28 cm cannon Short Bruno (E) 29,500 m 820 8th
28 cm cannon Lange Bruno (E) 28,500 m 865 3
28 cm gun Heavy Bruno (E) 29,400 m 745 2
28 cm cannon New Bruno (E) 46,600 m 995 3
28 cm gun T 7 (E) 86,500 m 1,130 3 Further development of the prototype T 10 (E)
28 cm cannon T 7 (E), 5 V (E) 86,500 m 1,130 3 Further development of the prototype T 10 (E)
28 cm cannon 5 (E) 62,400 m 1,420 3 1944 Further development for the extensive "Peenemünder PPG arrow projectile"
38 cm Siegfried cannon (E) 55,000 m 805 6th 1942 Railroad artillery batteries 698 and 686
80 cm cannon (E) 37,000 m 820 1 1942 About 4,400 men were required to operate the cannon, including the forces for assembly, dismantling and security.

Armored trains did not belong to the artillery, but were assigned to the engineer force , from 1943 to the armored force .

Coastal artillery

In addition to the 840 batteries of the marine coastal artillery, which were stationed to protect against Allied landing operations, especially along the Atlantic coast from Lapland to southern France, the artillery troops set up around 4,000 pieces of artillery on the coast, distributed over 144 coastal artillery divisions, 296 batteries and 47 fortress sections. The stationary stationing required additional security by anti-aircraft guns against air attacks and the installation of fogging systems; however, the coastal batteries were almost defenseless against infantry attacks from the land side.

A large number of different types of guns were used, including numerous booty and ship guns, some in fortress-like bunker facilities and casemates.

  • 21 cm heavy mortar 18 from a coastal battery at the Arctic Circle, Lapland 1941

  • Coastal battery in Norway in 1943

  • 38 cm C / 34 ship gun on the Norwegian coast

  • Gun bunker in northern France, 1943

  • Army Coast Battery 4./974 Straumöy-Süd, 1943

  • Preserved coastal battery near Kristiansand

Rocket artillery

Observing artillery

Preparation of a captive balloon, Lapland 1941

In addition to the VB for the immediate fire support of the combat troops, the artillery troops for the "general fire fight" of the heavy artillery units against enemy targets, primarily enemy artillery, also had observation departments with surveying, light measuring, sound measuring and balloon batteries.

Until 1942, as in the First World War , captive balloons attached to cable winches were used by field airmen for artillery observation. After that, only close-up reconnaissance aircraft such as the Fi 156 Storch , FW 189 Uhu and HS 126 were used for aerial observation.

While the balloon batteries worked with aerial observers who, like the VB, located and reported enemy targets by eye observation, sound and light measurement batteries used complex technical methods for target location.

Sound measurement troop

In the sound measurement process , the detonation of enemy guns being fired was recorded in parallel with microphones set up at various points in the terrain and precisely compared in terms of time. Advance warning systems deployed close to the HVAC alerted the measuring points, which then recorded the bang with microphones. From the various measurement times, the enemy firing position could be determined based on the speed of sound and passed on to the field artillery as a target message.

Light measurement team

The principle of light measurement, which had already been developed in 1915, was similar. Each light measuring battery had five observation groups, which were distributed around the HKL to aim for the detonation flash of firing enemy artillery and transfer it to the map. The overall picture now resulted in a graphical error box, in the middle of which the enemy battery could be located and then smashed or held down.

Weather and map service

In addition to the reconnaissance component, the observation departments also had a weather train, which every two to three hours sent the weather data, referred to as the "Barbara message", named after Saint Barbara , the patroness of the artillery, to the artillery units so that the current " Special and weather influences ”in the fire control centers could be taken into account when calculating the fire commands. In addition, the map train supplied the artillery units with the necessary map material.

Tractors

The majority of the artillery units were horse-drawn, but motorization was of increasing importance in mobile combat. The most important emergency vehicles were:

  • Most of the batteries were horse-drawn

  • Army field car as a typical supply vehicle for the drawn artillery

  • Drawn limber with a 10.5 cm light field howitzer 18/40

  • Light towing vehicle 1 t (Sd.Kfz. 10) with heavy throwing device 41, Eastern Front 1942

  • Air- laden Opel mule with 10.5 cm lFH

  • 3 t tractor with 10.5 cm lFH, Voronezh, August 1942

  • Also captured Somua-half-tracks were used as tractors

  • Sd.Kfz. 7 with artillery superstructure and attached artillery while crossing a river on a bridge in the Soviet Union, summer 1941

  • RSO with 10.5 cm lFH, Albania 1943

Artillery training troops

Artillery training with the Wehrmacht
Teaching force Stationing place Jurisdiction
Artillery Training Regiment 1 (drawn) Jüterbog and Groß Born Horse artillery training force
Artillery Training Regiment 2 (motorized) in front use Training force for light and heavy motorized artillery
Artillery Training Regiment 3 (motorized) Jüterbog and Groß Born Training force of observation artillery, balloon units and surveying units
Artillery Training Regiment 4 (motorized) Great Born Teaching force of surveying and map troops
Artillery Training Regiment 5 Great Born Training force of tanks and motorized artillery
Assault Artillery Training Department / Brigade Castle Assault artillery training force
Army anti-aircraft artillery teaching department Perik and Schongau Training force of the army anti-aircraft cartillery
Training and replacement department for railway artillery (motorized) 100 Ruegenwalde Training force of the railway artillery
Army Coastal Artillery Teaching Department 101 Ruegenwalde Teaching force of the army coastal artillery
Artillery Training Department (partially motorized) 271 Schneidemühl Training force for special weapons
Long-range missile training and test battery 444 Peenemünde-East

Abbreviations

B position Observatory
FK Field cannon
Flak Anti-aircraft gun
GebH Mountain Howitzer
Gw Equipment trolley
lFH light field howitzer
KwK Chariot cannon
K1-6 Gun 1-6 of the gun group
LG Light gun
OKH Army High Command
Pak Anti-tank gun
PzKpfw Panzerkampfwagen (battle tank)
PzH Self-propelled howitzer
Sf Self-propelled gun
SK Rapid loading cannon
sFH heavy field howitzer
Sd.Kfz. Special motor vehicle
StuG Assault gun
StuH Balaclava
sIG heavy infantry gun
VB Forward observer
V 0 Muzzle velocity in meters per second. A high V 0 increases accuracy and penetration.

See also

literature

  • Joachim Engelmann, Horst Scheibert: German Artillery 1934-1945. Starke Verlag, Limburg 1974.
  • H.Dv. 200/4 Training Regulations for Artillery (AVA) - Book 4 Training of the Drawn Battery - 1934, ISBN 978-3-7448-0927-6
  • H.Dv. 200/5 Training Regulations for Artillery (AVA) - Book 5 The Artillery Management - 1941

Web links

Commons : Artillery Troop of the Wehrmacht  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Joachim Engelmann, Horst Scheibert: German Artillery 1934–1945. Starke Verlag, Limburg 1974.
  2. ↑ After the peace treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was forbidden to artillery over 10.5 cm - due to the lack of armaments, it was not possible to equip the artillery uniformly in order to be able to lead the fight in depth, therefore only another heavy artillery division with 15 cm Howitzers equipped
  3. ↑ HDv 200/5: The leadership of the artillery.
  4. ↑ Baden-Württemberg State Archives
  5. ↑ Joachim Engelmann, p. 149