German Artillery in Combat

by Bob Carruthers

  The first wave of Mark III tanks overrun the gun positions. The second wave of Mark III tanks is closely followed by the motorized infantry, which detrucks only when forced to and cleans up the position with small-arms fire, assisted by tanks which accompany it. After the artillery has neutralized the tanks, the support infantry is attacked. Such attacks have nearly always neutralized the artillery, either by destroying it when the attack was driven home, or by forcing it to withdraw before the tank attack was launched. A successful defense against such attacks has been made only when a tank force was available to launch a counterattack from concealed positions against the flank of the German tank attack.

  (3) The German Mark IV tanks used as artillery.—In the attack the Germans maneuver to some position where their Mark IV tanks15 can take up a position in defilade. The Germans meanwhile make a reconnaissance, probing the enemy from all directions to test his strength, and to induce the defenders to disclose their positions by opening fire. During this period, observation posts keep close watch, and any guns which disclose their positions are marked down for destruction when the main attack begins. Then, from their defiladed positions, the Mark IV's attack by fire all antitank guns or light artillery which are visible and within range. Light artillery, antitank guns, and machine guns with the same mission are pushed forward among and to the flanks of the tanks. Observers and occasionally infantry are pushed further forward.

  Each German tank battalion has one company of 10 Mark IV tanks, which are employed in 2 principal roles: as highly mobile artillery, and as a component of a fast-moving column. Often field artillery cannot be immediately available in armored engagements; the Mark IV tank with its 75-mm gun together with the artillery of the armored division provides German armored formations with the necessary heavy fire power for a breakthrough.

  The maximum range of the 75-mm gun is reported to be 9,000 yards. This relatively long range dictates to troops equipped with light antitank guns the time and place of a battle. In addition, the speed of the Mark IV tank is sufficient to enable it to take part in a rapid advance with the Mark III tanks. The Germans have used these tanks as sniper guns, as artillery against forward British columns, and as heavy concealed weapons in the ambushes into which German armored cars have tried to draw the British cars. In a defensive situation the Mark IV is able to engage British troops from outside the range of the antitank guns, avoiding at the same time, by their mobility, the British artillery fire.

  (4) Field artillery support.—The 105-mm mobile batteries and the 75-mm guns of the Mark IV tank furnish the principal artillery support for the German Mark III tank, which is the main attacking tank. Sometimes the 88-mm dual-purpose gun is used in conjunction with the Mark III tank.

  Some reports indicate that the direction of this supporting fire is carried out by a system of air bursts, since air bursts have been immediately followed by HE concentrations. The fire of 75-mm and 105-mm guns using HE shells has not been reported to be extremely effective. Casualties caused to personnel and tanks by these weapons have been reported to be the result of a new flare—a 75-mm shell which envelopes the tank in flames regardless of what portion of the tank is hit. One whole tank regiment was reported destroyed by this type of projectile. Although the casualties caused from these weapons may be slight, all reports agree that they have a high nuisance value to tanks because of the blinding effect of the smoke and dust. The 88-mm is effective; tanks hit squarely by this gun are destroyed.

  The Germans stress the use of ricochet artillery fire against personnel as follows:

  The much greater effect of ricocheting projectiles as compared with those bursting on impact has been confirmed by the testimony of numerous prisoners.16 Against all living targets not covered from above, more ricochet fire than hitherto will be employed therefore. Ricochet fire may also be employed against concealed targets if it can be observed from the burst, the noise of the explosion, or the flash of the exploding shell that a sufficient number (40 to 50 percent) of ricochets, are occurring. Ricochets can be distinguished from projectiles which enter the ground by their sharper detonation sound, and by the brighter flash, visible even in daytime. This is particularly the case with shallow ricochets, which are easily mistaken for impact detonations. Projectiles which penetrate the ground make no, or very little, report and flash on exploding.

  e. German Method of Forcing Gaps through Mine Fields

  A heavy artillery concentration is placed on the point to be forced and upon the defending troops in the vicinity. After the defenders' resistance is lowered by the concentration, a comparatively small number of foot troops advance to the gap under cover of smoke or of dust raised by the concentration; they locate the mines by prodding the ground with bayonets or with mine detectors; the mines are then removed. Casualties are replaced from a reserve unit that is held immediately in rear. This method was used in forcing a gap through the mine field that was part of the defenses of Tobruk; the preliminary concentration lasted for two hours. After a gap is forced and marked, infantry followed by tanks or tanks followed by infantry attack through the gap. Infantry preceded the tanks in the battle of Tobruk.

  f. Defensive Tactics

  When an armored force is encountered, all tanks may take up a firing position in defilade, immediately reinforced by towed and self-propelled antitank guns and artillery. If the tanks are forced to retire, they withdraw under cover of antitank weapons and artillery. Usually the Mark III tanks withdraw first, the Mark IV assisting in covering the withdrawal with high explosive and smoke. When such withdrawals have been followed by the enemy, the well-concealed German antitank guns and artillery have caused such serious damage to the pursuing tanks that the pursuit has generally been stopped. Sometimes the tanks will withdraw through the antitank and artillery positions and then maneuver to strike the hostile armored force on its flank.

  ANTITANK OPERATIONS

  a. Organization

  Since the number of guns in use in Cyrenaica has been inadequate, all available are used or emplaced before the close of each operation. The antitank weapons, which are considered artillery by the British, are under the command of the division artillery commander in the British forces, and he is responsible for so placing his artillery and antitank guns that they will be mutually supporting. For any action the artillery commander issues the necessary orders allotting the antitank weapons to both artillery and infantry units.

  Antitank artillery regiments of 2-pounders consist of 3 battalions of 2 batteries of 8 guns each, totaling 48 guns. They are organized exactly in the same manner as the artillery units except for the number of personnel assigned. A few 6-pounder17 and 18-pounder18 batteries are being used. The 6-pounder guns are mounted portee, and the 18-pounders are truck-drawn. These units are also organized in the same fashion as the artillery batteries. The trucks used for the 2-pounders and 6-pounders portee are in general of the 1 1/2-ton type.

  The minimum amount of antitank guns required with units necessarily depends on the type of country; the more open the country, the larger the number of guns needed. In the desert where there are no natural tank obstacles an attack may come from any direction. Headquarters and rear echelons must be protected. The large frontages covered and the wide dispersion necessary to minimize the effects of air attack make this problem of protecting rear elements a difficult one.

  In the western desert there have been in use no antitank warning systems, but the British make use of armored car patrols to prevent any surprises, and, as a rule, when one weapon fires, all prepare for action. OP's to the front and flank warn by visual signals of the approach of enemy armor.

  b. Positions

  In some cases one battery of twelve 2-pounder antitank guns is detailed to protect each infantry regiment. Each attached supporting battery of artillery is often given one troop of four antitank 2-pounder guns. Organic artillery has the support of one antitank troop per artillery battery. These 2-pounder antitank units are not usually grouped or held in reserve at
any point but are actually placed in positions from 100 to 300 yards from the unit protected.

  British artillery regiments are armed with 25-pounders which, although not so designed, have formed the basis of the antitank defense. This has been necessary, because the 2-pounder antitank gun has not proved effective. The 25-pounders are sited to give protection in depth, and, where the terrain permits, to give all-around protection to the position.

  Antitank guns are placed to cover the 25-pounders in front, in intervals, and on the flanks. A proportion of them may have to be kept on wheels to counter a threat from an unexpected direction. The fewer the total number of antitank guns, the larger will be the proportion kept in mobile reserve. But positions which guns may have to occupy will in most cases be reconnoitered and prepared beforehand.

  Despite the fact that the British have usually operated with one and sometimes two 48-gun antitank regiments to the division, they have still found the number to be too small, and consequently have had their choice of positions affected by the necessity of choosing terrain which could allow them the maximum use of their inadequate number of antitank guns. Unless otherwise dictated by the terrain, it is considered better to place the few antitank guns in comparatively small localities for all-around defense rather than to attempt a complete defense in depth over a wide area. The batteries of 25-pounders are used to provide depth to the defense. Antitank weapons are often placed from 100 to 300 yards on the flank of a battalion in action. For all-around defense of an organization, they are placed from 500 to 1,000 yards in front or on the flank of a battalion with instructions to move close to the battalion position when tanks approach within 1,000 yards of their positions.

  c. Principles of Employment—German Tank Tactics

  Since the antitank gunners have a formidable and important job to perform, knowledge of the enemy's capabilities makes it easier to accomplish. German tank crews are trained to try to gain the opportunity to register hits at 90° impact (i.e., get the target head-on or broadside). They attempt to put their own tank in such a position that it presents both front and side at an angle to opposing guns. Stationary firing is preferred, although they have fired on the move to force opposing tanks to close down, or to intimidate outposts and hostile gun crews. Artillery and antitank weapon crews have suffered many casualties from German machine-gun fire delivered from moving tanks. When antitank guns have held their fire until German tanks approached to within 600 yards, the crews have frequently been knocked out by machine-gun fire which penetrated their shields. If the ground permits, the German tanks move rapidly by bounds, firing between bounds when halted in hull-down positions.

  d. Principles of Employment—British Tactics

  All British antitank guns except 18-pounders (75-mm guns) are mounted portee on vehicles and equipped with ramps for unloading. These weapons have on occasion been fired from their vehicles.19

  (1) Guns mounted on vehicles.—In using these weapons mounted portee, the gun is usually dismounted during firing, and the vehicles are removed under cover. The firing of guns mounted portee is unpopular, but when it is done, the vehicle is backed up to a point just below the reverse slope of a hill and the gun pushed up sufficiently to clear the crest. The driver of the truck must manipulate his truck on orders from the gunner in order to point the gun or place it in proper firing position.

  Although firing guns mounted portee is frowned upon, reports indicate that some officers consider firing from portees to be necessary under the following conditions: (1) when on patrol with armored cars; (2) when on escort or convoy duty with supply echelons, headquarters, or brigade columns advancing across the desert to the attack. In such circumstances the object is to keep the enemy as far as possible from his prey and so enable the convoy to proceed without loss. Full use is made of the mobility of the portees, the opening range varying according to the thickness of the armor carried by the enemy raiding columns. Firing while the portee is in motion and opening fire on a moving target at over 1,500 yards or a standing target at over 2,000 yards are considered a waste of 2-pounder ammunition. Bren guns mounted on the portees are used to force the enemy to close down his hatches and so reduce his visibility.

  Although the use of the antitank guns on portees is an improvisation, it has had some success. During the Italian retreat from Bengasi to Tripoli on February 6/7, 1941 the British sent three columns a distance of 150 miles in 30 hours to cut off the retreat. In the battle which resulted the antitank guns on improvised mounts encountered the Italian tanks, and 100 out of a total of 130 brand new M 13 Italian tanks were destroyed. One 1 1/2-ton truck carrying an antitank gun pointed to the rear went up and down the Italian column and claimed to have destroyed 25 tanks.

  (2) Direct laying at short range.—Usually 2-pounder antitank batteries are directed not to use direct laying on tanks until the tanks are within 800 yards of their positions. For 25-pounders, direct fire is held until the enemy vehicles are within 1,000 yards. Opening fire at 600 yards has been found to be too short, because the enemy machine guns are then within effective range. At 800 yards the antitank gun is still comparatively as accurate as at 600 yards, whereas the machine gun has lost considerable accuracy and is likely to penetrate the gun shields. In one case near Sidi Omar in Libya, a battalion commander of 25-pounder guns, seeing a tank attack coming issued instructions for withholding fire until he gave the order. When the Axis tanks had approached to within 800 yards, commands for direct laying were given. The result was a bag of 10 tanks.

  (3) Guns placed well forward.—All artillery and antitank weapons are placed well forward in either defensive or offensive situations. This permits the guns not only to support the infantry but to break up the leading wave of German medium (Mark III) tanks. In battle, 18-pounders go into action on the flanks of the battle position and well forward. These 18-pounder antitank guns are truck-drawn and are of course kept mobile during an advance. All are fully manned and placed in position ready to fire when a halt is made.

  The antitank guns are employed more often in pairs or bunches than as battalions or batteries. They are scattered about—often in pairs, and staggered, an effort being made to prevent a single strong sortie of enemy tanks knocking out all the guns. Positions taken are usually those which command a field of fire covering known danger areas. Wadis, large and small, are usually avenues of approach for hostile troops and are therefore given particular attention when siting guns.

  (4) Emplacements.—Certain antitank guns have a very strong muzzle blast. In the desert terrain of the Middle East the force of this blast throws up a cloud of dust and sand that quickly reveals the position to enemy observers and often completely obscures the field of fire. Consequently, it is necessary to provide such guns with a blast screen. To eliminate this difficulty, a device is used which consists simply of a net of fine wire mesh, supported on pegs extending about 1 inch above the surface of the ground. The wire mesh should be so painted as to blend into the surrounding terrain. Other provisions for eliminating the dust include covering the critical areas with concrete or cement, paving the areas with stone, or treating them with oil. These areas are camouflaged whenever the guns are not firing. Precautions are also taken to make the inside of the emplacements as dustproof as possible in order to prevent dust from being sucked up in the rush of air following the discharge.

  Figure 23.—Antitank gun emplacement

  Alternate positions are provided and all emplacements are constructed to permit easy removal of the guns. These provisions have been found indispensable, for the fire of the weapon will inevitably betray even a well constructed position.

  When the terrain permits, the gun is defiladed from the enemy by emplacement on a reverse slope, or, if the country is flat, behind a natural or artificial mound. If an artificial mound is constructed, it should be as low as possible. The arc of fire is usually large; 180° is normal. The guns are given overhead camouflage where possible, but the coverings are constructed so that they can be easily removed
when there is need to close station rapidly. Basically it is considered that the emplacement should be an open pit of minimum dimensions.

  e. The Main Role: To Form a Secure Base

  Every force, of whatever size, requires a secure base from which to attack if its intentions are offensive, or within which to maneuver for a counterstroke if its intentions are defensive. This problem is important in the desert where attacks can come from any direction.

  On a large scale this secure base is called a "defensive position" by the British; on a small scale they termed it a "pivot of maneuver." The terms are really similar, the only difference being that the "defensive position" is made up of a number of "pivots of maneuvers."

  The framework of the pivot of maneuver consists of the antitank gun positions, and the formation of this framework is the chief role of the artillery whether in attack or in defense. Every gun, field or antitank, is included in the framework. The framework also is strengthened temporarily by the inclusion of tanks in hull-down positions particularly in the case of a pivot of maneuver formed by an armored brigade. The field artillery performs a secondary role as well—that of producing bombarding or harassing or covering fire. The more exposed sites are allotted to the antitank guns. Every gun section has nearby infantry protection, the two forming together a definite defense area. The escort is armed with machine guns whenever possible.