SOVIET ARTILLERY TACTICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100420010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2009
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: May 26, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION SECnT/SEcmITY IIJPI U4ATTnw 11D Lb
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
USSR/Germany (Soviet Zone)
Soviet Artillery Tactics
THIS DOCUMENT COX THINS INFORMATION OPFECTIMO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STAT N
ES, WITHI TIE HER NINA OF TITLE IS. SECTIONS 793
0 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMEHDEO. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION DF ITS CONTENTS TO RECEIPT 9Y AX UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED ST LAN. THE REPRODUCTION CF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
The deputy for artillery to the regimental CO, usually a it Col
and a graduate of an artillery school commands a regimental
r illery roupC The commander of attached or supporting art
ery units is subordinate to t de uty for regimental art-
i ery, even if he outranks him ( f, Tor instances the CO of
attached artillery units is a full col, and the deputy a It col)
The division or brigade artillery staff prepares an over-an
fire plan, and then assigns specific targets to their artillery
regiments which in turn prepare targets for each battalion,
with the battalions then assigning targets to their batteries.
A reconnaissance officer, subordinate to regimental or battalion
CO, dispatches and controls artillery reconnaissance patrols.
CLASSIFICATION SECRE S"
srnrE K N J
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FBI
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ARMY review completed.
525 YEAR RE-REVIEW
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Vie f : rward observer lb -the CO, and he directs the fire. A
battalion CO (or battery CO), has about. five to 16 men with`'
him for fare direction and communication, not for security.
Battalion and battery COs organize AT defenses by directing
all fire against threatening tanks. No passive defenses;'
such as ditches, etc. are employed.
Aerial reconnaissance, scouting by artillery reconnaissance
men, and interrogation of,prisoners.are used to survey a
target area..
Artillery and mortar`ktits, attached for. support, are released
to local control only after termination of a battle.
The gun commander is respons.' le for the service ability of
his gun.. If a gun does not fire correctly, or the mechanism
does not function properly, it is in theory not supposed to
be used, Put in actual practice the gun, will be fired in
Combat ,for As long as it can fire.
the end of he last war 1945 the Soviets deve ope-
delayed action fuzes,' MD 7 and MD 8 / embrannove deistviva7 _
)D 81-tutee-bury themselves in the ground near the target
and
,
expidde 4 ter. They are used to fire:-on enemy pill boxes and'
machine gun nests. They are also used in fragmentation/high
explosive projectiles,
ricochet is accidental, and not a. regular
method of firing by Soviet artillery.
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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13.:
14.
16.
L7.
In a typical Soviet attack the followiig guns are used:
(a) 57- AT guns for-antitank firing; 76-mm! and 100-mm for
firing against personnel, tanks and pill boxes.
(b) 122-mm and 152-mm Howitzers, 89.rmm and 120-mm;mortars,
M-13 Rocket Launchers for destroying fortifications and
pill boxes.
All guns can be used as AT weapons.
12.7-mm AAMG, 37-mm and 85-mm AA guns are used against
enemy planes
SU's (100-nft SF, 122-mm SP
a 152-mm SP guns) are considered artillery; and are under
.,*rtllery control and regulations.
(a)Subsequent concentration: all guns fire on the same
target.
(b) Standing barrage: artillery preparatory fire before the
attack which does not displace.
(a) Infantry accompanying barrage: guns either displace o?
transfer their fire.
(d) "Anti-tank barrage: stationary AT fire-,.
(e) Rolling AT barrage: fire on tanks from guns which displace.
Both point and area concentration fire are employed.' Des-
truction fire with indirect artillery fire is conducted by
firing according to map coordinates.and by correcting the fire.
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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26.
27.;
28.
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A battery is usually in an area of 100 meters square, guns 30 m
apart, in line or staggered. The CO of the battery, with recon-
naissance, radio and telephone men is usually in front of or'
alongside the battery. Guns are always camouflaged in revetments
and are always.1n firing position between fire missions.
The new 85-mm gun is a field and AT gun.
types of rounds it uses.
All guns available to the artillery deputy are used in a joint
AT defensive barrage with a standing barrage, and an over-lap
can not be avoided.
Fire can be transferred three to .2 km, according to the caliber
of the gun, and is usually 100 meters in front of advancing
infantry.
In the Soviet Zone all US made trucks'(3-ton Studebakers) are
used as primemovers. There are also tracked prime movers for
100-mm guns. In the USSR all new ZIS trucks are used as prime
movers. The prime movers are cross country.vehicles and are not
road-bound.
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ronds (high eplosive/fragmentation and armor piercinul
The unit of fire for .57-mm AT guns and 76-mm field guns is 240
in
33?
34.
35.
36.
are in regimental trains.
eom a one un s carried with the gun, and ons or more units
Soviet artillery has: direct support, (re imental " divisional
guns support the attack) general support, (all guns, howitzers,
mortars, tanks, SU's, rocket launchers), reinforcir`4$ 4'3ne
battery helps other batteries) and general support'.e forcing.
If assigned batteries cannot accomplish the assigned. .scion,,
Dagger fire Linzhaln i o on is overlapping crossf re'1'tLfd is
frequently used.
sufficient other artillery for the assigned mission.
AT units can be used as regular artillery if there is
Newly arrived artillery units move into position anywhere
from one night to two weeks ahead of an attack, depending on the
ability to advance without alerting the enemy.
The main consideration in the selection of time is the secrecy
of the move. Moves are usually at night and without lights.
Gun positions are reconnoitered by division and regimental COs
with their staffs, who then assign the positions to battalion
CO, who, ii turn, assign battery firing.points. The crews,
arriving with the guns prepare the gun positions, with partic-
ular emphasis on camouflage, ease of resupply of ammunition,.
terrain features, and visibility. '
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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