PROCEDURE AT A BOMBING RANGE DURING BOMBING OR GUNNERY DIRECTED AT GROUND TARGETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000300110008-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: July 31, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

erAl 41111111W
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000300110008-7
CLASSIFICATIONSECRET/SECURITYINFORMALIW � a,
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY USSR/Gertan,y (Soviet Zone) DATE DISTR. 5/ Jul 1953
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED BY SOURCE
DATE OF INFORMATION
Procedure at a Bombing Range During .
Bombing cr Gunnery Directed at Ground
Targets
9014.40099949 40414144 5 4 499149194 1119 NOTIONAL lllllll
Or THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN iNE MEANING OF TITLE IS, SECTIONS 104
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CASE, AS ASIENOED. ITS llllllllllll OP REAR.
LOTION Or ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IN
PROHIBITED ST LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PRONI�ITIO.
NO. OF ENCLS. 50X1
(LISTED BELOW)
50X1
50X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
SOURCE
1, Each Air Army and VVS Military District has one main bombing range (poligon)
which is under the supervision of the Chief of the Bombing-Range Service of the
Air Army or VVS Military District.
2. Bombers and ground attack. aircraft use this range for bombing during corps or
army maneuvers. FUrthermore, the army bombing range may be used by ar units
and joint-,dnits which are based in its area for the purpose of gunnery at ground
targets and bombing during their training flights. The' Air Army (or VVS Military
District) bombing range is serviced by a special bombing range team. In addition,
each air division has its own bombing range on which it conducts gdnnmry at
ground targets, ground-attack, and bombing, during its training flights, Occas-
ionally, an air division will have two bombing ranges but this happens very
infrequently. However in this case, the second bombing range is under the
supervision of the regiment which 'is based' at a considerable distance from the
division's airfield. According to its T/0� each air division has a bombing
range team which is ssigned to the servicing of the division bombing range,
The chief of the bathing range team of an air division should be an officer in
the grade-of Senior Lieutenant according to the T/O. The other members of this
team are sergeants and privates.
Before a training flight, that is, on the evening before the flight, a flight
order is issued in the air regiment.; This order indicates who will supervise
nights at the bombing range, and other data concerning the impending flights.
The supervisor of flights at the bombing range should be the assistant_comtander
of the air regiment for aerial combat tactics and aerial gunnery. However' if
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DISTRIBUTION
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SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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a
he has to be bsent from the unit Cot any reason whatsoever or if he has to be in the
air, the following individuals may be assigned as supervisor of flightsat the bombing
range: the deputy' commander of the regiment for flying matters, the regimental navigator,
or, the commander of an air squadron (whose squadron is not going to participate in that
particular day's training flight); irinnacase can an officer in a lower position than air
squadron commander be assigned to this position,
4. If, on this day, two air regiments are to participate inthe training flight which includes
aerial gunnery at groundtargets or bombing exercises, the supervisor of flights at the
bombing' range will be the chief of the air division's aerial gunnery service or, in his
absencelathe.air division commander can assign one of the following three individuals to
this position: the division's pilot-proficiency inspector, the division navigator or,
in some cases, the deputy commander of the air division for flying matters. The indivi-
dual assigned as saperviaor of flights at the bombing range has to. arrive at the range two
hours before any gunnery or bombing takes place there," Upon his arrival at the range the
supervisor has to inspect the condition of the targets, check the working order of communi-
cations- equipment (radio and telephone), and select a place from which he will supervise
gunnery and boating. The supervisor of flights at the bombing range has a mobile radio
station with hir with which be maintains contact with the airfields and airborne air-,
craft,
5 A fighter air division's bombing range has the following equipment: aircraft models, motor
vehicle models, and ordinary targets. A bomber or ground attack air division's range has
the following equipment: aircraft models, motor vehicle models, ordinary targets, and
other structures, All of these are made of plywood or thin boards,
6. The procedure at a Fighter Air Division's Bombing Range is as follows: On the day prior
to the flight, a preliminary preparation for the flight is conducted in the fighter air
regiment at which all of the planned flight exercises and the method of their execution is
studied. At this briefing, the supervisor of pre-flight preparation explains the follow-
ing: how gunnery at ground targets on the bombing range will be conducted, from which
direction the pilots will have to make their approaches what they must do prior to making
their approaches at the range, height from which dives Lave to be made, the maximum and
minimum angle at which dives are to be made, distance at which firing is to be opened
and stopped, who will be the supervisor of flights at the bombingarange, and his call sign
and index, One hour before take-off time, the supervisor of flights (the commander of a
fighter air regiment or division or his deputy) cheeks on how the flying personnel have
mastered their flying assignments, including the gunnery exercises which they are to
execute at the range. -
7, When airborne, the crews or pairs which have to fire at the range fly there. When
approaching the' .nge, they radio the supervisor of flights at the bombing range and re-
quest permission to fire on the range; this request is expressed in coded terms using the
radio signal table. For example: "Birch-Tree-01� I am Birch Tree 127-08", This means
that "Birch-Tree" stands for the general call sign of the whole fighter air regiment, "01"
is the personal index of the aapervisor of flights at the bombing range, "127" is the per-
sonal index of the pilot in the air, and "98" stands for "Request permission to fire,"
The supervisor of flights at the range may answer in the following manner: "Birch-Tree
127, I am Birch-Treea01� 08 permission granted on the 4th", or, "08-4 permission granted."
This means that be is granting the pilot permission to fire at the 4th target, After
reteiving such permission, the pilot replies that he understand and then proceeds to make
his approach and to open fire at the indicated target.
8, On some occasions, the supervisor of flights at the bombing range may forbid a pilot to
fire on the range, For instance, if the pilot executed an incorrect maneuver in approach-
ing the target: the pilot is flying at an incorrect altitude; or some other mistakes
have been made that are violations of the conditions of aerial-gunnery exercises or that
tend to cause flying accidents. The supervisor of flights at the bombing range unceasing-
ly watches the operation of aircraft (groups) which are firing at ground targets on the
range or which are appro oiling the bombing range preparatory to firing. He notices all
gunnery errors or insufficiencies of individual aircraft and notes these down in the
journal of the supervisor of flights at the bombing range; the scores obtained in firing
are entered into the gunnery journal. The latter journal contains pictures of all tar-
gets at the bombing range and the supervisor places the scores obtained on these. The
supervisor of flight e at the bombing range invariably-radios and informs the pilot of
mistakes in approaching to fire or while firing; the pilot then has to correct the mis-
takes that have been indicated to him.
9. The pilot is not permitted to select his own target but must fire at the-one 'which, was. .
indicated to him by the supervisor of flights at the bombing range., For thiaareason,a,
the pilot "is alwaat informed of the exact number of his target while he is approaching
the range,
.0. Thus, the day of' flyingat the 'bombing range passes. After all of the aircraft have
completed firing, the supervisor of flights at the botbiagarange contacts the supervise.
of flights at the airfield by radio and informs him ta*ra'operaticata_athis--point are
dorpleted and that be is going off the air. Havingaraceived permission from the super-
visor of flights at the bambing-range, be returns to his airfield With the radio station.
Upon returning to the airfield, be reports to the supervisor of flights (the commander of
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SrOPEiVii6iKtit'IlikgAtION
the -fighter air regiment) and informs'him'of
exiymistaits, as well asany others made during
'yzeer:-.hy the commander-of:the regiment in the pits
'povt-flight-aritiquek,
50X1
*Ores made at the range and of
'which are ca.refully anal�
of all flying perm:a:mei at the
�
11. Th-e- procedure at 4( bomber air unites bombing range is as to
flights at the bombing range is assigned (in the order which,d
among individuals) in the following positioitl the chief-of ihit
the regimental depdty commandet And in dome dates,' experienced *
if the Chief of the. aerial gunnery: servietAnd the deputy a---A4-
unit'for any reasOn'what-to-ever, or have 4 ire important assi
supervisor of
th flights from, .
gunnery service,
commanders
absent'ftom the
to perform.,
12. The person assigned aSjuPervisor of flights at the hornbing range leaves forthe range
at a time Which4111.4nable him to arrive at the range two hours before bombing. exercises
are to iommetce, Upon arriving at the range he cheeks the condition of equipment there
and then 'reports by radio tothe Supervisor of Melte at the airfield that. the .bombing
range is teady-for operations, The =sage-dealing with the range's readinesgvisArans-
mitted.in a coded form Using the radio-signal table. The supervisor of atIthe
bomber air unit's bathing range has the same cammunicationd equipment as his counterpart
altighter air unit's range.
130 The bomber air unit's range is divided int'', zones (sector's)* The'enPiiiisor,of flights
lk this raze bee a grid map,Pf"theHrange on which bwindidates the Pants a* which bongos
hit, The supervisor of flights at a bomber air unit os range ib locatea.under.coVer at
the control point from which the whop, area dr the range liecleatly visible. He observes
all operations of crews in the air durihg,:the execationof bombing exercises and some-
times sets-.410 a Ifoottitment" for 80= crew by radio (ie.Wpresentes some hypothetical si-
tuation; -for -examples- they are being attacked by thorny fighters", to them in order to
see What aeures theYwill take),. Ali deficiencies in the opetationt of crews are':
entered into A journal andlater,repOrted on to the superIlsor-Of 'flights at the airfield.
At :the post-flight critique; this individual in the presence of' all flight personnel
*atefully analyzes 411 the deficiencies noted by� the supervisor Of flights ht the range
and suggests methods for their elimination,
The ,ptocedures followed in briefing the crews of a bother air unit on the bo Lug
cises they are to execute is theseme_as'in fighter air units.: Ore= exeouting bobbing
eXercises hare to Pho*Ograph the results of their bombing. An evaluation of" their -
bombing Is made on the basis of these photograph's and the grid map fille&oat by the
range supervisor of flights,
15 Ground-attack air uhits fahction in exactly the.eite way' at theft bombing' ranges as do
'fighter and'hOmber air units at theirs. The process of preparation and the communicatiOns
equipment is also the iatt as those of a tighter air division and 's. bother air unit. '
14.
.4
On eaChbothing range there is 4 rane team whieh iS included in 'Pike T/O.. This test
(command) is co .del by the chief of the bombing range who is a lieutenant or senior
lieutenant. HIS responsiblities are:
(a) To equip'the'bothing range in adoordande With the redditemehtS'set forth' in the
manual on bombing, range service;, '
(b) To'continually*maintain all range equiptent in gtod condition;
(c) To guaraallrange equipment:
(a) To train.his'sabordinates in accordance With the requirements t forth in manuals
and regulations;
(t) Tp tupervide the life and work of his subordinates.
IV
The perSonnel strength 'of a range team (Command)varies between approximately five and 15
men depending on to *ham the partieular_rangehelongq. In other words, if this range be-
longs to an air ar*�-the strength of the team is greater; if it' belongs to a .fighter
air division, the strength will be' less, The numbers of this teem includ the following
specialists: carpenters, painters, a driver, a cook etc.
17. The chief of the bombing range *tam is directly-sabordinate"to the division chief of
staff. Because of this, the supervisor of flights at the bombing range does not have the
authority to issue any orders whatsoever to the chief of the bombing range. He mer ly
inform the chief when bombing and gunnery practice is to take Place at the range so that
the bombing range teams work schedule will be organized accordingly. If 'the chief of
the division's aerial gunnery service or one of 'the other division command offiCere"is
assigned as supervisor of flights at the bdtbing range, the chief of the bombing range
has to obey his orders. It should be pointed out that the chief of the range team is
informed -of any tannery exertise which Are to take place at the range one day in advan
18. The chief of the bombing range team is almost never present at the command point of t'ne
supervisor of flights at the bathing range; instead,- he is occupied vith the daily rea-
tine.and the training schedule au:then-P*0Ni by the division thief of staff,-
'man/
INfORMATION
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