Well, in the days before GPS, and before PADS,
the arty surveyors had to do it the hardway...
Which was to manually survey a location down to
1 yard accuracy. (just like George Washington did it)
Then drive a stake, called a surveyed control point..
The guns, (before GPS, and SRP/PDS), would emplace
their battery's primary gun, #1 gun of the first fire
platoon, next to the stake.. The guns of that platoon
would arrange themselves in a square pattern about 25
yards apart.. All oriented to the same compass direction,
(gunbunnies use MILS not degrees).. The other platoons
would emplace themselves farther out, (still in a square
pattern), using the surveyed control point, (and primary
gun) as reference.. (to avoid being an easy target for
counterbattery arty fire)... And to give the proper pattern
of saturation for shellfire...
At the Artillery Battalion HQ, FDC (Fire direction center),
the surveyed control stakes are plotted accurately,
(1 meter) on their arty plotting maps.. Along with the
reference azimuth of the batteries guns.. This allows the
plotters to give accurate firing azimuth for the guns,
(within their emplaced firing arcs)
Ranging of the guns was taken care of by charts at the
FDC... All arty pieces had a known elevation and propellant
charge weight for any given shell, to reach a prescribed
range.. So all the plotter needed was an accurate target
coordinate, (grid) to plot the targets location.. Use a simple
set of dividers, or distance scale, (in the same scale as his
plotting map).. Pretty much a big ruler.. LOL... And a quadrant
to plot the azimuth from the guns to the target coordinate..
Then the plotter could give an accurate solution, (using quadrant,
range scale, and gun charts) for azimuth and range settings to
the guns by hardline fieldphone.. All the plotter needed was an
accurate 8 or 10 digit grid coordinate from the FO, (forward observer)
You are right about keeping things simple for the game.. Simple
enough for people to use.. We already have some aspects of
this method in the game... The surveyed control stakes are
already represented by wherever the map icon of the gunner
happens to be... LOL, in fact it acts like a modern GPS position..
The fire direction center is already represented by the
(land attack mode) that the Cruiser 8inch guns use...
What is missing, is the method for the Forward Observer, (spotter)
to communicate a targets position to the gunners who are out
of visible range... Hence the need for a grid system, and more
accurate maps, with more terrain detail.. So a spotter can
orient himself on the map, AND the terrain VISUALLY.. Otherwise
the spotter will never be able to accurately plot a target for the guns...
Enemy players on the field, don't have Icons on the map, like
towns, or bases.. LOL!!! So you need to VISUALLY orient yourself
and the enemy player on the map.. So you can communicate
his position accurately to the gunners... (who are on the opposite
side of the ridge, and have NO VIS on the target) thats why
the grid system and more detailed maps are needed..
This would be a POWERFUL weapon in the game, just as it was
in reality.. American arty was the best in the world at the time..
(still is) Due to our advanced fire direction.. This major weapon
shouldn't just be a FREEBIE... Thats why I suggested the photo
recon provision, before arty could be used in the indirect fire mode..
Photo recon is where our accurate plotting maps came from anyway...
If fighters prevent those Mossies and 38's from completetion
of their recon sorties.. Than there is no indirect fire ability for
that sector... That in itself, would add a new aspect to the airwar,
And the value of recon to the GV war would be undeniable..
On offense and Defense..
:saluteRC
