[MRCA] Adventures in WW2Radios

MARK DORNEY mkdorney at aol.com
Mon May 27 18:00:29 EDT 2024


We didn’t have radios going to the guns, or any real need for a field desk at the FDC. WD-1 commo wire was run from a field phone at the FDC central connecting post, and then. to each howitzer using a hot loop - simple.  Hot Loop allowed the phone wire to suffer cuts and the FDC to still convey for orders to the guns.  Any writing to be done was done on a field table.  

The guns were laid ( set up, all pointing on the same azimuth ), using an aiming circle and the pantel sights on each gun, when “Zero Mills, between the aiming circle and the guns was achieved, the battery was laid, and everything was set to “Common Deflection” ( “Common Deflection” during WW2 was 2400 mils) and each gun, even when not actually firing, followed the fire mission so that when the firing order “battery, one round” was sent to the guns, all guns were already aimed at the target. Firing orders were specified with for a single gun (battery adjust) or for the battery ( fire for effect). Firing orders for the guns might sound something like “Battery adjust, number one, one round HEPD,charge 5, deflection 3400, quadrant 260 “ ( Field Artillery used 2 different types of rounds: separate loading and semi-fixed. Separate loading was used on everything bigger than 105 mm Howitzers   It involved loading a shell, and then a certain number of labeled bags of propellant. Semi-fixed also had different bag charges , but they were placed in a brass casing and the shell then place on top of the casing, then loaded into the gun as one unit.  Tanks and antitank guns used “fixed” ammunnition, which is really nothing more that’s big version of a commom modern bullet. 

Deflection was the left or right movement of the gun.  A change in shell/fuse combinations other than standard could also be sent the the guns following the adjust mission so the guns knew something different from standard was being shot “in effect”. Quadrant was determined by the range to target.  If there was no modification to the fire order (“do not load” “at my command”, ) before the gun(s) got the quadrant, the defection and quadrant was confirmed by the phone operator on the gun.  Unless the FDC IMMEDIATELY corrected the deflection or quadrant the gun crew set the sights on the gun on the correct settings sent by the FDC and fired.  Gun(s) would then report back to the FDC something like “number one, shot” which  confirmed to the FDC which gun had fired the shot now on its way to the target.  When “fire for effect” was called for, each gun would send the this message to the FDC. If multiple rounds were called for in the “fire for effect, each gun would announce not only “shot” but also “rounds complete” when all rounds called for for that Fire for Effect mission were fired.  Once any specific fire mission was concluded (“End of Mission”), the FDC would announce “End of Mission” to the gun line, and all guns would be returned to common deflection. 

It’s been over thirty years since I’ve done any of this, and I may have left things out. But you get the gist. 

73
Mark D. 
WW2RDO

“In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson 

Sent from my iPhone

On May 27, 2024, at 3:40 PM, Pasquale Lombardi <pasquale.nj at gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks Mark,
Interesting and fun.
Pat

.
Sent from my iPad

> On May 27, 2024, at 9:39 AM, MARK DORNEY via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> Well, we had some WW2 radios set up at the FDR Library this past Memorial Day Weekend at their WW2 encampment. BC-611s and BC-659 radios. BC-611s on 3885 kc and the BC-659s on 29.6 MHz (channel A ) and 29.1 MHz (channel B).  Some teething problems with a NOS HS-23 handset (switch wired incorrectly from the factory - rewired and made operational ). All LOS operations. Fun was had, lots of kids, and lots of amazement that 80 year old radios still worked. 10 meters was mostly dead except for our traffic. FDR Library WW2 Memorial Day Military Encampment has been going on since 1992, with the only interruption being because of COVID.  The radios were set up for use as local POTA stations so the public got to play a little. The event organizers provided lunch and outside refreshments to encampment participants - nothing fancy, but very appreciated.
> 
> 73
> Mark D.
> WW2RDO
> 
> “In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
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