Translating artillery zone calls - is there a key?

[Chris_Baker]

I am interesting in understanding zone calls as used by the British and Commonwealth artillery in 1917-1918. Examples being (Ypres area, June 1917):

JX63

DY41

DW62

I seem to remember seeing something that explained these, a key to interpretation if you like - but can't recall where. Could someone please enlighten me?

[nigelfe]

http://nigelef.tripod.com/p_artyint-cb.htm Fig 1 and related text. Chasseud Fig 16 seems to give the big picture.

[CSMMo]

Chris,

I was searching for references at the NA for fires and areas of responsibilitydescribed in War Diaries (where I thought the overlays would be) and couldn't find any. Went to the maps section and found some. In my day, we used overlays on clear vinyl. I'm not familiar with practices in TGW, but I have a feeling the reference grids were drawn directly on a map. IMO they should have been filed with the war diaries, but, once again, nobody asked me.

Just for the record, grid squares were drawn on or referenced to operational maps, to expedite calls for fire and adjusting of same.

Now, also for the record, my experience in artillery was with the "brawn" (the guns) and there are some very knowledgeable folks here on the forum who clearly were involved with the "brains" of the artillery (fire direction and computation) or, even the "eyes" of the artillery (the observers) who, I'm hoping will come on and give much more authoritative and accurate information. As you can see, those of us who were career gun bunnies have to use simple terms.

Let the discussion begin!

Mike Morrison

[nigelfe]

Its useful to note that the system of map references used by UK in France in WW1 bears absolutely no relation to more modern practices. In 1914 the British Army did not use gridded maps, they quickly introduced a system of 'squaring', and maps were issued with the squares marked on them. However the referencing system was alphanumeric and bore no relation to the underlying map coordinate system based on the projection used for the maps. The British maps were developed pre-war and based on Belgian maps. Chasseud gives a good account of the rapid development of mapping and squaring in 1914. The standard BE map was 1:100,000, the French was 1:80,000 and lacked contours and the UK ones initially 1:100,000 but larger and smaller scales were soon adopted for various purposes.

The Zone Call system was not just a matter of map gridding. The basis was that Zone areas were defined by Corps artillery HQ (not the CCRA but the CCHA IIRC) and heavy batteries assigned each to a zone on a corps front, this zoning system lasted long after the war. RFC pilots reported targets and the battery in whose Zone the target was responded. The pilots also reported their observations of the fall of shot, they did not give order corrections to the guns.

[CSMMo]

As predicted, someone who knows far more than I came through. Thanks nigelfe for that clear explanation. That helps me understand the data I see in War Diaries. One had to have the map with the zones drawn on it to communicate and to understand the communication of someone else observing fire or designating targets. Without the maps that were used (or a facsimile) the references are meaningless. Does that sound right?

[Chris Henschke]

This is from Provisional Instructions for Co-operation between Aeroplanes and Artillery during an Advance. (SS 120), September, 1916.

2. Zones and Calls.

Zone calls will be as follows:—

The big lettered squares of the 1/40,000 map will be divided into four parts as shewn by the thick lines in the attached diagrams, and lettered as shewn thereon. The whole area covered by the map is thus automatically divided into zones (3,000 yards by 3,000 yards, or in some cases 3,000 yards by 2,000 yards), each having a two-letter call, consisting of the map square letter followed by the zone letter, e.g., WB is the call for the right-hand top zone of the square W. Owing to the area covered by each sheet of the map, no doubt will arise as to the sheet referred to, and the sheet No. will not therefore be included in the call.

3. Application of the system.

The Royal Flying Corps will arrange for a suitable number of artillery machines to watch the zones on the immediate front of the Army, and will allot Counter Barrage areas to Squadrons corresponding with their Corps front as far as possible. The limits of Counter Battery areas coincide with the boundaries of zones. These areas will be sub-divided into Flight Counter Battery areas, consisting of probably two or three zones (3,000 by 3,000 yards each).

Chris Henschke

[Chris Henschke]

And here are some of the abbreviations used.

NF—Guns in action. CAV—Cavalry.

FAN—Infantry. MT—Mechanical Transport.

ART—Artillery. COL—Column.

Troops are to be considered in mass, unless stated to be in column, and a column to be at rest unless the direction of movement is given. Co-ordinates of a mass refer to the centre, and of a column to the head.

The calls may be preceded by LL (fleeting opportunity call)

The observer may recommend that the target should be engaged by either guns or howitzers by adding a number to the zone calls as follows :--

WB 1 = Call for guns (60 prs. or 4.7-in guns if available)

WB 2 = Call for howitzers.

Should the observer wish to use a particular battery, whose call and position he knows, the target abbreviation will be preceded by the "stand by" signal " A "

Example : WB2 ANF W12c54 - Guns in action at W12c54 (Observer is prepared to range a single howitzer battery.)

[nigelfe]

As described in the previously referenced http://nigelef.tripod.com/p_artyint-cb.htm which references a 1915 publication. The 6000x6000 was the normal lettered square used for all map references. The zones were A-D with W-Z being adopted later for alternate squares. The assignment of zones was a corps matter because the heavy artillery was commanded at corps level (at army the chief gunner was the MGRA who was not a 'commander', unlike CCRA, CRA and the corps heavy arty arty commander). The corps sqn (later wing) of the RFC provided the aircraft.

[Ron Clifton]

The only comment that I would add that the letters denoting the four quarters of the larger square are usualy shown in lower case in references - a, b, c or d.

Ron