reaper2100
Posts: 15
Joined: 8/15/2000
From: Mesa, AZ
Status: offline
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It was common practice by 1941 for the Germans to have dedicated, General Support Artillery available for Counterbattery fire.
The germans were restrictive about breaking up units and usually kept batteries together. Later in the war the germans did however employ Arbeitsgeschutz (sp? I think thats right) or 'roving guns'. This became common as the soviet artillery began to outnumber the Germans tubes. The Arbeitsgeschutz would move from position to position conducting fire missions. Often they did not even take the time to lay-in the tubes and usually were never 'dug-in'. Usually these positions were pre-set and the crews would unlimber the gun, fire a few rounds, and move to the next position. This was a deception tactic and was often supported with flash simulators to throw off the soviet flash-ranging efforts and provoke Counter-battery fire.
German Artillery always setup secondary positions in the event they were targeted by counterbattery fire.
Later this tactic was refined with the introduction of self-propelled Artillery. The US Army sometimes refers to this as a 'hip-shot', refering to a quick shot that is not well aimed. A survey team would usually scout positions in advance for the guns. The guns could then quickly move into position, lay on target (with a small chance of hitting something) and get out. This was used on the eastern front to protect artilley assets later in the war from the massive soviet artilley barrages. The German SP Artillery units would move into a position, prepare the positions and register the guns as best they could, and then move out of range. Once the soviet barrage lifted, the German guns would rush into position and provide supporting fires.
This tactic declined later in the war due to fuel shortages and the risk of observation and attack from the air.
Usually it was the number two tube of the battery that was designated as the roving gun. Often these roving guns would be used to entice the enemy to an artilley duel. The rest of the battery or battalion would wait until there was a good fix on the enemy and then they would let them have it. The Germans often used ligher caliber tubes forward of the enemy and heavier tubes lateral to the targets. This made it more difficult to determine the location and size of the german guns.
ALso, the germans did not employ single tubes the way the soviets did. Other than above, the germans employed group fire in which every tube was plotted to hit a specific area of the beaten zone. There were different patterns depending on the type of target.
I have a very good book on german artillery tactics in WWII but I just moved across the country so it is still in a box somewhere. As soon as I find it I will pass the title along.
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German CBF Tactics - 
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