What is an 'UNCLE' in Artillery terms?

Thanks Ron - I'm researching Op Veritable and there's Mikes and Uncles all over the place.

 

Perils of Googling. Just did a search on 'Victor Target' and found a stationery shop in Victor, New York.

 

My ID is Uncle Target this is a target designation if you google it it well say it means Who's shooting at me! Some American thought that one up!

Royal Artillery Targets are selected and guns controlled by an Observation Officer who calls up fire from various resources.
He identifies the target from a map then gives the strength off fire required. This may be one single gun up to an entire Army.
He uses coded names. Mike Target = Regiment will fire, Uncle Target the Division (72 guns) will fire, Victor etc.

In 1939 an Artillery Regiment consisted of two Batteries of twelve guns.
This created very long convoys when moving from place to place. In 1942 there was a reorganisation to improve manoeuvrability, the Regiment now being three Batteries of eight guns. Each Battery was split into two Troops
of four guns which then split to two sections of two guns, finally each gun crew was a sub section.
A Division could bring down fire from its three Regiments with 72 guns.
There were also independent Artillery units called AGRA (Army Group Royal Artillery) who would supplement the Divisional fire with Field, Medium, or Heavy guns.
Gunfire would be directed and corrected by Observers either in static positions OP = Observation Post, mobile FOO=Forward Observation Officer or AOP= Air Observer Post
They could call in fire from any number of guns from a single round to a full Army Group if necessary.
They were Commissioned Officers as they carried such heavy responsibility.
When an observer called for fire he simply asked for Gun Fire from his guns or concentrations which were coded as Mike (Regiment), Uncle (Division), Victor (Corps), William (Army) and Yoke (Army Group).
Guns also worked to fire plans, these were set up by Regimental HQ during informal firing, the settings recorded and used if the appropriate code word was used, enabling a lot of shells to be fired onto an area very quickly.
An Accuracy Shoot is when single shots are fired from a gun to test its repeated accuracy.

Also See link below. If you have time and the interest you will find pretty well everything on this website

FIRE DISCIPLINE

Hope this suffices we are in a bit of a hurry to go shopping!

 

Hello Uncle Target,
I'm all over this thanks - and your earlier posts helped me on the way - but I thought the shop pic might make folks laugh.
Did you know the new housing at Larkhill was going to have a road called "Danger Close" but someone important thought it was in poor taste. Would be lovely if you could be Uncle Target,
155 Danger Close,
Larkhill,
SALISBURY
SP4 8??

In the real world I'm doing some research on Op Veritable and there are Victors going in all over the place, including four fired on one 8-fig grid containing some unfortunate Germans just trying to get out of the way.

Please let me know if you can recommend a good 1945 Gunner book.

 

Ubique by A M Cheetham MC (2nd Field Regt 1942-46).

Gunners in Normandy by Frank Baldwin

Whats with Larkhill then? Do/ did you work there, Gunnery or Museum.

 

I know it’s a bit off piste but there was, and probably still is, a road leading from the guardroom at Trenchard Lines, Upavon named ‘Letsbe Avenue’.

 

Why do I use the name Uncle Target?
Nothing to do with being in the Artillery, although I was as an Army Cadet in a detachment sponsored by 267 Field Regiment RA (TA) the post war designation of the 67th Field Regt. We attended camps with them and were trained by men who had served with them.

See my thread Lt H N Beadle. I inherited his letters, parts of which I am currently posting on the forum.

On or about 30th August 1944 he drew caricatures entitled "Good old Uncle Target with his son Michael" placing them
in the "Summer Exhibition" in the Villa in Settignano where they were billeted.

On 2nd September while out with the Regiments Recce Party, in La Pietra Florence, the Survey Jeep struck a landmine.
CPO 266 Bty Lt Beadle, 266 Bty Driver / Surveyor Bdr Tummey, Survey Officer Lt Holbrook and CPO 265 Bty Lt Styles were all killed.
They lie in Florence War Cemetery.

I am convinced that Lt Beadle, a very talented individual, wrote the letters so that he could produce a book of the Regiments Wartime activities. It was acknowledged as such by those who have since his death, worked towards this end. I intend to do my best to ensure that his story is told, along with that of that of the 67th Field Regt.

Attached excerpt from the Preface of the document "A History of the 67th Field Regiment by PM

 

By the by, the fourth and last of Gavin Lyall's "Major Harry Maxim" series of novels was called "Uncle Target" (Maxim is an SAS officer assigned to 10 Downing Street; Charles Dance played him on TV)

 

No, but I work with some Gunners now and then.

 

Thanks for the book tips but neither scratches my itch - one in Italy, the other fizzles out in 44. The rest (153 Regt history, Fire-Power, Sheldrake, Well-Known Excellence... squints at bookcase... Field of Fire) do similar. As Stolpi will attest, most sources lose impetus out after the Ardennes. Hope the Regt history works out. The RA museum were very helpful but we ran into covid problems before I could really did into their sources. Can sent contact address if needed.

 

PS, I had an Uncle Target; married my Auntie Tankgun.

Sorry (emoji for holding head in shame).

 

Ehup JDKR,
I vert much liked your skit of WW2TV and neary bought your book - looks great but a bit late for me and wrong side of the Rhine. It's on my list for when I can read for pleasure instead of school/work. You got another in the pipeline?

 

All roads RA lead to Larkhill and disappointment or so it seems.
Not looking for books to read at the moment. Have more serious issues on my mind.
Trying to keep busy to keep my mind off it. I seem to be haunting this site day and night.
Sorry if I am a kill Joy See Our Poppy Pics thread.

 

Hope things brighten up Uncle.
I can do a great line in killjoying too. Sadly, all my veterans have passed (thumbnail is my FEPOW Granddad) and family worries are on the next generation, care crisis etc. I found avoiding social media and news a great help.

 

Sorry for mentioning, That was a lapse of past training.
When under effective fire drop and roll or run for cover, don't run away and hide.
Our Granddaughter is a fighter and will eventually overcome. We must be here to support her and her parents, not crack up.
We trust in the experts in the NHS who will do their best.
We are preparing hampers for mother and daughter on Christmas Day and preparing for their return home.
The secret of success is Persistence.
In the meantime I will make myself busy being constructive.
Nice to have met you.
Have a Merry Christmas.

 

Hold fast.

 

Hi all,

I am wondering if there were cases where divisional guns got support from an AGRA without the corps also firing? The following is from the history of 52nd Division just past the Dortmund-Ems canal. (5 April 1945). Emphasis mine:

"... by 13.00 hours small-arms ammunition was becoming precious if not actually scarce, and the enemy kept pressing. Ten minutes later Major Booth had to make the grave decision to bring guns down on his own position. The shells arrived to land within yards of his beleagured Highlanders, but Major Booth cooly continued to correct the firing. This magnificently accurate shoot by the whole of the divisional artillery, supported by the heavy pieces of 9th AGRA caught the enemy in the open and smashed him."

 

Allied military phonetic spelling alphabets - Wikipedia

Phonetic Alphabet
U = Uncle

 

Yes .... and No

Occasionally some of the artillery of an AGRA might be placed under command of a division. This was usually in mobile operations in the advance to contact or pursuit. E.g. 6th Airborne Division was assigned two field regiments an HAA Regiment and a medium battery for Operation Paddle. the advance to the River Seine.

There is a series of diagrams on Gunners in Normandy explaining the regrouping of artillery in the development of the Corps battle

The guns available to an army Corps were the divisional artillery of the divisions under command and those of the AGRA under command or placed in support. A call upwards to the RA Cell at Army HQ might unleash the firepower of artillery from neighboring Corps or AGRA or regiments under army command.