tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post6331259509659104159..comments2024-03-28T22:08:48.577-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: The ValleyOldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-91930642082016254702020-11-22T08:06:53.022-08:002020-11-22T08:06:53.022-08:00That's where I'm headed, hopefully.
Good ...That's where I'm headed, hopefully.<br /><br />Good to know there's a market out there! 😁OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-77012096301109626582020-11-21T16:45:27.967-08:002020-11-21T16:45:27.967-08:00You could make a 2nd career out of fiction if'... You could make a 2nd career out of fiction if'n you needed some walkin around cash. Just sayin, I'd buy the books and I bet I ain't alone.lol nohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18335617988091342172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44450502485281107222020-11-20T21:24:27.552-08:002020-11-20T21:24:27.552-08:00Dang!Dang!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-75850502517650265192020-11-20T20:29:08.320-08:002020-11-20T20:29:08.320-08:00I had the opportunity to get to Falais last year. ...I had the opportunity to get to Falais last year. Standing up on the Polish posit and looking across the small depression to the American position I was struck for the first time just how narrow the "Falais Gap" really was. Just a couple hundred yards. I stood there and wondered how ANYONE made it through the gap.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06284086472584730420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-60931270343063948902020-11-20T08:39:24.422-08:002020-11-20T08:39:24.422-08:00As an aside, that's a modern field manual, the...As an aside, that's a modern field manual, the WWII version for a forward observer is FM6-135, which is a bit more complicated. That manual uses "sensings" from base point using terms like over and short, which I still haven't figured out.<br /><br />I think, though it's an anachronism, stick with the usage in FM 6-30.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-82063555356437968432020-11-20T08:29:23.440-08:002020-11-20T08:29:23.440-08:00Don - I did some research, drop/add are used to de...Don - I did some research, drop/add are used to decrease/increase the range, down/up are used to decrease/increase the elevation of the target as seen by the observer. Elevation differences less than 30 meters are ignored. I got this from US Army FM 6-30, Chapter 4.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-14977218976056078432020-11-19T20:20:22.483-08:002020-11-19T20:20:22.483-08:00Of course, now I have to find a good source for WW...Of course, now I have to find a good source for WWII artillery talk!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20296198870007604742020-11-19T19:02:33.998-08:002020-11-19T19:02:33.998-08:00(Don McCollor)...I defer to you...(Don McCollor)...I defer to you...Don McCollorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18028324869570493102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-15582168159690552582020-11-19T18:24:05.405-08:002020-11-19T18:24:05.405-08:00Thanks, I'm enjoying the writing of it!Thanks, I'm enjoying the writing of it!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-68195290451221010562020-11-19T18:23:32.944-08:002020-11-19T18:23:32.944-08:00Something which can't be stressed too often, t...Something which can't be stressed too often, the Wehrmacht had a lot of horses!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-25571012921868725232020-11-19T18:22:32.392-08:002020-11-19T18:22:32.392-08:00I've heard it both ways.I've heard it both ways.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44810113793423419972020-11-19T17:52:36.003-08:002020-11-19T17:52:36.003-08:00This is a GREAT story, Sarge. Thanks for putting...This is a GREAT story, Sarge. Thanks for putting the effort in for us.lol nohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18335617988091342172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-4247508693591142112020-11-19T17:13:29.735-08:002020-11-19T17:13:29.735-08:00Hey AFSarge;
Excellent Post and a great expl...Hey AFSarge;<br /><br /> Excellent Post and a great explanation about the horses and the German Wehrmacht and how their propaganda had them fully mechanized but they actually were not. MrGarabaldihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05768774166065615995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-6911876568586111412020-11-19T16:23:38.818-08:002020-11-19T16:23:38.818-08:00(Don McCollor)...A small point. Paddock instructin...(Don McCollor)...A small point. Paddock instructing the battery to "Drop 50". The few instances I have run across of WW2 observer instructions to artillery would have been "Down 50"...Don McCollorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18028324869570493102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-66510473742687319522020-11-19T16:21:55.007-08:002020-11-19T16:21:55.007-08:00Ah! You're absolutely right, I didn't real...Ah! You're absolutely right, I didn't realize that.<br /><br />Pure coincidence, you know me Old Guns, I'm not that clever.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-79939641635692601232020-11-19T15:59:09.659-08:002020-11-19T15:59:09.659-08:00The number of casualties was 105. That was what I ...The number of casualties was 105. That was what I was referring to.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02690195704568635237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-48496770599052106602020-11-19T14:26:05.733-08:002020-11-19T14:26:05.733-08:00😉😉OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-27057584751589995792020-11-19T14:08:01.134-08:002020-11-19T14:08:01.134-08:00At least someone got it.At least someone got it.SCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-83260234334022098692020-11-19T13:25:51.496-08:002020-11-19T13:25:51.496-08:00Heh.Heh.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-22332848345341997212020-11-19T13:23:48.015-08:002020-11-19T13:23:48.015-08:00Old Guns - Had it been 155s I doubt anyone would h...Old Guns - Had it been 155s I doubt anyone would have got out of the valley alive! I went with what might be most accessible to the platoon, which would be the regimental cannon company. I believe the 155s were higher up.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-45084110761145789022020-11-19T13:18:09.477-08:002020-11-19T13:18:09.477-08:00Patrick - Yes, always dicey when you've got a ...Patrick - Yes, always dicey when you've got a butter bar on the radio hoping he read his map properly!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-76417103009346102982020-11-19T12:59:22.802-08:002020-11-19T12:59:22.802-08:00I was referring to the bore diameter. I was Chief ...I was referring to the bore diameter. I was Chief of Section on a 155 (M114-A1) until I went on REFORGER 83 at the age of 42 and decided 3 hots & a cot would increase my life expectancy and the quality thereof. I retired as a Chief Gunner's Mate in 1998. Old GunsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02690195704568635237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-87702446603719269262020-11-19T12:42:03.352-08:002020-11-19T12:42:03.352-08:00Ahhh...I see! Wondered about thet there moniker. ...Ahhh...I see! Wondered about thet there moniker. Never got in on the backside of that kinda action, but I do know calling it in is (or was, back before all the high tech stuff came into play) a hairy bit of business. Better get your grid coordinates just right, and then hunker down real good, hoping that goofy cannon cocker (that you've probably never even met)gets his coords. right, too! Reading through your tale, I found myself scrunching down, in anticipation of that first round. We were using the 155s, and those suckers do go BOOM!Tank Killerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01955019760069183088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-31089518890860207862020-11-19T12:25:57.588-08:002020-11-19T12:25:57.588-08:00Trying agin, hopefully without spell checker chang...Trying agin, hopefully without spell checker changing my post. Three platoons of M3 howitzer did the job quite well, didn't they? <br />WARNING! MacBeth based pun involving Lt. Paddock's name incoming!<br />Is it true that, even though four batteries of GMC M12 155mm SP guns had made it known that they were now open for business, and looking for a target to register their guns on, Lt. Paddock felt he owed a certain amount of loyalty to the " towed " guns? SCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-45031754412896184372020-11-19T12:07:26.433-08:002020-11-19T12:07:26.433-08:00I'm not sure if that's what Old Guns was a...I'm not sure if that's what Old Guns was after, he is, as the pseudonym might indicate, an artilleryman.<br /><br />I also know him in real life, he tends to be tongue in cheek at times.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.com