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Subject: The Zone Call
DropBear    10/6/2004 2:31:48 AM
A WW1 term... A special call from an aircraft to the artillery. Tapped out by wireless operator, the "G.G." fire signal was followed by the pin-point co-ordinates of target. When the Military Map Grid References were identified, every weapon of every calibre within range, directed rapid fire on the spot. It was estimated that it cost 10 000 Brit Pounds, per minute. 1. Is there a modern day equivalent 'term' or action similar to this? 2. Is it un/common for modern day planes to signal artillery support? 3. What did the initials G.G. stand for? Were they merely convenient letters for use in morse, just like CQD and SOS were. Your thoughts....
 
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neutralizer    RE:Clarification for Grided Maps   11/24/2005 4:26:31 AM
Extensive use of 'gridded' maps didn't start until after WW1. Before that war they'd looked at it and decided it was too difficult to train everybody! Instead they adopted 'squared' maps, these used a reference system somewhat like some modern street maps. This was reasonable for infantry, etc, but a serious limitation for artillery that wasn't recognised until WW1 was underway. Of course these maps were surveyed with normal coordinates, its just that the coordinate grid was not printed on the maps. That said I think they used gridded maps in the Italian theatre but without looking at samples can't be sure. In WW1 on the western front the official GSGS series had various scales, mostly fairly small. However, trench maps were 10,000 or 1:20,000 and widely used, mostly specially printed with overprints such as HB locs, barrage plans, etc, etc. In the mid 1930s UK adopted 4 standard scales for army use, including 1:25,000 specifically for artillery. These were used in all theatres. Of course in UK itself 1:63nnn lingered a long time (1 inch = 1 mile). Elsewhere post WW2 standard NATO scales were used. The quantity of map sets issued to units seems to have been fairly generous, in itself a significant load. However, field printing was widely used (the passably orderly withdrawal to Dunkirk was basically possible because the BEF held the necessery printing masters (for all of N France) and was able to print and distribute the maps very quickly).
 
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Carl S    RE:Clarification for Grided Maps   11/24/2005 7:08:50 AM
That question was one of the reasons I ploughed through all those volumes of the JRA two years ago. It was clear grided firing charts were used for computing the firing solition before WWII. But the presence of grid printed maps was not indicated, or I missed it. Anyway I did not have time then to search the similar sources for similar evidence on French, US, Soviet & German artillery. Have you any information on their artillery?
 
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