Guns of Normandy

[lentulus]

Just finished The Guns of Normandy: A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944  By George G. Blackburn

http://books.google.ca/books?id=8xlqd9g3J2IC&pg=PA278&lpg=PA278&dq=guns+of+normandy&source=bl&ots=x7eD5uFjde&sig=uWEEsTZcfH5zxd09YcQ2PU_T7tU&hl=en&ei=t6SkTuW-Jcnm0QHvluHNDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CG4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false

He was an officer with 4th Field Artillery regiment, 2nd Canadian division and the book covers the period from the divisions loading to head for Normandy in early July to the liberation of Dieppe - it was 2nd Division that attacked Dieppe in '42.

Lots of details about how artillery is handled - I had no idea before about how they were "gridded in" to a single theater reference system, for example; that that the FOO would have a "remote control box" with a cable leading back to a powerful radio in the carrier he rode on.  Or how incredibly important slit trenches are.

The book is in second person present tense.  Instead of "I" the narrator refers to "you" -- you are under fire, you see friends die; the result is as powerful as such a memoir can be.  Except it is not just a memoir - he has done extensive interviews with fellow vets, brought together the official histories and gone through the German memoirs and histories as well.  The focus is on the "you", your troop and your division but the pov is not restricted to what one set of eyes could see.

Blackburn was a journalist before and after the war (and in advertising, the 1960's advertising campaign mentioned in the wiki page about him is still stuck in my head) and that experience shows in the quality of writing.

His introduction mentions the criticisms of Canadian forces during the closing of the Falaise gap, and  his description of being bombed in the assembly areas at Totalize and Tractable and of the effects of dysentery certainly bring his points home for me.

If you are considering a force for Normandy, give it a read.   I plan to order the sequel "Guns of Victory" next payday.  My own Normandy forces just got a *lot* closer.

[Rob]

Lots of details about how artillery is handled - I had no idea before about how they were "gridded in" to a single theater reference system, for example; that that the FOO would have a "remote control box" with a cable leading back to a powerful radio in the carrier he rode on.  Or how incredibly important slit trenches are.

Hi Lentulus,

This site will give you the "nuts and bolts" of WWII Brit arty control.
http://nigelef.tripod.com/

Cheers, Rob 

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

I bought the collected paperback 'Guns of War' a couple of years ago and thought it very good.  Must re-read it.

It's easy to forget the skills and bravery needed of the FOOs and their support teams.

Regards

Edward

[lentulus]

Rob: Thanks, great link.

kustenjaeger, I had not realized that there had been an "omnibus" edition.  In Canada it has stayed pretty much constantly in print; they should include extracts in the junior high history texts.

[DanJ]

I thought both books were excellent, from both technical and personal points of view and should be on the reading list of anyone interested in the British army in the NW European campaign.

There are some great snippets of interest to gamers and game designers, at one point a FOO can't contact his battery as "the colonel has the guns", turns out later that the Colonel used his authority to take command of all his guns and used them to break up repeate German attacks, I think he won the MC for his actions which was fine for the broader picture but unfortunate for the FOO stuck in a fox hole calling for his battery - just try telling a British player all 25lds have been switched elsewhere on higher authority and see what happens.

I was also very impressed by the description that when on the march an officer was responsible for knowing EXACTLY where the regiment was on the map, not roughly but to withing yards (and at night) so the guns could be swung into any open space, "gridden in" and fired with 5 minutes of receiving an apropriate order.