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To: XJarhead
Direct fire seems advertised with this thing. And it's needed. Sometimes. Sure, our recent wars have been "chases" across deserts inside trucks and APC's/M-2's against a retreating enemy.

My battery in the Gulf War got in a direct fire shootout with some Iraqi armored cars and MLRS, so its not entire out of fashion yet.

See the accounts of the taking of Metz, and of Patton's Third Army's procedures for clearing towns house-to-house when it was impossible or impractical to bypass them.

The single most useful tool for putting a new doorway not covered by enemy fire or boobytraps in an existing structure was direct fire from the 155 SP guns accompanying the Infantry, also useful should a sudden stray enemy tank or armored car make an appearance, or should countersniper fire be required.

Now that the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle is out of service, along with its 165mm demolition gun, previously useful for breeching wire entanglements, walls and urban structures, there's really nothing else quite suitable for the task. the Israelis are considering direct-fire 160mm mortars, but even 120mm main gun fire is ineffectual at such tasks- the tank rounds penetrate too well, with minimal effects on the occupants.


122 posted on 01/17/2004 3:31:20 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: archy
Well, if you've gotta go back to Patton's 3rd Army in Metz in 1944, its obviously not something that happens too often. And if such as situation should ever arise again, you'd have the towed howitzers. Just because they are GS artillery by TO doesn't mean that can't perform direct support if assigned to that mission.
124 posted on 01/17/2004 5:44:08 PM PST by XJarhead
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