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Upstart
[Note: Here I must mention that the 915th also had an air section, with two Piper Cub
airplanes, at least one of which was constantly in the air during daylight, weather permitting.
They were invaluable for finding targets and observing fire, but were of limited use in keeping
track of our own infantry locations. Our infantry had been taught to conceal themselves from
aerial observation.]
END NOTES
Note 1: The four principal staff officers of battalion and regimental size units are
designated the S-l, S-2, S-3, and S-4. At division level or higher, they are designated G-1, G-2,
G-3, and G-4. Their normal areas of responsibility are
S-l: Personnel matters. In our battalion the executive officer (major) theoretically
supervised these as a minor part of his duties, but under him was a warrant officer, who was in
charge of the actual paper work. He and his crew were separated from us, being with the 90th
Division Rear Echelon, far to the rear, and we rarely saw any of them.
S-2: (Captain) Enemy intelligence (my initial job). Ironically, most of my time was taken
up, with keeping track, not of the enemy on our front, but of our own infantry facing them. I
passed the information on to our S-3, so he would not fire on them. I also procured and
distributed maps, coordinated with adjoining units, and was a high-priced gofer.
S-3: (Major) Operations, plans, and training. In combat, the primary duty of the artillery
battalion
S-3 was to run the fire direction center, where all requests for fire came in, were
screened, and if approved, converted into commands for the firing batteries. This fire direction
center needs a more thorough treatment, which I will give in the next segment.
S-4: (Captain) Supply. The S-4, or his men, requisition (order) all kinds of supplies: food,
ammunition, gas and oil, spare parts, clothing, et al; go get them when they are ready; and
distribute them to the users.
Note 2: Until after the American Civil War, field artillery (cannon on wheels, so they could
be moved from place to place) were fired by a fairly simple procedure: the piece (cannon) was
located where the enemy could be seen by the cannoneers (and vice versa). The crew chief sighted
down the top of the barrel and had the cannoneers move the piece until it was pointed at the target.
Then it would be loaded and fired. The recoil from the shot would drive the piece backward for
several yards, so the cannoneers would muscle it back into position and repeat the process, provided
the smoke from the preceding round had blown away enough for the target to be visible again. All
this was a lot of work. And it had to be done hastily, because the enemy, who could see you, might
break through any moment and attack your position with fixed bayonets.
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