TANK GUNNERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22378, 16 September 1942, Page 2

TANK GUNNERS

A training device introduced by the Royal Navy many years ago is being used at the Armoured Fighting Vehicles School for the training of gunners for tanks—the fighting ships of the land. The tank in action will roll and pitch like a destroyer in a rough sea. so not unnaturally any device which made for teaching good shooting to men intended as naval gunners holds good, too, for those soldiers who will fire the guns of New Zealand’s armoured fighting vehicles. A respresentative of “The Dominion” has just seen tank gunnel’s being trained at the gunnery wing of the A.F.V. School, where there are some first-class methods of developing a man’s capabilities as a gunner before he actually gets on to the open range for live shell practice. The particular device of gunnery training referred to was introduced by the Royal Navy many years ago at Whale Island, the British shore training station known as H.M.S. Excellent. Incidentally, a German broadcast claimed to have sunk H.M.S. Excellent, which is one of several shore training depots bearing the names of ships which the Germans claim to have “sunk.” The device produces the facsimile motion of any ship and gunners are trained to shoot by means of an auxiliary small calibre rifle or gun. which saves great expenditure in shells, and the effects of wear and tear on guns and, in this case, on tanks. There are several of these devices at the school. They are known as RYPA’s. a naval term meaning roll, yaw and pitch apparatus. So similar is the effect of motion of a ship at sea to a tank moving over varying types of country that the same principle of device has been found practicable for tank gunnery training. This apparatus, though stationary, can be set into motion so that the rolling, pitching effect is given to the gun platform. RYPA’s are used for indoor and outdoor work, thus effecting a saving of mileage and wear on tanks and expenditure of ammunition. Without this, training would have to be carried out in the vehicle itself. Used in a regiment this keeps the gunner up to scratch. Spotlight Firing In classrooms the RYPA’s are fitted with guns and spotlights and set up in front of landscape targets. The gunner sits in his seat as he would do in a tank, and on an order from the commander, traverses his gun in the direction of the target on the landscape. As soon as his sights are aligned correctly he presses the gun trigger. This action causes a spot of light to be projected on to his point of aim. By this means the instructor can determine whether or not the point of aim is correct. Mock-up turrets are also fitted to trucks and used for outdoor shooting, eye training, crew control and fire orders, judging speeds and ranges and other similar phases of this type of work. To produce the full fire power of an armoured fighting vehicle a gunner must be able to carry out proficiently the care and adjustment of the weapons, recognition of targets, estimation of range, estimation of allowance for movement of tank and target, observation and correction of fire, the overcoming of oscillation, and choice of weapons. The last-named is determined by the nature of the target, the weapons with which the tank is equipped and the effect which it Is desired to produce. Every soldier is not necessarily a good tank gunner, and it is only after a careful selection of those gifted with a special aptitude for this type of work that a tank can be considered to be a formidable force in any battle. The task of the gunnery wing is the training of tank gunners. Co-operation of the qualities of judgment, determination and decision, mental and manual (specialised) dexterity must be produced in the gunner if he is to obtain the best from the fighting equipment with which he is supplied. The initial stages of training are given to the stripping and assembling, care and cleaning, mechanism, general handling and other necessary work on each weapon. While these subjects are being taught, periods of eye training, crew drill, crew control and fire orders and other miscellaneous matters are introduced. Testing Skill

After the student has been taught to operate and maintain the various weapons the next stage is the practical operation of testing his skill with firing. Before this is done in the tank, many periods are devoted to miniature range shooting. One of these, a pellet range, is of much interest and practicability. It is fitted with a terrain of sand and fashioned as a true landscape. All probable types of targets, some stationary and others moving under control of specially-wired apparatus, can be engaged. A mechanically-controlled RYPA is set up in front of this sand table and fitted with a smallcalibre air rifle which fires a lead pellet. The RYPA. which is used for this work is a true replica of a tank. Firing from here the gunner experiences in miniature the same atmosphere in movement of gun control as he would in actual conditions. When all of the teaching described has been carried out the student is taken to the open range, where live shell practices are given. As on the pellet range, moving as well as stationary targets are engaged from moving and stationary tanks. During the whole course examinations are given, and when the course is completed each student is graded according to his ability and is then returned to his own unit. Further training goes on in his unit to perfect his ability that one day may be matched against an enemy of equal skill.