I don’t understand how they can accurately aim artillery. When they fire the whole machine moves a great deal and it would seem any calibration of its position would be lost.
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I used to be in a mortar platoon. Before we arrive at a firebase an advance party comes in and surveys the area. (gps may have changed this somewhat since I’ve been out for a number of years) They leave stakes in the ground. We roll up and drop our mortar on a stake. There is another one a few hundred meters away. There is a sight on the mortar which has level bubbles, a direction scale in mills (1600 graduations instead of 360 degrees) and a small telescope with a reticle. A computer or a guy with mad math skills plots out the numbers required for direction and elevation and calls them out to the mortar crew. They dial in the direction and elevation into the sight and then have to turn handwheels to adjust the elevation and direction of the barrel to 1) have the far stake in the reticle of the sight and 2) have all the bubbles showing level. Once that is set the team calls “on” and waits for a command to fire. Mortars have a 3 man crew. The number 3 is in charge of prepping ammo and handing it to number 2. Number 2 drops the round into the barrel and then grabs the next. The number 1 is in charge of the dials and bubbles. After each shot the number 1 will glance down and make small adjustments if required due to the gun jumping or pounding itself down into the ground. As long as the bubbles are level and you are aimed at the stake the rounds will go to the same spot.
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