<!DOCTYPE html>
<html class="client-nojs vector-feature-night-mode-disabled vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-sticky-header-enabled" lang="en" dir="ltr"><head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Predicted fire</title>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicted_fire"> <link href="./mw/ext.cite.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/skins.vector.icons.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/skins.vector.search.codex.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/skins.vector.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/user.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content="">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./mw/site.styles.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./mw/noscript.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./footer.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./vector-2022.css">
</head>
<body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Predicted_fire rootpage-Predicted_fire skin-vector-2022 action-view">
<div class="mw-page-container">
<div class="mw-page-container-inner">
<div class="mw-content-container">
<main id="content" class="mw-body">
<header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar">
<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading">
<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Predicted fire</span></span>
</h1>
</header>
<a id="top"></a>
<div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body ve-init-mw-desktopArticleTarget-targetContainer" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container="">
<div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr">
<p><b>Predicted fire</b> (originally called <i>map shooting</i>) is a tactical technique for the use of <a href="Artillery" title="Artillery">artillery</a>, enabling it to <a href="Fire_for_effect" title="Fire for effect">fire for effect</a> without alerting the enemy with ranging shots or a lengthy preliminary bombardment. The guns are laid using detailed calculations and surveys to increase aiming accuracy from the first round.
</p><meta property="mw:PageProp/toc">
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Field_artillery">Field artillery</h2></div>
<p>Predicted fire aims to achieve tactical surprise when the target is to be engaged by <a href="Indirect_fire" title="Indirect fire">indirect fire</a>. <a href="Gun_laying" title="Gun laying">Gun laying</a> is based on calculations of the range and <a href="Azimuth" title="Azimuth">azimuth</a> of the target relative to the gun position, without the need for ranging shots (or <i>adjusting</i>) or even observation of the target. Ranging shots take time, and alert the enemy both to the presence and position of the guns, and to the likelihood of an attack. Predicted fire enables enemy artillery, strongpoints or troop concentrations to be struck without warning, often shortly before a friendly attack so as to leave no time for recovery, or engagement of targets hidden from observation by friendly forces. It can be used to plan any type of fire, including concentrations or the <a href="Barrage_(artillery)" title="Barrage (artillery)">creeping barrages</a> commonly used in <a href="World_War_I" title="World War I">World War I</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Hogg_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Hogg-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>Predicted fire was developed during World War I and became the main method of using <a href="Field_artillery" title="Field artillery">field artillery</a> until the present day. The first battle in which the fireplan consisted entirely of predicted fire was the <a href="Battle_of_Cambrai_(1917)" title="Battle of Cambrai (1917)">Battle of Cambrai</a> in 1917, in which the British guns were moved into surveyed positions at the last moment, achieving tactical surprise when they commenced firing.<sup id="cite_ref-Hogg_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Hogg-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>Predicted fire requires precise surveying of the gun position and accurate maps. Ideally all firing batteries will have been surveyed onto a common survey grid. Accurate shooting needs complicated calculations including such factors as the elevation of the target and firing position, wind speed and direction, <a href="Barometric_pressure" class="mw-redirect" title="Barometric pressure">barometric pressure</a>, gun barrel wear and even propellant batch and temperature.<sup id="cite_ref-Hogg_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Hogg-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>The opposite of prediction is <i>reduction</i>, the process of calculating a target's map co-ordinates for a target registered by firing.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Anti-aircraft_warfare">Anti-aircraft warfare</h2></div>
<p>Predicted fire is also used by <a href="Anti-aircraft_gun" class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-aircraft gun">anti-aircraft guns</a>, using a device called a <i>predictor</i> or <a href="Director_(military)" title="Director (military)"><i>director</i></a> to compute a firing solution.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Footnotes">Footnotes</h2></div>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">
/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */
.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}
/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */
</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width reflist-columns-2">
<ol class="references">
<li id="cite_note-Hogg-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Hogg_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Hogg_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Hogg_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Hogg, p 32</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */
.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("./mw/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("./mw/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("./mw/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("./mw/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}
/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */
</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nigelef.tripod.com/glossary.htm#Non_standard_conditions">"Artillery in World War 2—Glossary"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 January</span> 2010</span>.</cite> Glossary of Royal Artillery terminology in World War 2</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nigelef.tripod.com/glossary.htm#Reduction">"Artillery in World War 2—Glossary"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 January</span> 2010</span>.</cite> Glossary of Royal Artillery terminology in World War 2</span>
</li>
</ol></div>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
<ul><li>Hogg, Ian V, Barrage: the Guns in Action, Macdonald, 1971</li>
<li><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nigelef.tripod.com/index.htm">"Artillery in World War 2—The field artillery organisation, tactics, gunnery methods and regiments of the Royal Artillery and the artilleries of British Commonwealth"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 January</span> 2010</span>.</cite> A large and detailed site on Royal Artillery methods in World War 2</li></ul></div><!--htdig_noindex--><div><div class="zim-footer">
This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2022-09-28" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Predicted_fire&oldid=1112914028">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
</div>
</div><!--/htdig_noindex--></div>
</div>
</main>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body></html>