Quote:
Originally Posted by rcaf_777
I seem to remember the Germans in World War Two Carrying and feild phone with a cable spool?
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Thats an old finnish army technique to dense forest terrain! In eastern Finland and in Soviet Karelia there was huge wilderness areas without roads or even without trails.
When you are expecting trouble. You first look firing position for your mortar team. From that point recon squad will start scout enemy. Usually they directly walk in certain direction (using compass bearing). When they spot the enemy, forward observer will "read" the distance from a cable spool "
350m from mortar position! Enemy platoon is 100 m. in front of us - 15 rounds now". Its best metod get fire support in featureless dense forest- unless you have GPS.
In 1941 german army and Waffen-SS didnt have a clue how to run operations in wilderness areas. Finnish intructors teached this technique "line and mortar" to Heer officers. It was later widely used in eastern and western fronts. Its also great way to use mortars in night fighting.