 This is The Big Picture, an official television report of the United States Army, produced for the armed forces and the American people. Now to show you part of The Big Picture, here is Master Sergeant Stuart Quain. To the army, firepower is a magic word. In war it is the force which helps determine the outcome of battles, and in peace its threatening potential stands as a discouraging obstacle to any would-be aggressor. Artillery, the king of battle, for several centuries the primary firepower resource of armies, hammered many victories over the Axis nations in World War II. Five years later, North Korean communists felt the penetrating force of artillery firepower once again. The tremendous destructive effect of rocket was demonstrated in combat. Rocket development soon opened a new era with the guided missile. In today's army the tactical use of missiles is a reality. Mobile artillery weapons capable of massive concentrated firepower, such as was barely dreamed of in World War II, can now be used to support ground troops of the new pentomic divisions. Divisions which have been reorganized to meet the demands of warfare on the fluid atomic battlefields of the future. This week the Big Picture Camera brings you a close-up of the 42nd Field Artillery Group with the 7th Army in Europe, as it wields two of its most formidable weapons, the Corporal Guided Missile and the 280 Cannon into action for a test alert. Artillery firepower once meant only smooth bore cannon, clumsy iron and brass tube, slow to reload and only as accurate as the gunner's eye. At the time of the American Revolution, the firepower of musketry generally won each battle and foot power was the key to army mobility. Not until the Civil War was artillery firepower utilized to its fullest extent, improved gun and projectile design made greater accuracy possible and the destruction wrought by artillery proved decisive in more than one major engagement. But the First World War saw field artillery developed to a precise and devastating dimension, clearly the arm of decision in the trenches of France. Power could be more efficiently directed by telephone and the giant field guns of both armies churned up the soil of Europe for four long years. It was the artillery's war, probably more than any war in history, but where firepower had triumphed, mobility fairly existed. When the artillery moved, it moved slowly and usually by horse. Gasoline driven vehicles were still young and couldn't always be counted on to drag the heavy weapons from one battle position to the next. The horse was slow, but he was dependable. With his help, thousands of large field pieces were moved up to deliver the greatest concentration of firepower the world had ever seen. Affility characterized warfare in World War II and self-propelled howitzers gave artillery the speed and movement it needed to increase its effectiveness. Evidence of this effectiveness was everywhere as the Axis nations crumbled in defeat. Five years later in Korea, firepower was needed once again to neutralize enemy resistance. Hampered by the rugged mountainous terrain, United Nations forces frequently found that carefully controlled artillery firepower was a vital preliminary to any infantry attack. A walking barrage could be used to help neutralize a hill before the assault, creating a situation which close fighting infantry would then follow up and exploit. The cost of this concentration of firepower was high as thousands of shells were often needed to saturate or destroy a tactical objective. Today an army unit such as the 42nd Field Artillery Group in Germany tactical weapons of enormous firepower potential are in regular operational use. Before a field exercise, the staff and NCOs of the 42nd are briefed on the particulars of the group's mission, how to move their huge 280 millimeter cannon and corporal guided missiles to a simulated combat zone for action against an imaginary enemy. Perhaps the big picture camera can interrupt the 42nd's commanding officer for just one moment. Colonel Blair, may we ask you some questions, sir? Will you tell us what this briefing is all about? I have my staff assembled here to acquaint them with my concept for the employment of one battalion of 280 millimeter guns and one battalion of corporal guided missiles, which are being used in support of an army corps in an attack against an imaginary enemy. Just what is the composition of the 42nd Field Artillery Group? The 42nd Field Artillery Group is composed of four battalions of 280 millimeter guns and three battalions of corporal guided missiles. Each battalion of the corporal has one firing battery with two erectors and two launches. Each of the 280 millimeter gun battalions has three firing batteries, each firing battery with two guns. Without revealing anything confidential, could you give us some more facts on these weapons, Colonel? The 280 millimeter gun, when mounted on its two transporters, rolling down the highway, weighs approximately 85 tons. But in spite of this ponderous weight, it is amazingly agile and extremely maneuverable, as has been proven many times since the guns have been over here in Germany. They have been employed on maneuvers and field training exercises throughout Germany. As an example, just last week one of our battalions just returned from an 800 mile round trip to a large firing range in the extreme eastern portion of the West German zone. Likewise, the corporal missile battalions have been used on many maneuvers and field exercises and are equally maneuverable. These weapons are here today ready for battle. Today, tomorrow, next month, or any time in the future. Thank you very much, sir. Following the briefing session, each participating battalion receives the alert message. From this moment, every man is expected to carry out his duties as if the test alert were an actual combat situation. Telephone communications begin a chain reaction, which carries throughout the battalions. The men of the 601st field artillery missile battalion are the first to tumble out of their barracks and rush to the vehicles, which will carry them to a prearranged rendezvous, a point in a simulated combat zone many miles away. Each of these soldiers is a trained specialist who serves a particular function in handling and launching the corporal missile. They are the most advanced artillerymen in the world, and it is their responsibility as a unit to get their weapons into action efficiently and on the shortest possible notice. All battalion vehicles are gassed and oiled and kept in readiness for a real emergency, which is only simulated in this exercise. For many factors essential to the success of a modern army, and mobility is certainly one of the most important. Gone are the days when weapons were restricted by the shortcomings of the equipment which moved them. An entire corporal missile battery can be transported by fast maneuverable vehicles, like the huge skeletal erectors which lift the missile hydraulically and stand it upright in firing position. The corporal itself is hauled in its giant steel cube aboard a 40-foot trailer truck, electronic equipment which will help plot the missile's trajectory before firing, and the radar which will track it to its destination are all part of the team vital to the accomplishment of a successful mission. Even though these huge weapons are designed to be fired for many miles behind the actual battle lines, they must be mobile. From the open highway elements of the 601st missile battalion move speedily through one of the small country villages along the route to the assigned rendezvous point a few miles from the Rhine River. Because of its conspicuous size the corporal convoy uses a small clearing in the German forest for its firing position. This enables the crew to take advantage of the natural cover afforded by the surrounding trees and provides the missile with some protection against enemy observation and air attack. Because the corporal is a ballistic missile, the kind which must be aimed, all of the equipment used to set it in firing position is highly specialized. It is necessary to the accuracy of the weapon that it be perfectly positioned before firing. Resembling more a gigantic length of stove pipe than the last word in artillery weapons, the missile can be quickly unloaded and set up. Like the pieces of an enormous puzzle, the skeletal steel bed on which the corporal will stand is also unloaded and assembled by the missile man of the 42nd. The entire structure is simply designed for fast handling under combat conditions and can be assembled completely in a few minutes by an experienced crew such as this. Weather data is vital to the best performance of the corporal in order that all of the correct settings may be made on the missile's flight instruments as much as possible should be known about the upper atmosphere through which the missile will pass on its way to the target. The weather balloon with its tiny cargo of instruments is tracked by radar. Camouflage nets are used to blend the equipment in with its surroundings while each man in the firing battery sets about his specific task in readying the corporal. Emerging from the missile cube, its giant scabbard, the missile must be fueled and run through a series of checkout tests before it can be fired. Although the corporal has never actually been fired in any European exercises, the crews participate regularly in maneuvers such as these to stay in a constant state of readiness. Once each year, corporal battalions are rotated back to the United States where they actually do practice fire their weapons at the Oral Grandie range near Fort Bliss, Texas. The corporal is temporarily housed before being put through the last-minute checkout. Like a great aerial hunting dog on an electronic leash, the corporal is wide-ranging and sensitive. Every precaution must be taken by its crew to see that it is capable of pedigreed performance. Companion weapon to the corporal in the 42nd Field Artillery Group, the 280-millimeter cannon is the largest field piece in the Army. Considerably heavier than the missile, the 280 has also been designed for rapid movement behind the battle area. Capable of firing an atomic shell as well as conventional high-explosive projectiles, the 280 can deliver a devastating firepower concentration more than 20 miles from its firing position. Because of its weight and length, it is steered separately from tandem cabs at the front and rear. Telephones link the drivers. Brakes and throttle on the 85-ton unit are controlled by the lead driver. There are a dozen cannon batteries in the 42nd Field Artillery Group, and each of them regularly takes part in field and firing exercises. These monster guns can be emplaced and put into action quicker than any other heavy artillery piece now in use. With precision and skill, the GI drivers handle their 84-foot responsibility as if it were no larger than a milk truck, as they park on the banks of the Rhine. With the help of a French manned landing barge, the artillerymen are able to move their piece across one of the world's most formidable rivers. A Rhine crossing was planned for some of the 42nd's batteries in order that the crews might broaden their experience in handling a ticklish logistics problem with the gigantic cannon and its attendant vehicles and equipment. Loading the monster gun aboard the barge presents a special problem to the men of the 42nd, which they managed to solve quickly and without mishap. In the history of military movement, the Rhine has figured as an asset and an obstacle. For Germany, the Rhine has long been a natural defensive barrier, one fiercely defended in two world wars. To an attacking army, the river is an imposing obstacle across which troops under fire could move only with the greatest hazard and difficulty. As they cross the river slowly with their burden securely in place, the French crew takes over temporarily, allowing the soldiers of the 42nd a moment to respite from their fast-paced day. Because their Rhine crossing is only an exercise, they have an opportunity to share with the armies of history a military experience under ideal conditions. In an actual combat situation, the cannon would be moved and fired, then quickly moved and fired again in order to keep the enemy from locating its position. Navigating these highways is no trick for soldiers who are trained to drive the 280 rig over all kinds of roads under almost any conditions. As they approach the designated emplacement area, the equipment turns off the road to enter a secluded forest sector. All vehicles disperse to pre-assign positions before the gun is unlimbered. Batteries of the 280 millimeter cannon battalions can have their weapons in position and firing within four minutes after they receive a troop commander's call for fire support. The men of the 280 millimeter cannon crew work quickly to unload their vehicles and camouflage their weapon before it can be spotted by the enemy. The 280 size makes it a vulnerable target for the searching fingers of enemy artillery, missiles, or aircraft. And the destructive threat it poses to that enemy makes it one an aggressor force would try to locate and destroy quickly. Effective camouflage is an art every artilleryman learns early because cover is a valuable defensive asset on the battlefield. Even in this mock engagement the eyes of the enemy are open and sharply watched. Those jets didn't materialize out of thin air. Planes need a forward base and that base is now one of the tactical targets of the 42nd. The aggressor's eyes must be destroyed before the gun position is spotted and the gun itself attacked. The best guess is that the enemy base lies somewhere north and east of the river. If the range of the 280 can't handle the problem the corporal battery certainly will. Deeper in the forest another cannon from the 264th field artillery battalion is already in firing position. The crew has not yet attempted to camouflage their weapon but has taken advantage of what natural cover the trees provide. If a battery in combat had orders as this one has to proceed to its position and prepare to fire immediately the seven man gun crew might not have the time to camouflage their emplacement. Sergeant may we interrupt you for a few questions. Certainly. Go ahead and take a break here. What is your crew doing at this moment? We're preparing the gun for firing we're checking our recall systems. Bore sighting on the gun cross level and various things get ready for firing. What is bore sighting? Bore sighting is when you line the axes of your tube with the cross earth on your panoramic sight. How long have you been in the artillery? Approximately six years. How long have you been working with a 280 millimeter gun sergeant? Five years. How do you compare the 280 cannon with other artillery weapons as far as accuracy is concerned? I'd say it was one of those accurate pieces of equipment that I worked on. What's the exact range of the 280? The exact range is classified but it is approximately 20 miles. Thank you sergeant for taking time out to answer our questions for the big picture audience. On another gun not far distance the crew is nearly ready to fire. The process of preparing a 280 millimeter cannon for firing is elaborate and painstaking. Even though standard high explosive projectiles are the only type used in these exercises they must be handled much the same as an atomic warhead with great care and precision. The cannon requires the concentrated attentions of the entire crew each man a trained technician. Although the weapons in the field artillery are as scientifically precise as any which exists artillerymen themselves will always consider their specialty of fine art. They will do the back work as well as the brain work demanded by such a monstrous weapon and they take a special pride in the excellence of their performance. The competition between battalions is high and that between firing batteries and individual gun crews even more spirited. The last minute touch the final delicate adjustment before a cannon is ready and the order is given to fire. The 280s are right on target. A short distance away at the missile firing position the corporal receives a pre-firing check. A test cable and compressed airlines are attached to the missile in order to check its control systems. Although the principles on which the guided missile functions are essentially the same as those of a 4th of July skyrocket the weapon itself is an enormously intricate and complicated instrument of destruction. Once in flight the corporal steers itself by means of movable fins in its tail ensuring pinpoint accuracy. Once the corporal flight checks have been completed the tent is removed to give the fueling crew room to work. This is a hazardous and complicated operation and the artillerymen truly look as if they belong among the spacemen of the future in their strange protective clothing. In combat a single missile would receive only one feeding of the liquid oxygen and propellant necessary to satisfy its thirsty rocket on a one-way trip. During dry runs such as these however the corporals can be filled many times over with the amount of fuel which would ordinarily be required to lift the five-ton missile from its launching bed. After the fueling operation has been completed and all of the pre-firing checks are found to be satisfactory the corporal is ready to receive its lethal crown the warhead it will carry to the target. Groomed and checked for a simulated launching the missile is ready to be picked up and put in its vertical firing position. The crew first works the erector into place so that the corporal can be grabbed and drawn upward gently by the great hydraulic claws of the vehicle. Firing battery prepares the missile other pieces of equipment such as the radar which will track its flight path are already in action. Upright the corporal stands as high as a three-story building. The crew members of this particular missile battery are almost ready to go now that their weapon is securely in place on a portable platform. Perhaps the big picture camera can interrupt them long enough to ask a few questions. Sergeant what is your job on this crew? The launcher section chief. What are the major duties you perform? To see that the launcher is properly in place leveled the missile is then brought to the launcher released from the erector the missile is then leveled and we continue with our own launcher servicing. What was the crew doing when we interrupted you? We were re-leveling the launcher. Why is that necessary sergeant? This makes for the missile being in the proper vertical position after releasing by the erector. How long have you been in the army sergeant? We'll be 15 years next month. Has most of your time been in guided missiles? I know it has not. I've been in it since January of 1955. Thank you sergeant for taking a moment out of your work to talk with us. Among the tall trees of the forest the corporal stands nearly invisible. Last minute adjustments are made as the missile crew prepares for a simulated firing. Buried under a deceptive cobweb of camouflage netting one of the bands which carries the complicated electronic equipment controlling the missile is alive with split second activity. Preset figures which will help determine the flight path and the point of impact of the corporals are fed into the missile system before firing. Once the man clear away from the weapon the countdown goes out from the officer in charge and the members of the missile crew tense expectantly as they await the firing order. The men know their jobs well. Every movement is a duplicate of the real thing until the instant of firing. For the actual firing of the corporal the missile men must wait until their next live exercise at the Oro Grande range back home. There at the press of a button the corporal is fired. Tearing the southwestern skies like a giant aerial blowtorch the missile responds to the electronic commands of the highly trained missile men of the 42nd field artillery group. The corporal may travel 50 miles above the earth before it turns and plunges down upon its target delivering a devastating punch from space a concept of the future in your army's artillery today. The training these men undergo with their weapons is a representative chapter in the continuing story of your army's development of firepower and serves as a further deterrent to any future wars. Now this is sergeant Stuart Queen your host for the big picture. The big picture is an official television report for the armed forces and the American people produced by the Army Pictorial Center presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station.