US AAC/AAF Doctrine: FM 31-35, Aviation in Support of Ground Forces, 1942 - Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5: SIGNAL COMMUNICATION
SECTION I: GENERAL
101. PURPOSE.-The chapter prescribes the responsibility for the establishment of signal communication between the several echelons of combat aviation comprising an air support command. It also describes the communication nets to be established, the allotment of radio sets to the various echelons, and methods to be employed in communication within an air support command.
102. Troops.--a. Signal Corps troops are responsible for the establishment of communication at an air support command headquarters and to attached, auxiliary, and immediately subordinate units, including the headquarters of a supported ground unit. They are responsible for the establishment of communication with adjacent units as directed by the common superior headquarters. They are also responsible for the installation and maintenance of long trunk wire circuits, but not the terminal equipment attached thereto, between combat aviation groups and squadrons of an air support command, and subordinate, attached, adjacent and auxiliary units, as well as supported ground units, of such groups and squadrons, when the respective command posts are not adjacent or located in the same airdrome.
b. Army Air Force troops of the communication sections of combat aviation groups are responsible for the establishment of all communication at a group headquarters, including all echelons thereof, and to attached, adjacent, auxiliary, and immediately subordinate units, including communication with the headquarters of a supported ground unit, except as modified with respect to the installation and maintenance of long trunk wire circuits by the provisions of a above.
c. Army Air Force troops of an air support communication squadron are responsible for the operations of air support controls and air support parties, all having to do with initiating requests for air support, the evaluation of such requests, and the transmission of orders directing air support attack missions from an air support control to a bombardment aviation airdrome. Air support communication squadrons are separate units, one of. which is attached to a bombardment group when the latter is engaged in air support operations.
d. Army Air Force troops of the communication sections of combat aviation squadrons are responsible for the establishment of all communication at a squadron headquarters, including all echelons thereof, and to all surrounding squadron installations, including communication with the headquarters of a supported ground unit, except as modified with respect to the installation and maintenance of long wire circuits by the provisions of a above. Army Air Force troops of the communication unit of a squadron are also responsible for the operations of an air support control when a squadron is in, support of a ground unit.
103. SIGNAL MEANS AND AGENCIES.-a. Wire communication.
Telephone.
Teletype.
Tone telegraph.
b. Radio communication.
Telephone.
Telegraph.
Radio intelligence.
c. Visual communication.
Pyrotechnics.
Panels.
Airplanes.
d. Sound communication.
e. Pigeon communication.
f. Message centers.
g. Messenger communication.
Dismounted messenger (local runner).
Motor messenger.
Airplane messenger.
104. SIGNAL communication Policies.-a. Wire communication will be the primary means of communication between ground stations, except between air support parties and an air support control, when radio will be used exclusively. Among the several types of wire communication, teletype will take precedence.
b. Of necessity, radio will be the primary means of communication between aircraft in flight and between aircraft and ground stations. For communication between ground stations, radio will be a secondary means of communication except as noted in a above.
105. REFERENCES.-Reference is made to FM 1-45 for a detailed discussion of the tactics and technique of signal communication employed in air support operations.
SECTION II: COMMUNICATION NETS
106. WIRE NETS.-a. The establishment of wire communication will be normal
(1) Between an air support command- headquarters and immediate subordinate combat aviation units.
(2) Between an air support command headquarters and the headquarters of attached, auxiliary, and adjacent units.
(3) Between an air support command headquarters and the headquarters of a supported ground unit.
(4) Between a combat aviation group headquarters and immediate subordinate combat aviation units.
(5) Between a combat aviation group headquarters and the headquarters of attached, auxiliary, and adjacent units.
(6) Between a combat aviation group headquarters and the headquarters of a supported ground unit.
(7) Between a combat aviation squadron headquarters and the headquarters of a supported ground unit.
(8) Between an air support control and bombardment aviation airdromes.
b. Over these wire nets, telephone communication will be possible over varying distances up to 20 miles. For more distant communication reliance must be placed upon teletype communication. Tone telegraph will be substituted for telegraph in the event of equipment failure on the part of the latter or of the existence of line conditions rendering teletype inoperative.
107. RADIO NETS-a. The following radio stations to work in radio nets as designated may be established by an air support command headquarters, and equipment to the extent of four radio sets is provided for the same with a fifth set as a reserve:
(1) A bombardment group net.
(2) An attached pursuit aviation net.
(3) An observation group net.
(4) A supported ground unit and higher air unit headquarters net.
(5) An air support control net.
(6) An air transport net.
It is highly improbable that all of these nets would be in operation at one time.
b. The following radio stations to work in radio nets as designated may be established by a combat aviation group headquarters when engaged in air support operations:
(1) A subordinate squadron net.
(2) A supported ground unit net.
(3) A superior air headquarters net.
(4) An air support control-air parties net.
(5) An air support control-bombardment airdrome net.
(6) An air control-bombardment aircraft in flight net.
(7) An air support party-bombardment aircraft in flight net.
These nets would not all be in operation at one time, and the employment of extra radio receivers which are made available with each radio set would serve to limit the number of radio transmitters required. There is available to a bombardment group when engaged in air support operations, and an air support communication squadron is attached to the group, a total of 10 radio sets, which are deemed sufficient to equip a maximum of four air support parties with 1 set each and one air support control with 2 sets, leaving 4 sets for purposes of working in other nets designated and to provide a limited reserve.
c. A combat aviation squadron is provided with a radio set to work in the net of its immediately superior unit's headquarters, and with another set to establish an air support control in the event it is immediately supporting a ground unit.
d. Bombardment aviation net-(1) After bombardment aviation takes off from its airdrome under orders received from an air support control, air-ground communication is normally maintained between the bombardment aviation in flight and the air support control. Usually a separate radio set, complete as to transmitter and receivers, is required, consequently the air support control is provided with two sets.
(2) At times it may be desired to turn over to an air support party control of the bombardment aircraft in flight for the purpose of guiding the latter to their target Objective. In such event the one radio set with the air support party will suffice for these operations in addition to others that are normal. However, should it be foreseen that an extra radio set is required by an air support party, for the particular purpose described, one of the reserve sets of the bombardment group can be so employed.
e. Observation aviation net.-The attachment of the observation aviation of an air support command to units of the supported ground force is normal. However, the necessity will arise at times to establish an air-ground observation net at the air support command or subordinate combat aviation unit, headquarters. It will be possible under any circumstances to maintain a listening station at any of the combat aviation unit headquarters to copy essential traffic of the normal air-ground net of the observation aviation and the ground unit headquarters to which the observation aviation is attached. The information thus to be gained will prove helpful to the several staff sections of a combat aviation unit headquarters.
f. Air transport net.-In the event transport aircraft is assembled as part of an air-borne force, the control of such aircraft in flight while transporting troops or supplies in accordance with the plan or orders of a directing ground unit devolves upon the air support commander. It will usually be necessary to establish a separate radio liaison net for this purpose which net will include, in addition to the command ship of the air transports and the air support command post, any or all of the following headquarters and establishments, necessitated in part by the communication requirements of the air transports:
(1) The transport airdrome.
(2) Any intermediate landing fields between the transport airdrome and the final air-borne mission objective.
(3) The combat area (after first echelon of troops has been landed).
(4) The airdrome of accompanying fighter pursuit.
SECTION III: METHODS OF OPERATION
108. WIRE commumcation.-Telephone communication should be limited to command purposes and employed only between commanders directly and the operation sections of staffs. Reliance will be placed upon the teletype as the primary means of wire communication.
109. AIR SUPPORT PARTY-AIR SUPPORT CONTROL OPERATIONS.-a. Air support parties and air support controls are components of an air support communication squadron, which is attached to a bombardment group when the latter is engaged in air support operations.
b. An air support party is an air organization comprising an, air support officer together with radio equipment and personnel detailed from a combat aviation unit, usually a group, to the headquarters of a supported ground unit for the purpose of transmitting to an air support control approved air support requests. Within an army corps an air support party is rarely detailed to a subordinate ground unit headquarters below that of an infantry division. Within the armored forces, air support parties will frequently be detailed to the headquarters of any subordinate unit of an armored division. The same is true with respect to the assignment of air support parties to a cavalry division. An air support party transmits to an air support control only such air support requests as have been approved by the commander of the unit at the headquarters of which the air support party s detailed. Communication between an air support party and an air support control is always direct. Radiotelegraphy is the means of communication employed.
c. An air support control is an air organization comprising the commander of the supporting combat aviation together with signal equipment and personnel, set up at the headquarters of a supported ground unit for the purpose of evaluating air support requests received from air support parties with which it is working and making decisions on requested air support missions in consonance with the directive of the supported ground unit commander. Within the army corps, an air support control is normally established at the corps headquarters. Within an armored corps or cavalry corps, an air support control may be established at the corps headquarters, or at armored or cavalry division headquarters according to the plan of operation and assignment of air support parties. The establishment of one air support control only within a ground unit directly supported by a combat aviation unit will be normal. Communication between an air support control and bombardment aviation airdromes to which orders for the flying of bombardment missions are directed by an air support control will be either by radiotelegraphy or teletype according to circumstances.
d. Figure 2 presents a type operations plan for the air support controls and support parties of different major units of the ground forces. On the left side of the diagram are shown two army corps at the headquarters of which an air support control is operated. Air support parties are detailed to each infantry division headquarters. On the right side is shown an armored corps, at the headquarters of which an air support control is operating with two air support parties, one each at the headquarters of a motorized and armored division, respectively. At the headquarters of the third division, an armored division of the same armored corps, an air support control is operating with air support parties at each of two armored regimental headquarters. It is to be noted that in this latter instance, the air support control operates directly to a separate bombardment aviation airdrome indicating support of this division directly by a combat aviation unit.
e. As indicated in paragraph 107d, an air-ground net between bombardment aircraft in flight and either the air support control or an air support party may be established for the purpose of controlling the bombardment mission and assisting in guiding the aircraft to their target. Observation aviation may also be used in guiding bombardment aircraft to their target when the former would also come into this net.
110. AIR ALERT STATUS.-When for a particular operation, bombardment aircraft may be put on air alert in support of a designated ground unit, requests for air support would then pass directly from the ground unit to the supporting bombardment aircraft in flight. Observation aviation may also be used in such an operation when it could be arranged, that requests for air support pass directly from the observation aviation to the bombardment aviation in flight over an air-air net.
111. RADIO EQUIPMENT CHARACTERISTICS.-Each radio set issued to units of an air support command includes three separate receivers which permit the guarding of several radio channels simultaneously at any one radio station. In addition the radio transmitters permit of rapid and precise shifting from one frequency channel to another which results in a high degree of flexibility in radio communication.
112. VISUAL COMMUNICATION.-There are many uses for visual signals in an air support command, -especially between the ground troops and aircraft in flight. Insofar as the ground troops can assist in directing friendly bombardment aviation to hostile targets, and as a measure to assure their own protection from bombardment by our own aviation, the use of panels or other visual signals must be resorted to. Consequently it is most important that all interested personnel of both the ground and air forces working together be thoroughly trained in the use of the several means of visual communication.
113. SIGNAL OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS (SOI).-These are technical instructions for the coordination of the operation of the several means and agencies of signal communication. Their preparation and coordination with the signal operation instructions of the supported ground unit is a responsibility of the signal officer of the air support command, but it is incumbent upon all officers as well as interested enlisted personnel to be familiar with their purpose and use. No communication system can function efficiently without an intelligent understanding and use of signal operation instructions, and training in their employment.
SECTION IV: PREARRANGED MESSAGE CODE FORMS
114. PREARRANGED MESSAGE CODE Forms.-a. The use of such forms has particular application with respect to communication between air support parties and air support control, and between the latter and the airdromes of the bombardment aviation. Speed in the transmission of such messages is of primary importance, whereas, due to the comparative brevity of elapsed time between initiation and completion of any one air support operation, extensive cryptographic security is of secondary consideration. Every effort, however, will be undertaken to assure such security consistent with requirements for speed.
b. Due to the diversity of situations to be found in air support command operations, much latitude is permissible in the preparation of prearranged message code forms. The examples set forth herein as applicable to operations involving air support parties and air support control units, and bombardment aviation airdromes, are intended for guidance only.
(1) Air support request form (fig. 3) -This form is intended for use by air support parties in the transmission of requests for air support to an air support control unit.
(2) Acknowledgment report form (fig. 4).-This form is used by the air support control to acknowledge receipt of messages from the air support parties, and to designate whether or not particular requests for air support will be granted or denied.
(3) Attack order form (fig. 5).-This form is used by air support control in issuing orders to the bombardment aviation for air support missions.
(4) Departure and return message forms (fig. 6).-These forms are used by bombardment aviation units in reporting to the air support control departure from the airdrome on assigned missions, and return to the airdrome therefrom. Similar or modified forms can be used to report such departure and return of bombardment units to the interceptor command as required. In such instances prior coordination with interceptor command is necessary.
(5) Notification of attack by enemy aviation form (fig.7).-This form is used by airdromes in reporting attacks by enemy aviation to the air support control or other head-quarters concerned.
(6) In the use of prearranged message code forms of the type shown, it is contemplated that geographic codes and map coordinate codes or the coded template will be employed in designating the location of targets or other terrain points. As a further security measure, the letter symbol designating the several items of information transmitted, and the sequence of the information items themselves in the body of the message, should be changed at irregular and not infrequent intervals, and new forms published accordingly to all elements concerned.
c. Aircraft status reports.-Due to the variety of specific information required by these reports as between various commands, no example of the same is shown herein. A form for such reports can, however, easily be prepared using the same fundamentals as those that are contained in the forms exhibited.
d. Prearranged message code forms are properly a part of the signal operation instructions and their use and distribution, and all changes therein, will be coordinated through this agency.
