Code names for air-ground support levels?

Discussion in 'General' started by Chris C, Jul 9, 2022.

  1. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi all,

    I came across this in the war diary of the North Shore Regiment. I was wondering if there were code names for different levels of air support, as there were names for different types of artillery bombardments (Uncle, Victor, etc)?

    "The C.O. asked for air Sp. in the form of a "WINKLE" before our attack was to take place."
     
  2. Temujin

    Temujin Member

    I don’t believe their was the same sort of system for Close Air Support (CAS) as their was with Artillery in WW2. The control of Air Assets in WW2 evolved over the war, and by 1944 they were using a system of “Push CAS” as explained below.

    Tactic of “push CAS” can trace its origins at least back to World War II. By 1944, the US Army Air Force and Great Britain’s Royal Air Force in Italy had perfected a method of flowing fighters into the CAS area on a regular, prescheduled basis. This system, known as “cab rank” for its similarity to a line of taxicabs waiting for passengers, provided a constant flow of fighters overhead for the ground controllers, then known as “Rovers.” If not needed for close air support, these missions pressed on to a preplanned backup target, typically a bridge or other interdiction target of known value to the enemy. The cab rank system was possible because of Allied air superiority and large numbers of counterland assets and provided the ground force with very responsive air support. Cab rank response time was as little as a few minutes, while traditional CAS missions that were only scheduled in response to specific requests by the ground force might not arrive for several hours.

    https://www.doctrine.af.mil/Portals/61/documents/AFDP_3-03/3-03-D20-TypesofCASRequests.pdf
     
  3. Temujin

    Temujin Member

    Last edited: Jul 10, 2022
  4. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    Hello Chris,

    From: Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support in Europe, 1943-45 By Ian Gooderson

    Eighth Army was equally enthusiastic, describing ‘Timothy’


    "as the greatest step forward in air/ground cooperation since the innovation of the Rover controls.”


    Meanwhile, similar attacks had been carried out in North-West Europe, where they were referred to as ‘Winkle’. On 1 October 1944 No. 84 Group RAF noted of ‘Winkle’, only recently introduced, that


    “This type of operation involves the employment of aircraft in a very close support role, where the forward line of our own troops is identified by a line of white smoke extending for 1,000 yards, 2,000 yards, or 3,000 yards. This line of smoke clearly defines the area beyond which pilots are free to attack. Normally such an operation is laid on in connection with a ground offensive, with the object of destroying and disrupting the enemy’s defences and reducing morale, in order to facilitate an immediate advance. On the one or two occasions when this method of support has been employed, success has been evident...In difficult country where it is not possible, or where it is very difficult, for ground OPs to locate exactly the position of mortars and defended posts, it is usually a somewhat haphazard procedure to attempt to indicate pinpoint targets by the use of red smoke. ‘WINKLE’ is considered to be the better method in these circumstances, even though it may entail a certain waste of effort.”


    On 20 October 1944 Typhoons of No.84 Group carried out a particularly successful ‘Winkle’ on the immediate front of the Canadian 2nd Infantry and 4th Armoured Divisions. This was in support of Operation SUITCASE, the attack towards Esschen as part of the advance to clear South Beveland in Holland. Some 59 sorties were flown by rocket-Typhoons and Typhoon bombers during the day, the Operations Record Book of No.263 Squadron recording that


    “Bombing was good, nearly all falling on selected targets by the road side. A message was received later from Army H.Q. to say the attack was very successful as many enemy strongpoints had been wiped out, and they had been able to advance to within one mile of Esschen.”


    Further approbation was received from 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade, whose troops reported finding the bodies of 42 German troops killed during the ‘Winkle’ on their front alone.

    Richard

    p.s. From the glossary of the above book:

    TIMOTHY Method of close air support whereby fighter-bombers attacked targets in relation to a fluid bombline in support of a ground assault. Developed by RAF Desert Air Force in Italy.

    WINKLE Method of close air support similar to TIMOTHY and employed by RAF fighter-bombers in North-West Europe.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2022
    Osborne2, Chris C and Gary Kennedy like this.
  5. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    That is fantastic, thank you so much, Richard!!
     

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