"M109: Spades Up or Spades Down?" Topic

I spent 7 years in a field artillery battery. I started in the pits assembling ammunition and powder bags. I worked my way up to assistant gunner. Then they moved my over to the Fire Direction Center (FDC).

In FDC, I started as the Radio Telephone Operator (RTO). Then chart operator, and finally assistant FDC chief.

The Team Yankee M109 is shown with the 155mm gun in the elevated position. This is only when firing. Between rounds, the tube would have been dropped to the loading position so that the loader could use the hydraulic rammer.

When the M109A1s came in we only used white bag with the long barrels (vs. the smaller green bags). This created a tremendous amount of recoil. The following link supports what I am talking about:

YouTube link

During firing, the hatch on the rear of the hull would be open. Optionally, the hatches on either side turret may also be open to permit better air flow during the summer months.

All this said, I would like to hear back from my fellow wargaming modelers, would you set the spades up locked in the travel position or buried in the ground in the firing position?

I think I'd go with guns raised as if ready to fire, for dramatic effect, and blades down to permit that.

Of course, if you can afford it, both would be nice as well, for the movement to attack, and shoot and scoot artillery salvoes, in order to avoid the obligatory counter-battery fire to follow.

Yeah, I'd model mine with tube up and spades down. And based, so I could show the spades dug in.

And with the back hatch open if it's easy to build that way. If not, they're just sealed up for NBC warfare.

I'd go with spades and tube up for gaming purposes. For just modelling … Spades down, tube up …

Tube up could be a storage problem. Plan that before you build.
But yeah, up and down looks much more business like.

Spades up. A model with spades down on roads bothers me more than spades up in a firing position. No logic to it.

Unless you're willing to swap models appropriate to mode (Yes, guilty as charged …), I'd also say spades up for wargaming.

Why have them on the table at all? With a 20 Km range, the models could be in your neighbor's kitchen! Not your next-door neighbor's, either; the one three doors down.

Yeah, even with 6mm FA … you could be in your neighbor's living room !

I appreciate everyone's feedback.

The shoot and scoot tactic is called a "Hip Shoot" in the artillery world.

I've decided to go with the spades down and dug into the earth, open for business. Traveling with the spades down may not look appealing, but traveling with the gun up is never a good idea (the turret will spin freely when the driver makes a hard turn). As for the hatches, there isn't much I can do about that, they came molded shut.

Now I need to get ammo carriers (M109s only carry 28 rounds). An FDC carrier with tent extension. Finally, a forward observer.

Firing position, that's what they are for.

Now I need to get ammo carriers (M109s only carry 28 rounds)

A buddy of mine worked on the M992 FAASV. link

I misspoke about the shoot and scoot tactic. We did use it to locate and destroy opposing batteries.

We would send out a single M109 and launch a couple of rounds and take off. When the enemy replied, their rounds were tracked by high speed radar. Their suspected location was then relayed to nearby batteries who then did a Time-On-Target (TOT) mission to destroy the area; usually a 1-click (kilometer) by 1-click area.