Page 23 - 4RA Regimental Journal 2019-2020

Exercise SUNDERLAND DAGGER was always going to be a challenge for the Battery – after spending over a year
out-of-role preparing for and deploying on Operation TOSCA 30 it was going to be a tight timeline to get back into gunnery in time for the annual Regimental live fire exercise. After a manic January and Feb- ruary spent conducting safety and Level 2 courses while also trying to squeeze in exercise preparation and BCS training, the Battery finally deployed to Otterburn at the start of March.
Conditions were not ideal. The BC’s Ack’s recce the week before had been cur- tailed by heavy snow, and that cold and windy weather seemed intent on sticking around for most of the exercise. The gun- line immediately settled into a busy firing programme in support of the various Tac Groups from across the Regiment, brav- ing some very exposed gun positions near Bellshiel in order to range into C and B impact areas. Morale was maintained by the excellent team though and the Battery suffered very few casualties to the con- ditions. The firing routine was broken up with some interesting and novel practices. Sgt Buckton put the gunline through their paces with a challenging CBRN live fir- ing serial – a first for almost all on the gun detachments and in the command post. High angle practices were also conducted throughout the exercise, culminating in a high-low time-on-target shoot in which detachments fire a round at high angle and then at low angle at the same target, aiming to get them both to impact at the same time.
“GAS GAS GAS!” CBRN live firing during Exercise SUNDERLAND DAGGER
4th Regiment Royal Artillery
Exercise SUNDERLAND DAGGER 2020
Meanwhile the Tac Group commenced the exercise with a period of dry training first. FSTs deployed into tactical OPs to con- duct simulated battlegroup area defence and delay tasks, using the opportunities to hone their silent marking, target indica- tion and defensive fireplanning skills. They then ventured to Yardhope to practise company attack fireplanning, being forced to split into anchor and assault FSEs while tackling some steep and boggy terrain in their efforts to support the notional com-
pany attacks. They too were not safe from Sgt Buckton’s passion for CBRN; the FSTs soon found themselves in full 4 Romeo while establishing an OP and calling in fire missions. As the FSTs transitioned to live firing they were slick in their drills and enjoyed a variety of scenarios across the impact areas including mobile OPs, night shoots and more fireplanning.
GPO delivering orders to the gunline on a frosty day in Otterburn
21