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Fire For Effect!: Artillery Forward Observers in Korea

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FIRE FOR EFFECT! is more than just a book about the Korean War. It is the untold history of the Korean War Artillery Forward Observer, told by the men themselves. From the earliest days of the war in 1950 through the harrowing battles of 1951 and on into the so-called `stalemate' period of the hill battles of 1952 and 1953, into the final climactic battles before the cease fire, the Forward Observer, or FO, was there. Korea was and is known as the `Artillery War' and it was the job of the FO to direct this artillery onto their targets. FOs are the eyes of the artillery, and the importance of their job in Korea has been largely overlooked until now. Serving as infantrymen, but not being considered one, Forward Observers lived, ate and slept on the front lines, ever ready to respond to an attack, or defend friendly troops and positions, and sometimes losing their lives doing it. The awesome responsibility and firepower that was placed on a 22 or 23 year-old lieutenant or sergeant was staggering, and after reading these first hand accounts, one can easily imagine what these young men faced on a daily basis. With over 100 interviews of Forward Observers, from all time periods and from all locations and battles of the war, the grittiness and reality of what these servicemen went through in the `Forgotten War' is brought to life so that their deeds may be remembered for future generations, so the battlefield known as Korea and it's veterans will not be forgotten any more.

Artillery is the killer of the battlefield. And the forward observers or FO's are what make it happen. The gunners can't see what they are shooting at. So up front, living in the dirt with infantry is the FO.

One of the big advantages the US forces had in World War II was artillery. Yes, the German 88 mm dual purpose gun got most of the attention, but it was an anti-aircraft gun also used in the anti-tank role. The real killer is a lot of guns firing explosive ammunition, especially with proximity fuses, sometimes called Variable Time fuses, that make it go off in the air above the troops.

After the start it received in World War II, the Army learned to let the big guns do as much work as they could. The Chinese entered the Korean War eventually, and what they learned as an army was the effectiveness of good artillery well served.

This book is in the form of individual stories of young men charged with the responsibility of making the big guns effective. Their stories describe a part of the war not often told.

Korea was a time in between, as I guess all wars are. Now the FO has much more sophisticated equipment in the form of laser range finders, laser designaters that make him even more effective.

Fascinating Book.

This book is an excellent read about a relatively unknown job during the Korean War. As in WWI and WWII, the artillery Forward Observer was the eyes and ears of the artillery battalion, but in Korea this job showed it's worth and set the standards for the legacy of what an FO can bring to the fight, now more than ever with Afghanistan and Iraq as our present conflicts. Over a hundred interviews of FOs from across the Korean peninsula from all time periods, this book gives the reader a great feel and appreciation for the role of artillery during the 'Forgotten War', seen through the eyes of those that delivered that artillery onto the target(s) before them. A good solid book that is well worth the time.

This is an interesting and valuable book regarding a group of soldiers in the Korean War who contributed greatly to the success of UN troops, because of their ability to offest the preponderance of Communist ground forces in Korea by delivering precise artillery fire on these specific targets. A new subject & well done