Someone please tell me how arty can calculate where you are shooting from when you are on the other side of the map, in bushes, shooting your artillery. I've tried to scan the common areas that all arty go to but I can never see any vehicles shooting at all. I know I'm doing something wrong, and I guess I need to see a video or something to show me what I'm doing wrong, but I can't see jack crap to make out where an enemy is shooting from. Also, how is it that I can see trees and fences being smashed, but I cant see the tank doing it? I mean, if a small fence is getting crushed, I should damn well be able to see what is flattening it.
First, I'm assuming you're playing as artillery yourself. If not, then you're probably not going to be able to trace a shell back to where it's being fired from unless you're in visible range of them anyway.
There are two strategies for locating enemy artillery -- if all/most hiding spots for artillery are in a single grid square, you just go into top-down mode, zoom all the way out, and sit, watching the entire grid square where they hide. Once some of your tanks see some of theirs, expect artillery to take a shot or two. When they shoot, you should be able to see the trail and where it started -- just shoot a small bit behind where the trail started. If you get a direct hit on a tank you cannot see, you will *not* see the explosion. If you do see the explosion, then you did not get a direct hit (but may have damaged them from the explosion radius). If you weren't able to pin down the location the first time they fired, wait go to the general area and wait for their second shot.
The other method, usually used on maps where the artillery is more spread out (like the snow map, for example), is to go into top-down mode and follow the friendly tanks that are near the enemy tanks that are lit up. Once you see an artillery shot land near your friendly tanks, take note of the angle it came in and follow it back until you get to a likely hiding spot, then wait for another shell and see if you can see where it started (otherwise follow it back some more). This method is obviously less effective since you've got to wait for at least 2 of their shots before you can pinpoint them, but is the only way to do it on more spread out maps where you're not sure where the artillery will be.
Additionally, if the first method is not showing you any artillery trails, but you are seeing artillery get kills, then go to the second method, because they likely won't be shooting from the spot you expected.
Note that I usually only try this if I'm going against 3+ artillery, and usually only on maps where I can employ the first method. Trying the second method can take too long and by then you've missed out on a few easier shots on the tanks in the middle of the map. You also don't want all the artillery on your team to be doing it or you'll be wasting all your artillery.
A corollary to that is, as artillery, to try and pick less obvious spots to shoot from, spread out from other artillery, and move, even a little, after each shot. As long as there are no enemy tanks making a bee-line for your general area, you are better off near, but not in, cover so you are less vulnerable to getting shot using the above methods. If tanks start to move closer to you, then go find cover.